Comment by rkomorn 3 days ago
I don't necessarily agree with this take but I'd say it's probably because we're only willing to let people who are close to death "make a mistake."
Eg maybe a 16 year old who wants to end their otherwise healthy life might, 20 years later, be glad they didn't.
That seems less likely with someone who is almost certainly going to die (and probably painfully to boot) "soon".
You're correct, and I'm generally in favor of the right to die.
I watched a documentary where they interviewed a bunch of people who attempted suicide and talked to them about the entire experience and mental state. Out of the maybe ten that they interviewed, only one said that he wished it had worked. That doesn't mean it's only 10% though... they didn't get to interview the ones that succeeded.
With suicide being illegal in most jurisdictions, not everyone interviewed may have been honest in relating their feelings. If you have suicidal ideations, telling others about them can have severely negative consequences. Saying “I wish it had worked” would likely create ongoing jeopardy.
I don't particularly like this wording but can't seem to come up with another one right now:
I think it's okay for us to try and avoid the irreversible mistake, but yes, it's very arguable that living years you didn't want to live is also an "irreversible mistake".
> maybe a 16 year old who wants to end their otherwise healthy life might, 20 years later, be glad they didn't.
Equally, they might spend decades of their life in misery wishing that they had been able to.