Quick question for the EA community, particularly those interested in mental health - has anyone investigated supporting assisted suicide as a potential cause area?
This is a complex topic and I would resist quick conclusions, but it seems possible that there could be many people in the world who correctly perceive that their lives are filled with unrelenting misery with no realistic chance of improvement, and would like a graceful and pain-free way to end them with minimal negative effects on others.
I would be interested to see estimates of the numbers of such people and the magnitudes of their suffering.
Because there is a social stigma against suicide, I suspect that many people suffer silently without expressing their interest in a peaceful and dignified means to end their lives, including the very sick and the very elderly.
EAs seem like an unusually open-minded group. Some support life-extension technologies. While those are in development, they might also consider technologies for giving people humane options to end their lives.
I would also underscore that many people appear to be mistaken to themselves about the perception that their life is not worth living. They regret suicide attempts, their desires are fleeting, or they are unaware of other options for improving their lives. This post is not intended to be a blanket endorsement of suicide, and anyone considering it should first seek professional help.
Quick question for the EA community, particularly those interested in mental health - has anyone investigated supporting assisted suicide as a potential cause area?
This is a complex topic and I would resist quick conclusions, but it seems possible that there could be many people in the world who correctly perceive that their lives are filled with unrelenting misery with no realistic chance of improvement, and would like a graceful and pain-free way to end them with minimal negative effects on others.
I would be interested to see estimates of the numbers of such people and the magnitudes of their suffering.
Because there is a social stigma against suicide, I suspect that many people suffer silently without expressing their interest in a peaceful and dignified means to end their lives, including the very sick and the very elderly.
EAs seem like an unusually open-minded group. Some support life-extension technologies. While those are in development, they might also consider technologies for giving people humane options to end their lives.
I would also underscore that many people appear to be mistaken to themselves about the perception that their life is not worth living. They regret suicide attempts, their desires are fleeting, or they are unaware of other options for improving their lives. This post is not intended to be a blanket endorsement of suicide, and anyone considering it should first seek professional help.