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Their downfall was pride: they were so proud of their intelligence and competence that senility and incompetence seemed to them worse than death (I wonder if th
by wtbob 11y ago
Their downfall was pride: they were so proud of their intelligence and competence that senility and incompetence seemed to them worse than death (I wonder if they would have supported killing the young mentally deficient as well, but that's a different subject).
But I've had relatives who were senile and incompetent, and it's not actually bad, when one is surrounded by family and friends. We were all born dumb and helpless, and many of us die that way. A senile, frail old man is no more worthless than is an infant. Sure, he won't ever grow out of his state (as an infant will), but he once was otherwise and has hopefully earned some love and respect.
There are worse things than helplessness. I think hubris is one of them.
- JshWright 11y agoYour comment clearly assumes they have lost something by taking the action they did. Can you articulate what it is you think they lost?
- delluminatus 11y agoThey lost nothing more or less than some years (or months?) of their lives.
- amelius 11y agoBut, getting perhaps a bit philosophical, if you don't experience a loss, did you really "lose" something?
- hiq 11y agoOne key to happiness according to several studies is to devote a bit of your time to others. Advanced senility deprives you of this once you're unable to actually help another, and I understand how one could want to end it, even without hubris. Not only will an old person never grow out of his state, he has to carry the burden of being aware of it. This is another huge difference.
- fooster 11y agoI see no downfall at all. They ended _their_ life the way they chose at the time of their choice. That is how it should be.
- tallanvor 11y agoI see no downfall or hubris in their decision. I do, however, see extreme arrogance in your comment. You've decided that just because you don't consider senility or incompetence to be horrible that nobody else should either. Those two people made a reasoned decision about what they wanted their lives to be like and what they wanted to happen when they could no longer live the way they wanted to. Thankfully their children, who obviously didn't want to lose their parents, understood that being forced to continue living with declining mental and physical capabilities was a fate worse than death to their parents, and did not interfere.
- crimsonalucard 11y agoI agree with you. They have the right to choose but I believe that their decision is prideful. There are great people in this world who choose to fight to the end and continue to accomplish great things beyond what ordinary men can do. These people will stand by your opinion. Stephen Hawking.
- noir_lord 11y agoI'm going to try and stay polite, but as someone who's has had family members die from dementia, you are an idiot. Your mind failing you slowly over time so that you are aware for periods it is happening slowly with each one becoming more and more infrequent, going in to see a relative who was one of the wisest strongest people you knew now wetting themselves and crying because they are frightened because they don't know where they are or who they are or how they got there. There is no hubris in wanting to go out of life on your own terms with your mind intact.