However great a man's fear of life, suicide remains the courageous act, the clear-headed act of a mathematician. The suicide has judged by the laws of chance -- so many odds against one that to live will be more miserable than to die. His sense of mathematics is greater than his sense of survival. But think how a sense of survival must clamor to be heard at the last moment, what excuses it must present of a totally unscientific nature.

Summary

This quote suggests that suicide can be seen as a courageous act, driven by logical reasoning and a deep understanding of probabilities. The person contemplating suicide weighs the odds of suffering in life against the possibility of finding happiness and concludes that death would be preferable. However, the quote highlights the internal conflict that occurs, as an instinct for self-preservation fights against this rational assessment, generating emotional justifications to continue living. Ultimately, it highlights the internal struggle between logical reasoning and the basic human instinct to survive.

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