What's up with humans...

[MiccyNarc]

Why do humans get so depressed? Why do we commit suicide and practice self harm?

I know of no other species that does, and if they do, it is for the continuation of their species.

Maybe suicide is nature's way of weeding out weaker minds among us?
Something I've been pondering lately...thoughts?

PS. None of the above is meant to be offensive to those who have lost friends to suicide, I'm just throwing out conjecture.

 

[dream431ca]

Humans have strong emotions, of course animals may have some emotion but nothing like humans. And unlike animals, humans are more worried about themselves as a single person, not the entire species. Humans are greedy because of the constant consumer propaganda. Religion also has a strong aspect of what humans decide.

The biggest reason I think is racism. Believe it or not, people still treat, other races of humans like dirt just because of the way they speak or the colour of their skin. If humans really want to advance, we gotta put these far behind. But that won't happen for a very long time, if ever.

 

[lePobz]

Depression leads to suicide, and there are many causes of depression - It's also an illness that can affect anyone for no reason. Childhood abuse is a major cause of self harm and suicide.

Some people look for an easy way out. They figure they've got nothing to live for and they don't want to postpone the inevitable. Suicide is also a way of controlling your own fate. Rather harsh and final way, mind you.

 

[Que-Ever]

It's because of our memories, I bet. We always remember bad shit that's happenned before. A lot of people are able to just get over it, but there are some who just dwell in the past, on bad occurences.

Suicide... I imagine there are some cases where it would seem the best of choices, like... if you're being tortured or whatever. But it's hard to think of good reasons for suicide when the thought of attention-seeking idiot teenagers keeps getting in the way.

 

[bliink]

I'm not so sure that its just humans.. I mean, those parrots that live for 100+ years get messed up when their owners die, they start losing feathers etc. Depression would probably occur in anything with a complex brain.

 

[Zeus]

Probably the same reason that if you were to destroy an animals nest, they would just rebuild it pretty much immediatly. But if a human's house burns down they start thinking about all the "whys" and "what ifs" and dwelling on the past instead of the present.

 

[Link]

Dolphins have been known to commit suicide. They were doing the same show day after day, so they just stayed underwater and died. That is why they now change dolphin shows reguarly, to keep it interesting for them.

As to humans, its mostly down to the hormones during puberty.

 

[Raziaar]

Dolphins have been known to commit suicide. They were doing the same show day after day, so they just stayed underwater and died. That is why they now change dolphin shows reguarly, to keep it interesting for them.

As to humans, its mostly down to the hormones during puberty.

That's terrible about the dolphins.

 

[theotherguy]

The reason is stressors.

In most animals, they are generally ignorant and blissful until a problem, like say a predator or a lack of food arrives. When this happens, a large amount of stressor hormones are released into the body, and the animal becomes hyper, alert and sensitive. If the situation lasts too long, they become depressed, agitated and suicidal. This never happens in animals though, unless they are in human captivity for long periods of time.

Humans, on the other hand, are an example of the stress system gone bad. Not only do we get stressed over physical threats, but because of ideas. We plan into the future, we look into the past and find stressful experiences, and our body releases stress hormones into us for chonic periods of time. This results in agitation, depression, poor health and even suicide.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Probably the same reason that if you were to destroy an animals nest, they would just rebuild it pretty much immediatly. But if a human's house burns down they start thinking about all the "whys" and "what ifs" and dwelling on the past instead of the present.

That's a pretty good analogy. The bird sees only the present situation, which is that it has no nest, therefore it needs another. The human dwells on the loss of his house, which he was probably attached to, and sees replacing it as another grief to bear, rather than a solution to his current problem.

I think it comes down to values. Humans value things more highly than animals, therefore the loss is greater when they are gone. Other people (friends/family etc), objects and even their own thoughts and feelings (and ideals and desires etc etc) are things an average human will become attached to and put importance on. The higher the importance or value, the more pain is felt when it is lost.

Joy and pain - it's a firm belief of mine than one cannot exist without the other, but sometimes it feels like there's more pain than joy. It's definitely not an easy thing to strike a balance between the two within yourself, especially with outside forces constantly at work (geez, where am I pulling this crap out of ).

Idunno... about the abuse thing though, that could apply to animals aswell. A dog who is kicked or yelled at constantly will become depressed or angry aswell. I think all (or most) beings understand and react to pain, it's probably the most basic of emotions (but also entirely valid - don't mean to belittle anyone here who may have been abused).

 

[bbson john]

Do you think it's only human which committed suicide?
Whale is the best example.

Anyway, suicide is common 'cos there are too many men.

 

[Dan]

It's cause there is an abundance of available resources that give you a lot of free time to think. If you were foraging for food you wouldn't be commiting suicide

 

[Terminator]

It's cause there is an abundance of available resources that give you a lot of free time to think. If you were foraging for food you wouldn't be commiting suicide

Basically the point i was gonna make.

In our animal uneducated form we do not think of how pointless everything is, it's one thing at a time "oh i'm hungry, find food" or "oh look a female, have sex"
We think ahead "ok, so i'm going to wake up tommorow, what the hell am i gonna do that's gonna make it worthwhile.....if i'm healthy and careful i have years ahead of me, what a waste of time just living for no reason" etc.

People of higher intelligence are more likely to commit suicide.

 

[Que-Ever]

Dude, I'm gonna live forever.

 

[zleppelin]

Why do humans get so depressed? Why do we commit suicide and practice self harm?

I know of no other species that does, and if they do, it is for the continuation of their species.

Maybe suicide is nature's way of weeding out weaker minds among us?
Something I've been pondering lately...thoughts?

PS. None of the above is meant to be offensive to those who have lost friends to suicide, I'm just throwing out conjecture.

Miccinarc, it's because we have discovered the meaninglessness of it all. We are generic moving creatures, clones, and we will die and that will be the end of our meaningless existences on this place called Earth. It's an illusion from which we have woken up.

 

[Narcolepsy]

Miccinarc, it's because we have discovered the meaninglessness of it all. We are generic moving creatures, clones, and we will die and that will be the end of our meaningless existences on this place called Earth. It's an illusion from which we have woken up.

So we instinctively invented religion to give it all a meaning.

 

[zleppelin]

So we instinctively invented religion to give it all a meaning.

Quoted for emphasis.

 

[Gargantou]

I disagree that life's meaningless, but then again, meaning isn't something fixed for all humans tbh, it varies from person to person.
Most people I know create their own meanings with their lives, heh.
But sure, if we're gonna oversimplify it to the fact that the only 'purpose' to life is to procreate and insure ones species survival, then it feels pretty meaningless, luckily, I have emotions for people in my lives that give my life meaning : ) And fyi, I'm not religious.

If anything it's because of the reason that Terminator and others mentioned, we have too much free time, I myself have been in and out of depressions for over 6 years so I know this, I feel the best mentally when I have something to do, ANYTHING that keeps me from thinking too much about everything in life.

 

[zleppelin]

we're gonna oversimplify it to the fact that the only 'purpose' to life is to procreate and insure ones species survival, then it feels pretty meaningless, luckily, I have emotions for people in my lives that give my life meaning : ) And fyi, I'm not religious.

What are emotions, Gargantou? Emotions are chemicals reactions taking place in your brain. They are instinctual. They are part of what makes us "human." Their purpose is to keep us going through this meaninglessness. Their purpose is to sink us deeper into this illusion we call life. It's all part of the great design to get us to procreate and preserve the species.

 

[Bad^Hat]

So we instinctively invented religion to give it all a meaning.

Quoted for emphasis.

Re-****ing-quoted for the GODDAMN emphasees.