General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "Cowardly, Selfish" [View all]TygrBright
(20,756 posts)There have been two suicides in my family, and I have known personally and professionally at least three individuals who chose to end their own lives because of chronic brain disorders.
As a surviving family member, I know that my own reaction included more than a little selfish "how could they do this to me" feeling, as well as quite a bit of "I totally get that" empathy.
The evolutionary drive for survival is not just an individual drive. We are a social species and we need each other, to form families and tribes for mutual survival and passing on our DNA. At the root, our lives DO belong to one another, in part. So the sense of "How could they?!?" is a very strong one, and even more so when it mingles with a close personal loss.
thoughtfully,
Bright