It's an interesting and possibly important point, but I doubt its relevance to most suicidals. It implies a sort of rationality that I expect is "out of scope"

It's an interesting and possibly important point, but I doubt its relevance to most suicidals. It implies a sort of rationality that I expect is "out of scope" for people suffering a physiological mental illness. Clinical depression is a real medical condition, with real impacts on cognition and reasoning. I expect a great many suicides aren't "choosing" anything, but rather responding to complex pains, in a condition of diminished ability to perceive situations and alternatives. For a person in such a moment, the first advice must be: Hold on. You can, at some point, see more clearly, and then see way out and up. Then: Reach for help. If help fails, revert to first advice. Never stop holding on. I'm not saying you don't make sense. (And not saying you do, I think you're absolutely wrong about both the morality and possible rationality of suicide.) I'm saying you are trying to talk sense to a population that isn't really in a position to make use of sense.