# Controlling your own destiny



## PossumPie (Oct 2, 2014)

A VERY personal question, so I won't expect everyone to answer, but have any of you considered what you would do if it was apparent that things were absolutely hopeless? The movie "Testament showed the family who survived a nuclear attack, but sick with radiation getting in their car in the garage with the door shut and starting it up. They chickened out in the end but they had a plan. My wife and I have discussed the possibility, and we have a plan if there is no other options for us...I'm not afraid of death, but I'd prefer to pick a non-painful method.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

I suspect that od on some meds would be top of the list, if the need to end it was not immediate. You know, the old booze and pills classic. If you need to check out fast, the choice is situational.


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## SecretPrepper (Mar 25, 2014)

With 4 children I can't make myself go there. Im not even sure I could do it if I had a plan. No, I am sure I couldn't do it. That is a dark place to make your self go even if it is only in your mind. Use extreme caution.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I would never kill myself or my children...you never know what is going to happen in 30 minutes, the next day, next week


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## Zed (Aug 14, 2014)

Do not attempt suicide at any extreme possibility...
death should be in hands of God like birth....
also do not even think of killing children at any cost....


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

PossumPie said:


> A VERY personal question, so I won't expect everyone to answer, but have any of you considered what you would do if it was apparent that things were absolutely hopeless? The movie "Testament showed the family who survived a nuclear attack, but sick with radiation getting in their car in the garage with the door shut and starting it up. They chickened out in the end but they had a plan. My wife and I have discussed the possibility, and we have a plan if there is no other options for us...I'm not afraid of death, but I'd prefer to pick a non-painful method.


I don't believe in a hopeless situation. I will go off the edge kicking and screaming all the way.


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## OC40 (Sep 16, 2014)

I highly recommend you watch & read the book the Mist. It is a no win situation that well.. read it you'll see the book differs greatly from the movie. 
That is the point to such things in life. Plus for some religion at its view of suicide will factor in. 

There is a difference between controlling and accepting your destiny you either believe you can change it or you are destine for that end. Therefore your complete life was building to that point no matter the choices you made in that life. A very complex question you pose and one that has been asked a million times in the study of philosophy.


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

If its Yellowstone or Nukes, I got a lawn chair and a 6 pack, I'll just watch, otherwise, I am on the clock


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Never say Never. With that said, I can not think of needing to do that so my answer is face it head on.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

There are theortical situations that are simply a no-win. That's not to say they are other than extremely unlikely. I can answer as I did above on the basis of such theoretical death-traps. In most cases, I would go with guns blazing to give the rest a shot at escape.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I can think of a few no win situations, but I still can't think of taking my own life. You never now what's around the corner.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

paraquack said:


> I can think of a few no win situations, but I still can't think of taking my own life. You never now what's around the corner.


Here's one: you're surrounded by streams of lava and now you see another coming to fill in the gap. Now, it's possible that there's an alien saucer coming to rescue you and your family, but even if they did, there's only room in it for your wife and kid.

Hopeless? Pretty much.

A horde of hungry zombies has been attacking all day and you're down to one shot left.

No win? Likely.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

If things get real bad over time and Mrs Slippy is gone and our boys don't make it back, I go freakin' Liver Eatin' Jeremiah Johnson on the world. My Pikes come out and maybe hope for some good folks to stumble by to trade and I bring them in. 

But if its a full blown worldwide Nuke, I agree with Jeep. I stretch out in a nice comfortable lawn chair, Bible in one hand, Woodford Private Reserve in the other and watch the sky turn colors and my skin fall off.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Suicide is the cowards way out.


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## Zed (Aug 14, 2014)

thepeartree said:


> Here's one: you're surrounded by streams of lava and now you see another coming to fill in the gap. Now, it's possible that there's an alien saucer coming to rescue you and your family, but even if they did, there's only room in it for your wife and kid.
> 
> Hopeless? Pretty much.
> 
> ...


i guess there is difference between suicide and sacrifice..
suicide against laws of god
sacrifice..the ultimate spirit of humanity

suicide ...depressed mindset
sacrifice.... holy spirit...like Jesus sacrificed for humanity....//e.g. i am so happy to be able to save my wife and children at cost of my life...i will do this 100 times in 100 lives//


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Zed said:


> i guess there is difference between suicide and sacrifice..
> suicide against laws of god
> sacrifice..the ultimate spirit of humanity
> 
> ...


