To accept a notion of rational suicide, as many contemporary bioethicists now urge, first makes possible certain kinds of manipulation into suicide which do not occur in suicide-impressive societies. This paper describes the 2 principal mechanisms by which an individual can be manipulated into choosing to kill himself or herself, though that individual would not have done so otherwise, & identifies circumstantial & ideological changes in contemporary society which may be associated with such manipulation now & in the future. However, the author holds that this prospect is not grounds for rejecting the notion of rational suicide; it must be accepted on other moral grounds, but with a clear view of the risks it will bring.