Why is Suicide and Self-Sacrifice so Frowned Upon?

[Hsiang-Lin]

"Why do you choose life over death right now?"

I deleted my original post because I made some realizations. But here's my latests thoughts.

People are often quick to denounce suicide and self-sacrifice. For example, I told my friends and family about the Vietnamese Buddhist monk who performed self-immolation to protest against the government's abuse of Buddhists. Their reaction was, "He could have protested in a better way," or "That's just foolish." This really surprised me.

It seems the word, "martyr," has been replaced with foolishness or stupidity. I can also see why. With the rise of terrorism to the forefront of news these days, it's no wonder suicide and self-sacrifice is so frowned upon.

But people often say, "Live like you'll die tomorrow." Nowadays, it seems happiness is measured by how ready you are to die at any given moment. And if you tell people you are going to risk your life to pursue a goal or higher cause, they'll say, "Don't be stupid. There's other ways to accomplish what you desire." Surely, they have a point. Death is often not the only solution. Yet, in some extreme cases such as with the Buddhist monk, was it really such a stupid act? Why do people value life so much to the point that risking their lives on any endeavor is considered foolish?

Also, if you look at our death from a context outside of our own world, it's not really all negative. If I die, I help save and recycle a lifetime worth of resources for other people.

And for those who are just itching to type, "Why don't you commit suicide right now then, eh?" My answer is that it is fear that is preventing me from doing so. My worst fear is fear of death from torture and pain. Also, I do not want to hurt my loved ones. I know my death would impact them the most. Assuming these two factors are taken care of, then yes, I would consider suicide although I wouldn't act on it so brashly without further thought. I wouldn't say I'm depressed at this point. This is just a logical progression of thoughts that has led me to a standstill.