Is it better to die 'sane', or live 'insane'?

Question

a dreary tv drama posed the question

a woman -- suffering from a severe disorder -- butchers her two children...she's found innocent by reason of insanity...however: if she takes her meds, her disorder is controlled, she becomes sane, and -- as a function of sentencing -- will face the death penalty

so: if sanity can be defined as exercising a measure of control over one's actions, and insanity can be defined as being as slave to whatever impulses ramble thorough one's head, which is preferable?

to be sane and die, or, to be insane and live?

Answer 1

I would choose to live insane ...

Answer 2

It depends on what you mean by "better," but hedonistically, egotistically at least, it would seem better to live insane, as you would get to live longer, and without regret for your bad actions.

I guess the problem arises when we wonder, how long will the insane person live? Despite having some twisted kind of fun, the life of an insane person does not sound very fulfilling. Your existence would seem very inconsistent, following fleeting passion to fleeting passion without much consistency in life. It seems to me that consistency allows us much easier lives.

And, as far as this case, even if the woman was found guilty, you usually spend 20 years on death row in this country, assuming you don't get a positive appeal or a reprieve.

So, though ignorance seems blissful, sanity seems more fulfilling. It sounds like a matter of personal preference to me, and I would prefer to be sane. Eh.

Answer 3

This is the same question as better to be Socrates dissatisfied or a pig satisfied? If you are not aware of the possibility of being insane then be crazy. If however you have knowledge of your insanity then rather die sane. Then we hit the catch 22. If I know I am insane then am I really sane?

Answer 4

This is a hard one to answer. Did you know that in the United States, a person can only be executed if he is sane enough to know what is happening at the precise time of his exectution, and he can be forcibly medicated for this reason. It has happened.

As you must know, many people suffering from mental illness refuse to take their medications for a variety of reasons- side effects and a loss of the mental state they are at least familiar with.

You can find out more about the death penalty and mental illness at the Death Penalty Information Center, www.deathpenaltyinfo.org. I suggest you read about some of the cases to get some idea of the dimensions of the problem you are writing about.

Answer 5

If someone butchers 2 children, what difference does it make if she is crazy? We are one of the only countries who see things this way. What do we do with any other animal that kill a human being? If a rabid wolf attacks a human, we will hunt it down and kill it, weather the victim dies or not.
My wife is from Singapore. Just after we first married and she moved here, we heard a news report that someone was found 'Not Guilty' by reason of insanity. She asked me what that meant, so I told her the person is being considered crazy at the time of the murders, but they are O.K. now. But since they were considered insane at the time of the crime, it won't count and they will be set free.
She was so shocked by this, her cute little Chinese slanted eyes became round with suprise.

Answer 6

For the person himself, it is better to live insane, because the insane person will not realize that they are, while a sane dieing person will realize it and see that there is nothing he can do about it.

But for the people around the person, it is better for them if he dies sane, than if he lives insane; putting them all in great danger.

**Personal Opinion: I'd rather live insane.

Answer 7

The situation is a prime example of insanity of the current court system. I'd rather be a person sane or not living in a system that had more sense and sanity then the one we currently got.

Answer 8

In this case, if I were the woman, I would like to be insane for a while, then recover some time after the judge announce the verdict.

Actually, it is a very tragic case, but if the mother is insane, what can we do? She also cannot do anything.

Answer 9

live sane of course. INsanity indicates there,s a void that needs to be filled (with knowledge ,wisdom ,good judgement,logic,) all the things we need to live well-rounded lives.If so things like that can be prevented.

Answer 10

Better to live insane and die that way too.

Answer 11

Some say that ignorance is bliss.

If one can live without condemnning themselves for the things that they do, then they will live a happy life.

If you condem yourself for the things that you do, then you might as well not do it ,as continuing will lead yourself into a life of misery and regret.