What would happen

[naia_]

If suicide were legally allowed, socially accepted, and easily available just like any other otc pill at the pharmacy?

Would people stand in line?

What would the conservative pro-lifers of this day say?

What would the philosophers argue?

How would the world look?

 

[nzdarkshark]

It would be interesting to see how many people really want to die; or to see how many people think they want to die.
I wonder if it would cause almost human extinction - as suicide can have a ripple affect and due to the easy access there would be for it it would be easy to do.

Of course people would still try and say to not do it - as people do it with completely legal things such as vaccinations.

It's an interesting thing to ponder.

 

[Circles]

It would be interesting to see how many people really want to die; or to see how many people think they want to die.
I wonder if it would cause almost human extinction - as suicide can have a ripple affect and due to the easy access there would be for it it would be easy to do.

Of course people would still try and say to not do it - as people do it with completely legal things such as vaccinations.

It's an interesting thing to ponder.

I think it should be taught early on about the impermanence of human life and respecting a persons decisions to leave if and when they want to. It would slowly be accepted, society would backlash with every new development. They at first couldn't accept in disbelief acknowledging that there's another option. For many they out-way their lives counting all the times the bad outweighs the good. Most still choose to ignore it out of respect as millions of people yearn for it. Like sunlight piercing through a dark cloud, all these people come forward showcasing the scars they have and everything they've endured. All their cries for help are being answered. One by one each person tells their account of their lives and why they are making this decision. They are all heard with open acceptance to help better understand how to fix the broken system and try if anything that society can do to help prevent, protect, respect and assist all these troubled individuals. The entire way society is structured is turned inside out. Every individual would atleast think about it seeing if their suffering is worth the effort. Philosophically, people would begin to grasp the ideas that no one asked to be born, that life is mostly suffering and everything we do is to only block out the discomfort. Many cannot accept these cold hard truths but with climate change, societal decay, corrupt governments, economic vulnerability, wars, etc taking its toll many millions perhaps billions of the poor and hungry reconsider their options. What's left after the Great Salvation is a different world, one I'll tell you after this quick commercial break. Stay tuned.........

 

[Schopenhauer]

I think it would increase the number of suicide deaths by a significant amount. Concurrently it would increase average happiness in the world, as it's unhappiest members left it.

There'd be public outcry at every step, and religions would probably benefit as well, by taking a strong stance against suicide.

But I don't think it would have such a profound impact on society. Most people want to live. It would just become another talking point in the culture wars.

 

[worldexploder]

That would be such a dream come true! I'd take the potion and be done with this bullshit. I'm all for selling Nembutal in vending machines to be honest.

 

[Trashcan]

People would protest every step. There would still be some people (particularly religious people) who would protest long after it became socially acceptable. I think more people would die from suicide. Then the people left on earth would be happy and/or religious people who think suicide is a sin. Although it might look different generations and generations into the future when it's modtly happy and religious people left, but who knows, there may still be enough people who want to die to keep it legal. And maybe the younger generations would be taught that you have a right to die, so even if they're happy, they'll accept people's choices. But there would always be people who would be unhappy with it.

 

[Hans Wolfgang]

If the cost to CTB goes down, the value of a living human goes up. As such, suddenly a lot more would be invested to keep people motivated to stay alive.

People would suddenly respect each other a lot more. If your mother or child or friend can CTB with trivial ease you'll be a LOT more motivated to care for them and not let that happen.

Medical research into nonterminal conditions would probably speed up as governments tried to keep chronic patients pain-free and hopeful.

A significant percentage of economic output would suddenly be diverted into making workplaces better. If the choice is between raising wages or having to shut your sweatshop down because half your employees killed themselves, you'd probably raise the god damned wages.

Overall, it would do a great deal to make humans perceived human again, not just mindless worker drones as we're now.

 

[Red star]

Great question! There would need to be some sort of education towards it so people know when and how to do it. Giving them ideas, carrying it out thats in a therapeutic way where they would feel resolve as they go.

 

[Xerxes]

Suicide booth like in Futurama.

 

[Circles]

Suicide booth like in Futurama.

Don't forget some Slurm.

 

[TAW122]

I'd would be ecstatic and be really relieved as I know I can exit at any given time for any given reason. Others here would be really happy too.

On a serious note, I think the people who truly want to die would stand in line and be able to get their exit. Sadly, the conservative pro-lifers would have a lot of ammunition to lobby for banning it once more but could no longer stop others from going through with their choice as that would violate human rights and even become criminal to interfere with another's decision. I'm not super versed in philosophy, but I'd imagine some philosophers could argue that life is valuable and that legalizing euthanasia and for it to become socially acceptable is heavily devaluing human life. Finally, as how the world would look, well the people who want to stay and the people who are happy will thrive, have more resources, and there will be an incentive to treating people better and not taking others for granted anymore as they know people can always check out anytime for any reason.

