7 ms·

David Goodall: Scientist, 104, begins trip to end his life

jamesblonde 9y ago
I knew about euthanasia being legal in many countries, but I was surprised that 'assisted suicide' is legal in a few as well. He's going for 'assisted suicide' to Switzerland.
pvaldes 9y ago
Is depressed and probably afraid for the changing status. I hope they give himself some time to reconsider the idea. Mr Goodall: everybody is afraid of the future, but what you want to do is stupid. Sorry but somebody had to say it. You could discover than to live with other people is not so bad. For sure is better than trying actively to be killed.
- nikofeyn 9y ago
  how is this possibly stupid? depression is a spectrum, one that ranges from a clinical inability to deal with “normal” life to that of a state that accurately describes one’s feelings toward reality. he has lived the life he wants to live, and is tired of dealing with it in its current state. it is his decision. do you say to someone who is miserable at their job that they are stupid for looking at other jobs? or the many other situations when one is faced with a decision to cross another boundary of sorts? no. and it doesn’t sound at all like he is afraid of the future. it sounds like he’s tired of the present. you, in your calling him stupid, seem afraid of the future. he’s ready to face it. one should always be in control of their own lives. we were born into life without a choice. being told we have to stay here, in a prison state, without regard for our own choice is yet another layer of cruelty of the meta-life us humans have created. if we leave people no choice but normal suicide, we end up with sloppy exits that result in much more pain, lack of grace, and destruction than that of assisted suicide.
  - pvaldes 9y ago
    Is stupid because is not the logical solution for his problem. Hey, Mr Goodall if you can read this, do you miss good conversations about interesting problems and talking with smart people? Please be here tomorrow and start participating actively in Hacker News. We would hugely appreciate your experience in ecology. There is not any glory, grace, elegance or pride in distroying oneself, and the idea of "pain avoidance at all costs" is grossly overvalued.
    - blacksmith_tb 9y ago
      I am surprised by your strong reaction to his decision. If you disapprove of assisted suicide, no one is going to force you to use it yourself; I would suggest however you have no right to say someone else shouldn't.
    - Yaa101 9y ago
      He is 104 years old, that is old enough to decide for oneself what to do with ones life. If you said "I find it stupid", you could get away with saying that but you are not the one who decides if this is stupid or not. Besides that, do you really think he is going to listen to you?
    - nikofeyn 9y ago
      his decision is not logical, but yet you’re inviting an accomplished scientist who is 104 years old to come be amongst arguments of containerization and startup culture? i can only guess how he feels about that.
      - pvaldes 9y ago
        Well, to apply my own experience, I'm not here (exclusively) for the startup culture. I'm here because the quality of the discussions is pretty high and because I find a lot of interesting and clever people here. Is good to be the dumbest in a room plenty of smart people. I think that Mr Goodall would feel useful and fine here, probably, but I can be wrong. The man has a lot to offer and a lot to receive still. I agree that nature is in flames and this is really depressing, but... you are 104 years old and your bottom is taking the shape of a Galapagos tortoise?, so what?. Try to reach your 108 birthday, is a nicer shaped number (I would try to live until 123 and set a new Guinness world record as the longer lasting human ecosystem just for revenge). On the other hand. Nowadays there is a glorification of suicide in the news that is very annoying in my opinion. People with candles, and drawings of flowers, and all this BS. I had helped some people after trying to commit suicide (or faking suicides for attention). Young girls throwing up pills, violated women with knife cuts in the wrists. I can tell you that is not funny. Not at all. The bullied boy that killed himself causes an indescribable pain to their parents and friends. This is how you spread and multiply the pain, not how you stop it. Your solution is having all your bones broken trough your skin and blood in the ears as response for somebody giving you a kick or calling you queer? You are an idiot, boy, not an hero. This should be said more often.
  - adrianmonk 9y ago
    Self-determination is a separate issue from whether it is a good idea. Nobody is trying to take away his choice, just to persuade him to make a different one.
    - nikofeyn 9y ago
      isn’t that exactly what has happened? he is flying across the world to be able to make his choice.
      - adrianmonk 9y ago
        I mean nobody in this thread.

