this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2025
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I assumed that it was given that I exclude the example (with the implication of it not usually being the case for people considering suicide).
I struggle to imagine a scenario where you actually have no chance of rebuilding a social life. What are you, a lighthouse keeper living far from any city and getting your groceries airdropped?
You may not be in a situation where rebuilding a social life is trivial, but 50 years is enough time to learn how to find friends even in sub-optimal situations (e.g. at a grocery store). It is enough time to weed through different people until you find some that match you.
You seem to be focusing your points on the lonelyness crisis, which is a real issue. Spending a decade without a social life is terrible, and I understand why someone who arrives at this point may consider their future to be hopeless.
But while it may be understandable that a person considers suicide in this situation, it is not a rational (as in: long-term optimal) decision. A person in this situation may be exhausted, may be at or past a breaking point where they do no longer find the strength to keep on trying, and make the decision to commit suicide.
This decision derives from a temporary, emotionally charged state. (I consider fatique an emotion here.)
The rational (as in: long-term optimal) decision would be to keep trying. To keep going on until it just so happens that you exchange a few words with a stranger. Until it just so happens that you get to build foundational social skills, easing the possibility to approach others. Until it just so happens that you get an opportunity to talk to someone, and get to know them. Or maybe one day, out of a wind of confidence (or desperation) you approach just the right person. Or maybe that person approaches you. Or maybe you take to more unusual manners of getting to know people, that you find to work for you.
And once you found a start, you can build off it. You can extend your social circle, find a partner, start a family, and live happily ever after.
You have many years to go, and once you find a ledge to stand on, they will all be worth it.
Given my mention of transportation, I am talking about not being able to easily access even a grocery store (but also, terrible idea). Yes, not being near a city.
However to your 3rd quote here, my mention of WoW was not simply about loneliness but the idea that one may find help via someone online (likely a romantic partner wanting to cohabitate and maybe even help someone else move to a better place, though even less likely for half of the population) but I cut some of that context for brevity.
(also the idea that somebody can/will provide that much help is already not great)
If money/employment and depression+personality disorders weren't a thing on top of everything else already mentioned yeah, maybe.
And on top of that there are other deal-breakers like not wanting kids, or being non-religious in USA (which on its own cuts out a huge chunk of the population, especially in more rural areas), not someone who goes to bars. At this point, you may as well tell someone to play the lottery. In a game of numbers, not everyone has good odds.
Although as others will point out a relationship (or having friends) is likely not going to be a fix-all. So this is more like having 5+ major core issues that even one of which is unlikely to to improve particularly because of the other issues.