For a Buddhist, you understand Christianity better than most Christians.  Atta Boy!!!

Me? I cannot take my own life no matter what. It is a sin, plus it is just wrong. Nor could I take the lives of my wife and children. Beyond that, maybe I'll see if I can get a pike from Slippy.


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## Wise Prepper (Oct 2, 2014)

Suicide? Hell no! Im to stubborn to die much less take my own life. The world is stuck with me


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## K2CPO (Oct 15, 2014)

Human beings, as well as animals, are hard-wired to survive, at any cost. Those that choose to do themselves in have much bigger problems than what they're facing at that moment.

Nihilists... give up without a fight. I think that describes those who would kill themselves, or make no attempt to fight for their lives when confronted with a horrible situation. "Freeze" in that moment when a bad guy even looks at you. Nihilist. Most people would do something proactive. A nihilist... no.

One frequent poster (name withheld) states her husband "doesn't want to live in *that* world after SHTF, so he doesn't allow prepping... (paraphrasing.) He is a nihilist. And in my mind, and no offense to that person, he has bigger problems that he's not dealing with now. Anyway, just used this as an example. The normal route a person takes is to fight to survive. But human beings are a complicated lot, huh?

That's why we prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We're hard-wired to survive anything life shoves our way.

In SHTF, I may not make it. But I'm damned sure I'll go out fighting! *smile*

Hope I didn't ruffle any feathers... if so, sorry.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

I came into this world kicking and screaming covered in someone else's blood, I can go out the same way. Fight til the end and take the bastards with you. Never quit


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

K2CPO said:


> Human beings, as well as animals, are hard-wired to survive, at any cost. Those that choose to do themselves in have much bigger problems than what they're facing at that moment.
> 
> Nihilists... give up without a fight. I think that describes those who would kill themselves, or make no attempt to fight for their lives when confronted with a horrible situation. "Freeze" in that moment when a bad guy even looks at you. Nihilist. Most people would do something proactive. A nihilist... no.
> 
> ...


I think I know who you're referring to and no feathers ruffled here. 

I agree with what you said. But I can say for myself I will _*not*_ go down without a fight. I would like to think that even in a hopeless situation I will fight till the very last breath in my body.


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## PossumPie (Oct 2, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> Suicide is the cowards way out.


On a crisp September 11th morning 13 years ago I watched people 110 floors up make this difficult decision. They chose how their lives would end, and jumped. they did not allow some terrorist to make the decision for them.
-- I'd prefer you not call them cowards.


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## PossumPie (Oct 2, 2014)

I don't take life lightly, and would do all I could to survive. Radiation poisoning, starvation, fire, etc. are painful and slow, and if I decided that to live would only prolong my agony, I could speed it along.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

Zed said:


> i guess there is difference between suicide and sacrifice..
> suicide against laws of god
> sacrifice..the ultimate spirit of humanity
> 
> ...


There certainly is a difference. If the "laws of god" required you to go out and kill every baby you saw, would you do it because it's "the laws of god"? Just wondered...


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

PossumPie said:


> On a crisp September 11th morning 13 years ago I watched people 110 floors up make this difficult decision. They chose how their lives would end, and jumped. they did not allow some terrorist to make the decision for them.
> -- I'd prefer you not call them cowards.


They most definitely were not cowards. I will never forget watching that and just crying my eyes out.


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## Zed (Aug 14, 2014)

thepeartree said:


> There certainly is a difference. If the "laws of god" required you to go out and kill every baby you saw, would you do it because it's "the laws of god"? Just wondered...


I said laws of god...not satan...
all religions on earth are godmade except one...
that one is satan made....and you know about whom im speaking


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

Meangreen said:


> I came into this world kicking and screaming covered in someone else's blood, I can go out the same way. Fight til the end and take the bastards with you. Never quit


Absolutely. Any other way is simply giving up.


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## Zed (Aug 14, 2014)

In 2005..i was diagnosed with chronic disease.....after one full year medical treatment and being bedridden.....atlast the lead doctor said to my family..i had just 15 days of life...but somehow i'm here....
in world you would see...people who are not worth even sh!t live till old age.....and there are kids who die young ..... my point is let the death be in hands of God...since God has given us free will...we need to fight till last breath.....


