A police officer in Mexico prevents someone's suicide attempt, on a bridge, with no safety equipment.

[u/bendubberley_]

[u/Tiny-heart-string]

Everyone was happy except the dude who wanted out of this existence

[u/pudgehooks2013 → u/Tiny-heart-string]

Yeah, people always cheer for these videos, which I completely understand.

I don't think they understand that there is at least an equal chance that all this did was prolong and exacerbate this guys suffering.

However, in this particular case, clearly this guy didn't want to die. You don't stand on the edge of oblivion, with the intent to die, only to be distracted by random people and start arguing with them.

[u/mmmmmbeefy → u/pudgehooks2013]

I think every action possible should always be taken to prevent any suicide attempt. yes - they may very well end up taking their life at the next attempt, but if only one suicide attempt that is stopped results in an eventual recovery and saving of that person's life - then that alone would justify each and every attempt for any other. Life is too valuable.

[u/pudgehooks2013 → u/mmmmmbeefy]

I am going to use a hot topic example to explain my perspective.

People should be free to decide what happens to their own body.

If you are someone that thinks women should be allowed to have abortions, then I think it is highly hypocritical of you to have your opinion.

Please understand, that I am not talking about the specific action, I am talking about the general principle. It doesn't matter what the action is, abortion, suicide, tattoo, even a haircut. The stakes of the action make no difference, the base line principle of bodily autonomy is what matters.

Everyone should be free to have total autonomy over their bodies.

I know you are going to argue from the side of, suicidal people are mentally unwell, and that may be true. But being suicidal doesn't diminish your metal capacity. You can't claim that someone suicidal doesn't understand their actions, it is inherent to being suicidal that they understand.

[u/ZealousidealEdge652 → u/pudgehooks2013]

If someone with schizophrenia, in a psychotic break, threatens their own life without threatening anyone else's, do you allow that to happen?

No, because you think that although people have the right over their own bodies, they are not in a perfect state of mind to judge that decision sensibly.

It is understood that due to environmental, psychological or endogenous circumstances, most suicidal people are not able to judge the adoption of a completely irreversible attitude such as suicide sensibly and are mentally ill.

That's why I'm in favor of, as a rule, trying to prevent all cases of attempted suicide. However, I recognize that there are people - a minority - who, from an extremely rational and philosophical perspective, decide that the best course of action is to take their own lives (such as Nobel Prize winner in economics Daniel Kahneman, who opted for assisted suicide). In these specific cases, where the judgment of a psychiatrist is that the person is considering suicide from an extremely rational point of view, I am in favor of the right to end one's own life.

I believe that this scenario of, as a rule, preventing all cases of attempted suicide and allowing suicide in those cases where it has been established that the person is sensible enough to commit suicide, is what best promotes a gesture of humanity.