Q&A: The Philosophy of Suicide
The Philosophy of Suicide
Question
If suicide were permitted, would the Rabbi commit suicide?
After all, most of the world is suffering, and if it weren’t a transgression you would reach an ultimate end that is entirely spiritual — “And you will truly see that no rational person can believe that the purpose of man’s creation is for his condition in this world, for what is human life in this world? Or who is it that is truly happy and at peace in this world?
‘The days of our years are seventy years, and if by strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but toil and trouble’—with so many kinds of distress and illness and pain and burdens, and after all that—death. One in a thousand will not be found for whom the world provides abundant pleasures and true tranquility, and even he, were he to reach one hundred years, has already passed and vanished from the world.”
Answer
No. Both because I am not suffering, and because I don’t feel like carrying out the act of suicide.
Discussion on Answer
Besides that, most people are not successful (certainly not as successful as the Rabbi has been) and generally fail overall in their lives
84.7%
Rabbi Michi, I’m jealous—have you enjoyed 84.7% of life?
I have enjoyed 80.667% of life, but of course this is only an estimate, since the measurements of the enjoyometer are not always precise, and there may be changes between a measurement taken in summer and one taken in winter.
If you weren’t so busy being jealous of someone who enjoyed 4% more, maybe you could enjoy 4% more yourself 😉
What percentage of life have you enjoyed?