 

[creationisdeath]

If suicide were a simple painless pill away that is available to even homeless people (let's say a super uber ultra toxic substance combination is found that is as available as water) capitalism would fall immediately.

Hundreds of millions of wageslaves would simply die. The elite/de facto god-emperors wouldn't have any slaves left.

Money would cease to exist.

People would have to develop a society of equals so that everybody enjoys this short existence in peace.

It would be awesome.

But unfortunately the closest thing we have right now is N and that is fully in the hand of a few shady millionaire vendors.

 

[Schopenhauer]

@creationisdeath: I don't think your forecast is realistic. Most people don't want to die. Even starving people in Africa fight against death. The wageslaves enjoy themselves.

We're in the minority here, and should be careful not to extrapolate our feelings too widely.

 

[creationisdeath]

@creationisdeath: I don't think your forecast is realistic. Most people don't want to die. Even starving people in Africa fight against death. The wageslaves enjoy themselves.

We're in the minority here, and should be careful not to extrapolate our feelings too widely.

I'm sure more people would take the option than we might think. Key is a peaceful off switch instead of the gruesome scenarios shown in the media.

Suicide is quickly becoming #1 cause of death either way. (Edit: seems to be already #1 excluding medical causes)

 

[Threads]

It would be difficult to imagine, as the society as we know and are living in would not exist.

I think that if there was suddenly an international and globally enforced law that passed tomorrow, and suddenly suicide booths and pills were widely dispensed free of charge, society would collapse over night. We're so far away from physician assisted suicide for anyone (Not just the terminally ill) that if it suddenly became the norm, there would be a total social and economic collapse.

 

[TAW122]

It would be difficult to imagine, as the society as we know and are living in would not exist.

I think that if there was suddenly an international and globally enforced law that passed tomorrow, and suddenly suicide booths and pills were widely dispensed free of charge, society would collapse over night. We're so far away from physician assisted suicide for anyone (Not just the terminally ill) that if it suddenly became the norm, there would be a total social and economic collapse.

In this case, then what if there was a limit to the amount of people being able to access the suicide booth and pills (maybe even costing a bit along with a waiting period), such as a per day/week/month/year? Perhaps this would eliminate the sudden loss of people and sudden collapse of society. So given the world's population at around 7.7 billion people, only x number of people are allowed to suicide while y number of people are coming into this world (through birth), where x > y and the difference between x and y cannot exceed z amount. I know there are a lot more factors than just simple mathematics, but perhaps that might give society enough time to come up with a solution for the people who want to stay (including the people in extreme poverty across the world) while the people who don't eventually and quickly find their exit.

 

[Threads]

In this case, then what if there was a limit to the amount of people being able to access the suicide booth and pills (maybe even costing a bit along with a waiting period), such as a per day/week/month/year? Perhaps this would eliminate the sudden loss of people and sudden collapse of society. So given the world's population at around 7.7 billion people, only x number of people are allowed to suicide while y number of people are coming into this world (through birth), where x > y and the difference between x and y cannot exceed z amount. I know there are a lot more factors than just simple mathematics, but perhaps that might give society enough time to come up with a solution for the people who want to stay (including the people in extreme poverty across the world) while the people who don't eventually and quickly find their exit.

It's not the sudden loss of people that causes the social and economic collapse, even if no one actually went and used the pills or the booth, that isn't the problem. It's that suicide had suddenly became so socially acceptable that (As OP described) a suicide pill could be purchased OTC at a pharmacy. Such a dramatic and radical social change over the period of 24 hours would create a level of chaos and social hysteria that the entire global economy would collapse as the newly radicalized elements of the entirety of the Abrahamic hegemony rallied against it.

I cannot imagine how our current world and social order would exist in a world where you can go to a pharmacy and buy a suicide pill OTC.

 

[Nem]

I think it would make a bit of a difference in the fact some people would stand in line, the ones that really wanted it would at least.
The pro lifers? With all of the pro lifers in this world, how and why is there so many poor/homeless/sick people around? Bottom line is its your life, yours, not someone else's so why would or should they care about someone deciding they have had enough?
The philosophers, they can rationalize how morally wrong it is all they want. Again, are these people rushing out to help those in need? Armchair rescuers don't get much accomplished but sure have an opinion on whether someone chooses to die.
I think the world would stay pretty much the same, I'm sure a healthy amount of 90 plus year-olds wouldn't mind turning the lights out on life at that stage.
All of this stuff is reasonable, if a person wants to end their existence, it's a personal choice. When you think of it, a Dr saving someone's life is essentially playing god in a way. They are interfering with a process and how is suicide any different?