Why humans the only species that commit suicide?

Question

What's wrong with them? What's causing this failing (in the reproductive sence) pattern?

1. Thank you kind people, I don't feel suicidal myself. :-) Don't worry.

Answer 1

Could be that Humans are the only "species" that recognizes it for what it is.

Answer 2

it is not the human only who commit suicide. it is a phenomenon common in other animal species also. some birds and insects commit suicide at certain places .the drone commit suicide also.

suicide instincts should not be over simplified. there might be diverse reasons ranging from emotional instability to extreme command over emotions. suicide could be an instinctual as well as thoroughly cogitated decision. it is not always a refuse of a coward but may also be a deliberate choice of the learned.!!!

Answer 3

Humans are the only species that commit suicide because we are the only ones who have brains to have advanced emotions. Also for those that have answered before, maybe you should be the ones that should be doing research. Lemmings do not commit suicide but have rather poor eyesight that cause their death.

Answer 4

Humans are not the only species that commit suicide a certain animal does also but anyways the reason they commit suicide is because of deperssion bipolar disoder manic depression or just the idea of killing themselves thrills them enough to try and most end up succeding at doing it Nowdays its the new age anorexia and i dont find it cool or in anyways fun but yeah people just want out of life bad enough they take their lives thats are downfall and who would want to live in this wrold anyway

Answer 5

humans are not the only species that commit suicide. there are example of birds and other species that commit suicide. every bee that stings u, knows that its gonna die after that. a male black spider knows it will be eaten alive by its partner, as soon as he finishes doing it.
suicidal tendency is a gross malfunction of brain. when it can't carry out its normal chemistry, it goes for self-destruction. psychologically speaking, suicide is the end of normal thinking. and its an ingenious mean for nature, to contain the population growth. its all in the genes.

Answer 6

I think the reason why humans do it, is pretty obvious. We can judge that we'll only ever be miserable in our surroundings-- say in the case of an honorable samurai who commits seppaku-- he reasons that his life without honor is not a life worth living and commits the act to affirm life which is worth living, namely, not his own.

It takes a certain care for society to commit suicide. It can't be due to a bout of irrationalism; to condemn it to such would be to make it into a mere accident. The suicidal desires not to live. Life cause him unbearable strife, but instead of taking it out on people, he internalizes that pain-- restricts it to himself, and eradicates the person instead of the society. I find this wrong. I would much rather war against the conditions making me miserable than internalize everything and guilt myself. I say all this without detachment, having witnessed suicide with close friends and immediate family. But I understand the motivation. You believe yourself at fault for all your woes. Pain is inescapable as long as yourself is around. So you do away with your self. It can be very rational-- which is the capacity "animals" may lack. Though I belive them to be more rational than we attribute to them, their depth of thought may not be the same. The logic, not apparent.

Answer 7

Your premise is off in that humans are not the only species that commit suicide.

Mass beaching of dolphins or whales. It is said that old elephants will separate themselves and go off and starve to death alone seemingly by choice.

There are probably others, but you get the idea.

Answer 8

Well - about 99% of suicides is because some uncontroled feeling.
There is alot of weaker minds , that can have unbearable feeling
and see only way of death as exit from this state ...

Anyway - it's not - In mostly of cases - The suicider have not clear understanding of situation and even of the probelm.
I can only say - live your life , and love yourself , try to understand the situations you fall and bear them ...
This is not burden to our souls - this is burden of beter yourself , which is for good , not for bad - try to tell this to yourslef and understand it once you are falling in some bad situation and start to think darkly ...
GL :)

Answer 9

James Thurber wrote a short story about a dog who committed suicide. He (the dog) had been lured into drinking and his family was in peril and he wasn't at home to save them, then the dog ran out a 2nd story window and killed himself.

Answer 10

Humans are the only species that might be within nature and have nothing to work for. We are capable of amazing destruction.