A readily accepted notion is that when faced with the decision to take one's own life -- and, in some cases, the lives of coworkers, pets, friends and familymembers, fellow researchers or passers-by -- any effort to distance oneself from one's own beliefs is considered useless. That the assurance of imminent death and a tautological view on morality and truth are inseperably connected. To wit: In the face of death one has no need for sarcasm.

This idea seems to be rooted in mysticism and pop-culture psychology, and also raises questions of whether murderous or suicidal intent is facilitated by the aformentioned state of mind or vice versa. Does one kill because the world seems simple or does the world seem simple because one intends to kill? It has been said that irony is the last resort of the coward, but if the very last resort seems to be an M16 semi-automatic assault rifle, where does that leave irony?