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Your value to family and society
6.1 Perhaps you don’t believe that a person’s worth to society should ever have any bearing on whether or not he leaves life. If this is so, you can indicate why in this question, and then skip to the next section:
People are created equal under God.
The Constitution of the United States defines people as equal.
Except for extreme cases (saints and serial killers), there will always be strong disagreement on how much a given person is worth, so there is no point in anyone trying to make this the basis of an important decision until we all agree on how to make this assessment.
Differentiating people on the basis of overall worth will create a unique source of unhappiness for those lowest on the scale, such as welfare cases, removing the possibility of their saying, “Well, at least I am worth something just because I am trying.”
Differentiating people on the basis of overall worth will increase social division and tension by creating another group of “have’s” and “have not’s”.
Other reasons:
Skip the questions on my personal worth to the people around me and to society.
6.2 Think back over your life. What things have you done that have had an especially positive or negative impact on others:
6.3 Which of these describe your value to the world:
I am an extremely positive factor the lives of:
millions
thousands
hundreds
dozens
several
one other person or living thing
no person or living thing
My extremely positive contribution is:
irreplaceable
difficult to replace
easily replaced
I am a very positive factor the lives of:
My very positive contribution is:
I am a somewhat positive factor the lives of:
My somewhat positive contribution is:
I am a somewhat negative factor the lives of:
I am a very negative factor the lives of:
6.4 When you try to figure out the value of your contributions to the world, to whom are you comparing yourself when you make this judgment:
my family
my co-workers
people who are in the same occupation
people who live in my town or city
people who have had the same advantages or opportunities
people with similar inherited physiological characteristics (such as intelligence, or physical or emotional sturdiness)
I refuse to compare myself to anyone; I just do the best I can
6.5 If the earth were going to be destroyed, and there were a spaceship that could allow only a small number of the most useful people to escape, where on the list do you think you would be and why:
6.6 What do you conclude from your responses to the preceding questions:
I think the question is meaningless because everyone has enough intrinsic worth to give them a right to life that is equal to everyone else’s.
There are other things that are much more important to consider when deciding whether to leave or not than personal worth... unless your worth is extremely high or very negative.
I am not sure about how much I am worth to the people around me or to society. I am not sure to whom to compare myself or what standard to use.
I am not sure about how my worth to the people around me or to society should affect what I think about leaving.
I think that I am important enough to the people around me or to society that I should stay, if at all possible.
I do not think that my worth to those around me or to society should prevent my leaving, if my level of suffering is unacceptable to me.
6.7 Do you think that spending some time with a person who would help you review your life might help you to understand and accept your failures and acknowledge your contributions:
The reactions of people around you to your leaving
6.8 How dependent are others are on you, and for what:
Family:
Friends:
Neighbors:
Co-workers:
The company you work for:
Your town or city:
Society or your country:
The world:
6.9 Who would miss your personal presence (as opposed to what you can accomplish or produce:
6.10 How would those you care about respond to your leaving voluntarily:
They would believe I had committed a religious sin and condemn me.
They would believe I had sinned but would try to forgive me
They would believe I had done the wrong thing because of the pain it caused them, and they would be hurt or angry at me.
They would stop caring about me; my memory would be tarnished.
Although there would be strong negative reactions at first, these would die down, to be replaced by some sympathy and understanding.
The main feeling they would have is sorrow when they realized how bad my life must have been to drive me to leave them voluntarily.
The people I care about would understand and agree with my decision “with a heavy heart”, perhaps because we have discussed leaving as a hypothetical or real possibility.
6.11 How would people respond to the manner of your leaving:
The only sure means available to me are very gruesome, so I am afraid they would have to live with some terrible images.
I have an effective means of leaving that is relatively benign, although any scenario, except one taking place in a hospital, would be shocking for them to imagine.
I live in a state, province or country where physician-assisted suicide is legal, so the impact of the image of my leaving will be as peaceful as it can be.
Some of the people I care about will be present when I leave, so they will be prepared for the way things will be. If things go as planned, the impact will be minimal.
6.12 What do you conclude from your responses the questions about your value to society and about the reactions of others to your leaving:
Considering my value makes no difference because I don’t think it should be involved in the decision as to whether to leave, or because I would never consider leaving voluntarily under any circumstances.
I am a bit concerned or confused about what my value is or about how it should affect the amount of suffering I should endure before I would consider leaving.
I realize that the amount of suffering I would cause by leaving makes it very clear that I must have compelling reasons for doing so.
Other:
We can now re-visit a slightly different form of an earlier question:
6.13 Is your current or expected QOL in combination with your value to others and the reactions of others to the fact and manner of your exit such that you would consider leaving life voluntarily, now or in the future:
... and this one:
6.14 Which of these additional factors could influence your ideas and feelings about leaving:
Being convinced that my value to family, friends and society is higher than my current estimate.
Being convinced that my assessment of my current QOL or level of suffering is too negative or pessimistic.
Having some hope that my physical or emotional problems are not hopeless, or that the conditions outside myself causing my suffering can be changed or avoided.
Having permission from others that it would be OK for me to leave when I want to or under certain circumstances,
Having permission from society that it is OK to leave when I want or under certain circumstances,
The availability of a pain- and anxiety-free means to leave,
The availability of a way to make my leaving useful or financially rewarding,
The availability of a way that I can live on through some kind of tangible memorial,
The availability of more knowledge about what happens after life.