Life is a means to an end, it has no use but to full fill other wants. No point in having a long life if it is going to be crappy, you might as well spend eternity in hell!

What I find interesting is that people tend to value their own lives less than others around them value their life, or at least there is a gap between the two, such that one can look at another and think they are throwing their life away.

Society as a whole values life as well. I read a book on the history of suicide a long time ago, and it was interesting that through out history and even today suicide was always fought against. From religions saying you will be denied heaven or go to hell, to governments deciding to not give your inheritance if you died committing suicide. Even failed suicide is criminal. And today assisted suicide as being criminal, even for the terminally ill.

Anyway, really good topic!