back to nightshift

When one unknowingly drinks something that was poisoned, is that considered suicide? After all, the person is taking actions that will bring about his own death. But he is not aware of that. Would we say that a person who is eating unhealthy foods constantly is committing suicide? Some would. I would, if it were an extreme case, something like three double cheeseburgers everyday. But if the person is not intending to die, then it is not suicide.

Every living thing is going towards death. If one intends to bring about one's death, and acts on it, then it is an act of suicide. If one performs an act that brings about one's death, but does so unknowingly, then it is not suicide. If one unknowingly performs an act that brings about death, and desires death, then this is still not suicide. It brings about what one desires, but the act was not intended to bring death, and is therefore not suicide.

What is suicide? Do people really desire death? Or is it that people just desire a cessation of their suffering? What about a nihilist? A nihilist believes there is no meaning to anything. If everything is meaningless, then there is no reason to live. One can continue living a meaningless existence, or end the meaningless life. So if a nihilist commits suicide, then it is because of a lack of meaning. The nihilist does not desire death, but meaning. Suicide then, is an act that arises from suffering or meaninglessness.

I wrote this after watching this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ95z6ywcBY&feature=player_embedded

maybe this will be the last post in a while since I'm going back to nightshift. We'll see.