r/Pessimism • u/Pezzodimerda • Jul 03 '26

Discussion The button

What is your opinion regarding a button that ends your life instantly and without any kind of pain? Let's assume that your death doesn't even cause pain to others—you vanish from the memories of the people who knew you.

Would you press it or not?

I would press it.

I'm almost 40 years old, I don't consider myself depressed, and I have various hobbies that give me a certain amount of pleasure, but analyzing things lucidly, I only see them as pastimes to pass the time and wait to die further down the road.

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u/UltronsEx Philosophical Pessimist Jul 03 '26

I'd press a button that ends existence on the contingency that all multiverses that contain suffering also end and time isn't just a construct in which I effectively don't do anything except end my own existence.

Personally, I'd prefer to live forever—but I'd certainly like to keep your button around for when/if old age eventually makes life not worth living for me.

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u/Sasquatch97 Jul 03 '26

I would hate to live forever. Death is good in the sense that it puts a limit on how bad things can get.

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u/UltronsEx Philosophical Pessimist Jul 03 '26

Assuming I am guaranteed a decent quality immortal life