"attempting suicide seems a rational choice, as long as the attempt isn't too successful"
What seems rational by economic standards may not be rational by other standards.
What seems rational by economic standards may not be rational by other standards.
"Behaving rationally by economic standards" is a fancy way of saying "trying to get what you want". Arguing that someone isn't actually making all the precise cost/benefit calculations before making an "economically rational" action is roughly equivalent to arguing that it's impossible to catch a baseball for anyone who can't solve differential equations in their head.