I read a story on reddit today - a redditor said he came home to find his brother in the process of committing suicide. The redditor stopped him. The brother still hasn’t thanked the redditor, barely even talks to the redditor any more, and the redditor was complaining about it. It’s just infuriating. I hate the social narrative that anyone who interrupts a suicide is always a hero and the would-be suicidal person owes them thanks. Just like I hate the toxic positivity narrative that suicidal feelings always pass, suicide is always a mistake, and everything should be done to prevent it. That’s how we end up with the shitty situation in many countries where even people living in incurable pain, even those dying in incurable pain, have to suffer to the bitter end, instead of being allowed to be put out of their misery. Who knows why the brother attempted suicide. Maybe he has problems that can’t be solved and are unbearable. Now it’s one thing to act on instinct and save someone who’s dying in front of you, I’m not even really blaming the redditor for that. But the self-righteous and narcissistic whingeing about how he hasn’t been thanked yet, I mean how dare the brother not be grateful that you took away his freedom of choice. What makes it even more infuriating is when someone whose suicide was prevented and is later glad they are still alive, thinks that every failed suicide should feel the same way. Some cheeky removed of a redditor actually said to the saviour brother “As someone who was prevented from committing suicide and is now thankful for that, please let me thank you on behalf of your brother since he’s too ungrateful to thank you himself.” Imagine the level of narcissism you must have to not only think that everyone should feel the same way as you, but to feel justified in thanking someone for interfering in and taking away someone else’s free will to determine their own fate.

If our sick society just accepted people’s right to assisted suicide, for whatever reason they choose, then things like this wouldn’t even happen. People wouldn’t come home and find their brother in the middle of an attempt. It’s precisely because society prefers to force toxic positivity and crap like therapy on people instead, none of which usually works, that leaves people who want to exit with no choice but to try themselves in a place where someone who doesn’t want to see that, will find them.