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

Zed said:


> I said laws of god...not satan...
> all religions on earth are godmade except one...
> that one is satan made....and you know about whom im speaking


Yes, I see that's true or you would have answered the question, not what you think I wanted to say.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

PossumPie said:


> On a crisp September 11th morning 13 years ago I watched people 110 floors up make this difficult decision. They chose how their lives would end, and jumped. they did not allow some terrorist to make the decision for them.
> -- I'd prefer you not call them cowards.


Those people were out of their mind with fear. It may have even been a survival instinct. They may have thought jumping had a better chance, however small, of survival by jumping than flames and asphyxiation. Have you ever been burned? The first thing you do is involuntarily move away from the heat. You don't think about it you just do it. Did those people willingly commit suicide? I am not sure. Maybe those people did not intend to die. Suicide involves a thought process that you would rather die than go on living. I don't think that was the case in your example. Those people did not want to die.


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

It is up to God to decide when I shall draw my last breath. 
With that said; someday you may find me laying dead in a ditch but, I'll be surrounded by a pile of brass.


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## PossumPie (Oct 2, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> Those people were out of their mind with fear. It may have even been a survival instinct. They may have thought jumping had a better chance, however small, of survival by jumping than flames and asphyxiation. Have you ever been burned? The first thing you do is involuntarily move away from the heat. You don't think about it you just do it. Did those people willingly commit suicide? I am not sure. Maybe those people did not intend to die. Suicide involves a thought process that you would rather die than go on living. I don't think that was the case in your example. Those people did not want to die.


Semantics aside they chose their time and method of death. That is the definition of Suicide. They jumped hand-in-hand with office mates. They were shortening their lives only by minutes, but shortening it none the less and I don't fault them for it, nor, I suspect, does God.

And I wouldn't want to die if a nuclear holocaust rendered my country a glowing radioactive mess. My hair falling out, teeth falling out, and bleeding out of every orifice, I would make the choice to decide how to die. I don't see that as different from the 9/11 victims choosing to jump rather than stand in a burning room and be incinerated. No one thought that a fall of 100 floor would give them any kind of chance...they knew they were choosing their TYPE of death, not choosing to "give up" I am in NO way saying if life gets tough, just kill yourself, I am saying when it becomes obvious that you will die in the very near future, then pick a less painful way. I respect the religious answers that say that it is wrong morally.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

If human beings reduced themselves into rape gangs (very common in third world countries, happens after every major disaster) and I knew that they were approaching my house, I would quickly end it for myself and my daughters, rape is worse than death.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

"I respect the religious answers that say that it is wrong morally."

That's up to you. I don't. More evil has been done with the excuse of religion than anything else. Daily.


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

TorontoGal said:


> If human beings reduced themselves into rape gangs (very common in third world countries, happens after every major disaster) and I knew that they were approaching my house, I would quickly end it for myself and my daughters, rape is worse than death.


I think this has got to be one of the top fears of most women out there. Almost every shtf and teotwawki book I read leads me to believe this is what's going to happen to me. I guess unless I was in that position I can't honestly say what I would do. But I'd still like to say I'd go down fighting.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

Given where you live, I'd have a bugout location picked. You're too darn close to a "big" city. If you waste no time (and pack the ammo on top), you should be ok.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Please, this is personal, you can't judge what a woman thinks she should do in the face of rape gangs, some have 50-100 men, judging from what's happening every day all over the world. There is no fighting back when you are alone with 2 daughters (my husband may not be there or he might be killed instantly). 
Seriously, I don't need a silly lecture.


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

TorontoGal said:


> Please, this is personal, you can't judge what a woman thinks she should do in the face of rape gangs, some have 50-100 men, judging from what's happening every day all over the world. There is no fighting back when you are alone with 2 daughters (my husband may not be there or he might be killed instantly).
> Seriously, I don't need a silly lecture.


Could never judge you on that. Doesn't matter if it's 50-100 or 1 or 2 it's still a horrifying thought. I can't even think about my daughter in that situation, hurts to much to even try to imagine it. In fact I think I'm done with this whole thread now, it's just too upsetting.


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## Zed (Aug 14, 2014)

TG..I'm sorry if my post offended you...i better will delete it..


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

I'm out.


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