Wanting Someone to Not Commit Suicide Is Equally As Selfish As Wanting to Commit Suicide

with regards to the first scenario you mentioned. Let's call Steve's friends Matthew and Jane, how exactly is it selfish for Matthew and Jane to want Steve to continue living, as i said before life is something valuable, a gift to those fortunate enough to possess it, which is why it is protected by practically every constitution in the world (the right to life). Jane and Matthew at that juncture see things from an objective perspective, they are not clouded by emotional trauma, such as Steve would be. Jane and Matthew at that point understand that it would be irrational for Steve to take away his own life because of the stress and the pain he's going through. Because in reality we all go through pain in our lives, we all loss someone we love at one point or another (or they lose us) Does that mean when let's say for example X's wife dies, he should immediately kill himself. Let's assume Steve's deceased children had children of their own (essentially Steve's grandchildren) Is it then selfish to persuade Steve to continue living to help his grandchildren cope with the pain, and to sustain them financially. The point is Steve is incapable of thinking rationally and thinking things through at that point, by stopping Steve from committing suicide Matthew and Jane are merely trying to give Steve time to compose himself and think things through, look at things from a rational perspective (that life goes on, and that he must honor his family by not giving up on life) With regards to your second counter argument Con acknowledges that the inverse is possible, Con also acknowledges that suicide guarantees escape by ending the source of the problem. However does not see this aides Pro's argument, how exactly is the one trying to stop the suicidal person selfish, in what way, he's not exactly doing it for his own purposes, ofcourse you could argue that he/she is just trying to stop the suicide because it will make him feel better about himself, (more of easing his conscience). But then again can't you argue that while the person trying to stop the suicide (we'll call him Y) knows that suicide is as you put it "a guarantee" that Mr. Suicide's problems will end. Y also understands that suicide technically isn't a solution, its ending the game in it's entirety. Mr. Suicide will never get the chance to find out whether things would have turned out for the better or for the worse, Mr.Suicide would never get the chance to find love, to have children, to be prosperous, to get a job, to have good friends, to pursue his ambitions. Ofcourse this is all just possibilities, that may never have happened. But Y also understands that the joy of living is its uncertainty, its unpredictability is the reason we wake up and get excited when things do go our way. Mr Y knows that Mr. Suicide by committing suicide denies himself the chance of having that. Mr. Y only stops Mr.Suicide to allow him to have that opportunity. Nothing is more self less than wanting another to have the chance to be something in their lives. An example would be a parent who wants his child to go to school (school being the risk of living) whereas the child doesn't (that being suicide). By not going to school he eliminates (in theory,not in practice) the risk of being rejected by a university for example,by he also denies himself the possibility. Addressing paragraph 3 with regards to the fault found in Con's argument, Con responds by referring Pro to paragraph 1, the Steve scenario, the Steve in this instance would be clouded by emotions, therefore incapable of having true intent to go to hell,instead his intentions are to end the pain, at that moment, he cannot be said to have the capacity to have true intention, because he is influenced by the circumstances he finds himself in Con would also life to raise another argument, according to most,if not all constitutions,each person has a right to life, its debatable whether such right encompasses the right to choose to die, furthermore common reason tells us that killing is wrong,essentially suicide is killing one's self, by stopping a person who wishes to commit suicide,you are stopping a morally wrong act as such you are acting in the public's interest, you are aiding in preserving a society where one's life is held to be of high value, therefore you are acting selflessly