Why does the human brain allow itself to commit suicide?

[lunious]

After millions of years of evolution... the human brain (mine at least) still believs that suicide is the best way to fix life and end its suffering.

 

[Hollowman]

Because it knows when it's time to give up.

 

[tonicer]

I tried killing myself multiple times but i can't do it. I guess my survival instinct is very strong compared to yours. I envy you.

 

[Terrible_Life]

There are some depressed people that can become as depressed as possible but they will never be able to kill themself. Then there are people who can't do it at the beginning but the more pain they endure the less fear will they have about death. By being hurt so much by life they'll be driven to suicide and they'll practice their method until they succeed.

 

[FuneralCry]

For me ceasing to exist will always be the only positive solution, only in non-existence will I be at peace from the terrible, tragic mistake of existence that only ever causes all this cruelty, harm and suffering torturing existing beings, ceasing to exist solves everything for me as after all if I don't exist I cannot suffer.

There is no suffering in the peace of non-existence where all is gone and forgotten and I will just always existing as just being suffering with no limit as to how much one can be tortured, this existence should just never had been imposed and it's just so terrible how humans cause all this harm and torture by imposing his existence. For me existence itself is the true problem, I'd just always prefer the peace of non-existence over being tortured in this existence for decades longer just to face the agony of old age, it's so horrific to me how the torture of existing can continue for so long, there's just so much evil in existing with existing beings tortured in agony every second, all I want is to erase this terrible dreadful existence.

 

[metfan647]

This is very complex and wouldn't know where to begin understanding a lot of the ideas around this. I don't think I honestly believe that suicide is the BEST way to fix my problems. I wouldn't advise someone to do it even if they had the exact same circumstances as me. I think I'm just exceptionally cruel to myself.

I also think ctb is quite a logical thought process for a lot of people. Dealing with mental health issues that are insurmountable and don't allow one to meet the demands required, be that social, societal, consumerist etc.

 

[jengablocks]

i think it might be the opposite ! it's really really hard for most ppl to go through with it even in the face of irreparable or hopeless circumstances ... like all those millions of years of evolution work against u.

i know other animals can experience trauma that severely impacts their way of life ! theres a story of an orangutan who suffered a lot and she couldn't live in the wild . her name is Pony, u can find an article abt the story im sure , but content/trigger warning for

Spoiler

abuse & SA

i remember after they started to care for her they would notice that she would get better for a little while and try to transition her to living without human help, but she eventually just .. gave up . she'd be despondent, her self-preservation would seemingly disappear, she wouldn't socialize with other orangutans .. stuff like that . it struck me becoz of how similar it sounded to human experiences, but at the same time i don't know if another animal has ever taken action to end themselves like humans do as the result of trauma like that and the inability to live with it .

i think i heard that language is a really important tool for our ability to think in the first place, like it lets u put things into words, gives shape to thoughts that would otherwise remain fleeting little electrical signals in the brain.. maybe other animals just lack that . it certainly feels like a curse or even an anomaly to be human for me . like something about this experience is just ... primally wrong . this shouldn't have been able to happen

 

[Tired_birth_1967]

it certainly feels like a curse or even an anomaly to be human for me . like something about this experience is just ... primally wrong . this shouldn't have been able to happen

I have absolutely no doubt about it. That's the worst part of continuing to live. I'm too old to create, to fantasize about the meaning of existence. It's just a pointless wait. There's nothing to rebel against. It's just an indifferent process. I can only accept it. I can also try to interrupt it, but I'm still a hostage to another stupid process.

 

[lunious]

i don't know if another animal has ever taken action to end themselves like humans do as the result of trauma like that and the inability to live with it .

Humans are the only species known to commit suicide. however, while there is no evidence of animals in the wild doing the same, some animals in captivity, such as those in zoos or those that have experienced trauma as you said , have been observed attempting suicide, sometimes in very direct and violent ways.

 

[whywere]

It has always been said that the line between genius and insanity is extremely small.

With that said, I feel that when a human is pushed, no help, laughed at, told to "buck up", that since we are a social animal by nature, then either like our intelligence or something else breaks down the SI factor.

EVERYONE needs help, a friendly smile and voice and when we are in a vacuum and then have "life" pile more on, the brain wants an escape factor.

That is why it is so important that we are family here, loving and looking out for each other.

So, no matter what anyone else says or does, one can come here and find support and love.

Walter