True or False: "Sane people never attempt suicide"

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• Could you give an example of a situation where a sane person would want to commit suicide?

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  by ACCOUNT CLOSED on October 17th, 2009

• in vietnam, american soldiers were tortured. after a while, well, there's only so much torture a person can take before they commit suicide.

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  by Bob on October 17th, 2009

• People with terminal illnesses (the basis of the assisted suicide debate).
  
  People have killed themselves (and their families) to avoid torture or gruesome treatment (the Jews at Masada, early American settlers when faced with capture by Indians, etc.).
  
  spies and resistance fighters killed themselves to avoid capture/interrogation.
  
  I am not saying I agree with them all, but I don't think they are insane.

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  by yahoot on October 17th, 2009

• @Bob: One could argue that someone who has been extensively tortured and suffered malnutrition is bound to suffer from extreme emotional and psychological distress - that's not to say that they would become whacko nutjobs, but they would probably not be sane.
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  @Yahoot: Likewise, prolonged suffering of extreme pain could very likely cloud one's better judgment; even if the doctors say that what they have IS very treatable as long as they hold on a while longer, they may be tempted to just give up because of their distress.

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  by ACCOUNT CLOSED on October 18th, 2009

• Thank you. You are correct that they might choose to commit suicide rather than accept the alternative.
  That would be a rational choice, not insanity.
  
  We don't necessarily have to agree with their choice, but it is not insane.

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  by yahoot on October 18th, 2009