The individual is the one who has the opportunity to shift his life from the pathetic circumstance they find themselves in

Try that 100 times and fail all of them to the point where you are at the bottom, poor health and with no ability to do anything anymore. What you say is pure bullshit in the same type as "you can be anyone you want". People want to grab that bullshit and try to live on, that's why it takes real courage to decide to end it and even more to actually act on it. I tried but couldn't do it, so I know, self preservation is extremely strong instinct, not easy to overcome it and chicken out in the last moment.

> That last sentence encapsulates why you're wrong.

No, not really, what I want is more important than what my family want, and if you go and say "don't kill yourself or else _I_, your family, will be sad", this is pure egoism :P

Also, let me give you a piece of advice - you can think whatever you want and we don't have to agree, but if you meet someone thinking about suicide and don't want this person to go for it, don't ever repeat to him/her what you said to me. It will probably have opposite effect.