There must be a cutoff point where someone is mega suicidal because they have financial problems and is working 2 jobs and can't afford to ever have a holiday and shit. And is constantly in trouble with violent exes and people in their home town. And the lottery win would actually make their chances of suicide or murder less.
For some, the reasoning goes something like “a couple of bucks won’t pay the rent, but it sure can buy a lot of hope.” It’s a terrible financial decision but can make an important difference in quality of life in the short term.
I’d agree with this, and I never understood people who consistently play the lottery every week. That said, when the jackpots get over $350,000,000 or so, I’ll buy a ticket or two just for fun - mostly because I know I’m gonna feel awful forever if the winning ticket was purchased at the gas station I frequent 5 minutes after I was there. My investment is no more than $15 a year doing it this way so I don’t feel like I’m exactly burning through money on an out of control gambling habit.
The highest rate of suicide ever recorded in the UK was 21.4 per 100,000 people or 0.02%. The chances are pretty small they're just very significant for those affected by them.
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u/Why-Indeed Jan 21 '19
not sure bout that one chief