how do you differentiate suicide from self-sacrifice?

Question

if you know you're going to die & you can actually avert it but you did not, is it suicide? is it only when you have to save somebody else that makes it self sacrifice?

Answer 1

Catholics believe suicide (the murder of yourself) when committed in full knowledge and deliberate consent is a complete turning away from God (a mortal sin) and will send a person to hell.

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. (John 15:13)

A parent that sacrifices himself or herself to save their child's life is choosing death over life but is not committing suicide.

A soldier who accepts a "suicide" mission to help win a war and protect the citizens of his country is choosing death over life but is not committing suicide.

A Christian who chooses to remain faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be put to death instead of renouncing his or her faith and living is choosing death over life but is not committing suicide.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39)

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Suicide is a completely selfish act that disregards the entirety of one's life, including family, friends and other loved ones. Those who commit suicide have no thoughts to the ramifications or repercussions of their actions (except for that they'll be dead, of course).

Self-sacrifice, while not unwilling would not be a choice made for self-conscious reasons. Sacrifice is the essence of giving up something dear to you for the betterment of another person or cause. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac to exalt his God. Jesus could have easily escaped crucifixion but chose instead to accept that fate for the betterment and enlightenment of the world.

Suicide is selfishness; self-sacrifice is righteousness.

Answer 3

Not trying to avert death might be passive suicide, or it might be an informed choice or statement; for instance, if I ever get any form of cancer I would not accept chemo or radiation therapy because of all the animals who suffered and died to develop those.

To me suicide is for personal benefit, but self sacrifice is for benefit other than your own.

Answer 4

Suicide involves one person who purposefully takes his or her life, whereas self-sacrifice involves at least two people in which the sacrificing one loses his or her life to save that of another or others.

Suicide may be thought of as passive -- being able to avoid your own death but choosing not to, e.g. taking a casual walk on a train track and upon hearing a train approach, deciding to stay on the track until you are run down, or pro-active, in which one gets on the train track just so the train can run him or her down. You might think of smoking as passive suicide.

Answer 5

Sacrifice serves others. Suicide is selfish

Answer 6

It is suicide if it's done for selfish reasons. self sacrifice on the other hand is selfless. Leaping onto a grenade, for instance so that your comrades are saved.

Answer 7

self-sacrifice is so that you can make yourself a positive addition to the world, suicide is a negation of the world and yourself.

if you can avert it but you do not then it is probably suicide.

Answer 8

Yes. When you are saving someone else by dying, it is self-sacrifice. Otherwise, it is suicide.

Answer 9

the same way you discern everything. perspective. how i explain anothers intent based on my experience. generally speaking suicide is done for the self while self-sacrifice is done for another person.

Answer 10

Suicide is when you kill yourself because of your sadness and self sacrifice is when you sacrifice yourself for someone. When you die for someone.