That idea boggles Peter. The will to survive - in any form, in any matter, regardless of quality of life - is so deeply ingrained in him that the idea of it being easier to die is inconceivable. It doesn't stem from a philosophy or any kind of spirituality; he doesn't put much stock in the "sacredness" of life. Life is suffering and people are shitheads. For him, the will to live is simply a fact of life, like the beating of his heart.

"Here's the important question," he says. "Do the people around you tend to die, or is it something you do on your lonesome?"