How can suicide ever occur in a world where the only real force is the will to live?

Question

Thanks to all your answers. Have a great day! Kindly confine your answer in a philosophical context. I would very much appreciate it. Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi Third P.

The survival instinct is very powerful. That is why even suicidal people hesitate before doing the act, unless they pull a trigger on a gun or jump off a bridge or building. But those who slit their wrists, for example, usually have what are called hesitation marks on them. This is their intense pull toward death fighting the survival instinct.

Some people swallow an entire bottle of pills & then call someone & tell them. It doesn't mean that they didn't want to die. Again, it was the struggle between these 2 forces, that pull toward death versus the survival instinct.

Suicide occurs because mental illness occurs. Mental illness is just as legitimate an illness as physical illness. In some cases, it is actually a physical illness.

Most lay people do not understand illnesses such as depression. That's because we all have a day here & there when we feel depressed. But it passes, we do something to get ourselves out of it, or it just disappears the next day.

Real, clinical depression does NOT go away. It makes the person unable to experience any feelings of joy, of hope. They feel utter despair, completely useless, as if nothing in life will ever change. The longer this continues, the worse the illness becomes, the more isolated the person feels.

It makes it worse when other people try to "help" by saying things like, "it will get better," or pull yourself together," or "you have to fight this." All these comments do are make the depressed person feel even more like a failure.

When a person is sufering from severe clinical depression, there becomes more thn the will to live. They begin to see the dark side, where they feel the pull toward death. These 2 forces become at war, tearing the person up inside. The person gets stuck in the middle of this battle, the victim, the winner or loser of this fight to the death (or life).

They are both very powerful forces; and one must always fight on the side of life.

Peace.

Answer 2

I believe you've received at least seven answers that clearly show this isn't a philosophical question. Your premise "..the only real force is the will to live" has been addressed.
I know how much you want to get your "orange badge" here, & I sincerely wish you luck! But, suicide isn't a philosophical question.
I also seem to recall some answers that stated suicide is a mental illness. This is an unfounded assumption. Professionally, I can tell you that roughly 95% of suicides in my experience had virtually nothing to do with any kind of mental illness. I won't be redundant as this has thoughtfully been explained as well.
One last comment: This is not a place for religious judgments that are based on doctrines of "sin."

Answer 3

As the person above me said...suicide is not to end life...it is to end the pain. Suicide is due to a complete lack of hope and utter and total despair.

PS...the only real force in the world in not only the will to live....there are definitely other forces out there as well.....like the will to end pain.

PPS - I also really like the questions you ask.

Answer 4

God put in every person, life and the will to live. But the Devil is also a force which is destructive - He cannot kill, but can tempt and make people to despair and kill themselves.
God has given MAN the choice to LIVE or to DIE.
Some people listen to GOD and LIVE. Others listen to the DEVIL and end up in despair.
God is more powerful than the Devil. That is why in spite of all the calamities and wars and deaths, - for so many centuries, the earth is still a planet filled with life and not filled with lifeless deserts we see in the millions of other planets and moons around us. The world Population is increasing every year.
The Devil obviously is losing the game.
But God will not sustain this type of life on earth for ever. After he has taken his harvest, he will let the world and the Devil destroy themselves- which will be the end of the world.
Everybody who is not following GOD and committing sins are actually committing suicide.

Answer 5

Suicide can occur in the world because the will to live is not the only force.

Answer 6

Because the real force as you call it is not the will to live but to survive and in a mixed and convoluted way someone that commits suicide has made a determination that the way in which they "can/must/and will survive" is through the door of death. Survival to one mind is not the same to the other mind that is in a tortured state of existence....you don't have to agree with the tortured soul, but in their reality it is the the way out and survival. (ie. the suicide bombers)

Answer 7

The Will to live is hardly the only 'real' force. However, suicide is a mental illness and it occurs when a persons ability to be objective about their life and their situation becomes impaired. Profound sorrow and depression can also be involved when a person is suicidal. Rarely it can happen that a person can desire death when they have certain religious or cultural beliefs that persuade them to believe that an afterlife is awaiting them and that they will be in the company of 'god'. And remember, people who are terminally ill, and experiencing severe pain may wish to die in order not to be in pain anymore.

Answer 8

The conditioned ego ONLY cares about existential death. For instance, if abandonment or public humiliation are worse than physical death to the 'childish' ego, it will set you up for suicide rather than face what it "believes" is more calamitous.

It is only a rigid, defensive belief system for survival and as you begin to observe it's cause and effect patterns in reality, you can begin to withdraw from overly identifying with its imprinted feelings, perceptions and thoughts. Only transcending that programmed identity allows the authentic Self to experience 'eternal aliveness' in this experience of reality.

Answer 9

the will to live is not what keeps us alive but the body's ability to survive injury and the mind's ability to overcome anguish. suicide occurs because of one person's misery index has exceeded his or her ability to cope. economic and personal hardships both add to one's misery index. fewer laws equal less stress and less stress helps maintain a more positive outlook on life.

Answer 10

You have a misconception about suicide. The act is done to end pain - not to end life.