Human life consists in mutual service. No grief, pain, misfortune, or broken heart, is excuse for cutting off one's life while any power of service remains. But when all usefulness is over, when one is assured of an unavoidable and imminent death, it is the simplest of human rights to choose a quick and easy death in place of a slow and horrible one.

Summary

This quote highlights the inherent value of mutual service and the belief that as long as one can still be of help to others, taking one's own life is not justified, regardless of the hardships faced. However, it argues that when someone reaches a point where they are no longer able to be of use, and their death is inevitably nearing and filled with suffering, that person should have the right to choose a swift and painless death over enduring a prolonged and agonizing one. It emphasizes the importance of autonomy and the humane aspect of providing the choice of a dignified death in such circumstances.

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