Child genius commits "logical suicide"

[doktorb]

From http://www.independent.co.uk/news/brilliant-pupils-logical-suicide-1188778.html

A BRILLIANT schoolboy shot himself in the head after carefully calculating the benefits of life and deciding it was not worth living, an inquest was told yesterday.
Dario Iacoponi, 15, a pupil at the London Oratory in Fulham, west London, which is attended by Tony Blair's two sons, Euan, 14, and Nicky, 12, kept a diary of his philosophical thoughts on life in the two months leading up to his death. The Oratory is one of the top Roman Catholic schools in the country.

After weighing up the pros and cons, he decided to commit suicide and planned it meticulously. He taught himself to use his father's shotgun and worked out how to fire it with a wooden spoon. He then waited until neither of his parents was at home before carrying out the plan last month.

[ChairmanSanchez]

.....wow.....
This is the strangest story I may have ever read.

[Formerly Californian Tony]

That's his personal choice. Who are we to say he was wrong ?

I've always thought that it's up to the individual to rationally decide whether or not their life is worth living. While, in his situation, I wouldn't have seen any reason to commit suicide, I think he has perfectly the right to take his life away if he didn't enjoy it. I can think of numerous situations when I would probably commit suicide (or ask someone else to kill me) in order not to suffer.

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

.....wow.....
This is the strangest story I may have ever read.

Yeah, this.

The kid had to have some kind of mental disorder as well, because people don't just commit suicide in a situation like his. Sorry to hear about this though. RIP.

[politicus]

Life is a gift and shouldnt be thrown away. That said, it is hard to judge the specific case without knowing his exact thoughts and calculations. Mathematical proof that life is not worth living is a really odd thing. I struggle to imagine exactly what kind of calculations he did to get to this result.
It must have been more advanced than a simple pro vs. con analysis.

[dialectical fetishist]

The fact you don't know for 100% sure what death consists of should surely be enough to weigh against committing suicide.

[Former Moderate]

The fact you don't know for 100% sure what death consists of should surely be enough to weigh against committing suicide.

Certainly someone that intelligent has to know there's no God.

[/troll]

[dialectical fetishist]

The fact you don't know for 100% sure what death consists of should surely be enough to weigh against committing suicide.

Certainly someone that intelligent has to know there's no God.

[/troll]

I'm actually atheistic, really. I didn't mean it on a religious level.

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

The fact you don't know for 100% sure what death consists of should surely be enough to weigh against committing suicide.

Certainly someone that intelligent has to know there's no God.

[/troll]

Ohohoho!

[So rightwing that I broke the Political Compass!]

This is the triumph of the evolutionary process, when its products become sufficiently conscious to opt of the interminable drive for survival.

[ilikeverin]

If he was "rational" about this, he wouldn't've shot himself.  That's just dumb.

[opebo]

Life is crap, but that's all there is.

[politicus]

If he was "rational" about this, he wouldn't've shot himself.  That's just dumb.

No, its fast and effeicient (if you do it right). I would certainly use a gun, if I decided to kill myself.

[opebo]

If he was "rational" about this, he wouldn't've shot himself.  That's just dumb.

No, its fast and effeicient (if you do it right). I would certainly use a gun, if I decided to kill myself.

Famously not the lady's choice, though.

[homelycooking]

The only winning move in the game of life is not to play.

[Governor Scott]

The only winning move in the game of life is not to play.

Sigged.

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

The only winning move in the game of life is not to play.

Sigged.

[King]

There's only one serious philosophical question and that's whether or not to commit suicide.

[dialectical fetishist]

Jesus, you guys are depressing. I thought I was bad.

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

Jesus, you guys are depressing. I thought I was bad.

[True Federalist]

The only winning move in the game of life is not to play.

That's a WOPR of an idea.

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

If he was "rational" about this, he wouldn't've shot himself.  That's just dumb.

No, its fast and effeicient (if you do it right). I would certainly use a gun, if I decided to kill myself.

It's also quite inconsiderate - you do know that someone has to clean up the mess, right? I suppose you might go out into the woods or something, but then people are going to spend time searching for you as well. Just because you might not want to live doesn't mean you have to be a jerk to the people who have decided to stick around.

[True Federalist]

If he was "rational" about this, he wouldn't've shot himself.  That's just dumb.

No, its fast and effeicient (if you do it right). I would certainly use a gun, if I decided to kill myself.

It's also quite inconsiderate - you do know that someone has to clean up the mess, right? I suppose you might go out into the woods or something, but then people are going to spend time searching for you as well. Just because you might not want to live doesn't mean you have to be a jerk to the people who have decided to stick around.

But if life is not worth living, would it not be kind to encourage other people to come to the same conclusion?

[white trash heroes]

That's his personal choice. Who are we to say he was wrong ?

I've always thought that it's up to the individual to rationally decide whether or not their life is worth living. While, in his situation, I wouldn't have seen any reason to commit suicide, I think he has perfectly the right to take his life away if he didn't enjoy it. I can think of numerous situations when I would probably commit suicide (or ask someone else to kill me) in order not to suffer.

right, because suicides are generally known for their rationality and emotional stability.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

Why is this story weird?  A cost-benefits decision about suicide, or that it was by a kid so young?

I have a friend who has major, crippling depressive disorder.  About 2/3 of nights, he ends up curled in his bed from intense physical pain (yes, from the depression) until he can sedate himself.  Telling someone suffering that way that "life is a gift," however I may feel it, is unimaginably condescending.

Emotional stability is not a prerequisite to rationality.