--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we criticize the suicidal for being…" description: "\"“When we criticize the suicidal for being selfish, we are actually criticizing them for not enduring their pain with grace and good manners. These are ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/938/david-l-conroy-101101_criticism_when-we-criticize-the-suicidal-for-being_1754018.jpg" --- # When we criticize the suicidal for being selfish, we are… ![“When we criticize the suicidal for being selfish, we are actually criticizing them for not enduring their pain with grace and good manners. These are nice qualities; we may be correct to reproach average citizens for not having them. But to expect everyone in pain to have them is unrealistic…” quote by David L. Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/938/david-l-conroy-101101_criticism_when-we-criticize-the-suicidal-for-being_1754018.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/938/david-l-conroy-101101_criticism_when-we-criticize-the-suicidal-for-being_1754018.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/938/david-l-conroy-101101_criticism_when-we-criticize-the-suicidal-for-being_1754018.jpg) > ““When we criticize the suicidal for being selfish, we are actually criticizing them for not enduring their pain with grace and good manners. These are nice qualities; we may be correct to reproach average citizens for not having them. But to expect everyone in pain to have them is unrealistic. Bearing pain quietly is what moralists call a supererogatory act--an act that is above the call of duty. Expecting everyone to who is suicidal to behave in a way that is morally above average is simply abusive.”” [David L. Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-conroy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizing suicidal people for selfishness unfairly expects them to endure pain with moral superiority, which is unrealistic and abusive. **In simple terms:** Blaming suicidals for selfishness imposes impossible moral standards. Key Takeaway Offer compassion, not moral judgment, to those in pain. Themes mental health suicide morality compassion stigma Mood empathetic serious concerned Type ethical psychological social When to use this quote - counseling training - public health policy - support groups - education curricula Key Concepts ethical philosophy psychology social critique Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance empathy with personal responsibility? - What alternatives exist to moral condemnation? A Different Perspective The statement may oversimplify complex mental health issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticize Suicidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticize-suicidal-1630596/) [Depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression/) [Expecting Suicidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expecting-suicidal-1630599/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Morally Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morally-average-1630600/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Stigma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stigma/) [Suicidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicidal/) [Suicidal Behave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicidal-behave-1630598/) [Suicidal Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicidal-selfish-1630597/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) ## Related quotes > [The term stigma and its synonyms conceal a double perspective: does the stigmatized individual assume his differentness is known about already or is evident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/the-term-stigma-and-its-synonyms-conceal-a-double-perspective-does/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [Joe Louis and I were the first modern national sports figures who were black... 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Conroy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-conroy/) ## More Criticism quotes > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. 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I come from a - I wouldn't say mean, but you've got to have tough skin to be in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/i-welcome-criticism-i-come-from-a-i-wouldn-t-say-mean-but-you-ve-got/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Browse all 3,954 Criticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When we criticize the suicidal for being selfish, we are actually criticizing them for not enduring their pain with grace and good manners. These are nice qualities; we may be correct to reproach average citizens for not having them. 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