I knew about euthanasia being legal in many countries, but I was surprised that 'assisted suicide' is legal in a few as well. He's going for 'assisted suicide' to Switzerland.

pvaldes 9y ago

Is depressed and probably afraid for the changing status. I hope they give himself some time to reconsider the idea. Mr Goodall: everybody is afraid of the future, but what you want to do is stupid. Sorry but somebody had to say it. You could discover than to live with other people is not so bad. For sure is better than trying actively to be killed.

nikofeyn 9y ago
how is this possibly stupid? depression is a spectrum, one that ranges from a clinical inability to deal with “normal” life to that of a state that accurately describes one’s feelings toward reality. he has lived the life he wants to live, and is tired of dealing with it in its current state. it is his decision. do you say to someone who is miserable at their job that they are stupid for looking at other jobs? or the many other situations when one is faced with a decision to cross another boundary of sorts? no. and it doesn’t sound at all like he is afraid of the future. it sounds like he’s tired of the present. you, in your calling him stupid, seem afraid of the future. he’s ready to face it. one should always be in control of their own lives. we were born into life without a choice. being told we have to stay here, in a prison state, without regard for our own choice is yet another layer of cruelty of the meta-life us humans have created. if we leave people no choice but normal suicide, we end up with sloppy exits that result in much more pain, lack of grace, and destruction than that of assisted suicide.
- pvaldes 9y ago
  Is stupid because is not the logical solution for his problem. Hey, Mr Goodall if you can read this, do you miss good conversations about interesting problems and talking with smart people? Please be here tomorrow and start participating actively in Hacker News. We would hugely appreciate your experience in ecology. There is not any glory, grace, elegance or pride in distroying oneself, and the idea of "pain avoidance at all costs" is grossly overvalued.
  - blacksmith_tb 9y ago
    I am surprised by your strong reaction to his decision. If you disapprove of assisted suicide, no one is going to force you to use it yourself; I would suggest however you have no right to say someone else shouldn't.
  - Yaa101 9y ago
    He is 104 years old, that is old enough to decide for oneself what to do with ones life. If you said "I find it stupid", you could get away with saying that but you are not the one who decides if this is stupid or not. Besides that, do you really think he is going to listen to you?
  - nikofeyn 9y ago
    his decision is not logical, but yet you’re inviting an accomplished scientist who is 104 years old to come be amongst arguments of containerization and startup culture? i can only guess how he feels about that.
    - pvaldes 9y ago
      Well, to apply my own experience, I'm not here (exclusively) for the startup culture. I'm here because the quality of the discussions is pretty high and because I find a lot of interesting and clever people here. Is good to be the dumbest in a room plenty of smart people. I think that Mr Goodall would feel useful and fine here, probably, but I can be wrong. The man has a lot to offer and a lot to receive still. I agree that nature is in flames and this is really depressing, but... you are 104 years old and your bottom is taking the shape of a Galapagos tortoise?, so what?. Try to reach your 108 birthday, is a nicer shaped number (I would try to live until 123 and set a new Guinness world record as the longer lasting human ecosystem just for revenge). On the other hand. Nowadays there is a glorification of suicide in the news that is very annoying in my opinion. People with candles, and drawings of flowers, and all this BS. I had helped some people after trying to commit suicide (or faking suicides for attention). Young girls throwing up pills, violated women with knife cuts in the wrists. I can tell you that is not funny. Not at all. The bullied boy that killed himself causes an indescribable pain to their parents and friends. This is how you spread and multiply the pain, not how you stop it. Your solution is having all your bones broken trough your skin and blood in the ears as response for somebody giving you a kick or calling you queer? You are an idiot, boy, not an hero. This should be said more often.
- adrianmonk 9y ago
  Self-determination is a separate issue from whether it is a good idea. Nobody is trying to take away his choice, just to persuade him to make a different one.
  - nikofeyn 9y ago
    isn’t that exactly what has happened? he is flying across the world to be able to make his choice.
    - adrianmonk 9y ago
      I mean nobody in this thread.