topic: humanity and its innate desire to die

[hooman57]

this is a topic im interested in that i have not done enough research in to be satisfied so forgive me if my words have holes in them

for a long time ive felt many ways about death, but the more i live the more i realize theres something really innate in its magnetism to human psyche

obviously this only applies to humans as animals who run solely on instinct only seek to live, but even so when some animals are sure theyre about to die, they make it as peaceful as they can for themselves, but i dont think that relates too much to what i have to say

humans are the only really conscious creature on earth, and the more conscious we get, the more knowledgeable we are and the higher ability we have to gain more knowledge, the more we seek to die, the more unbearable the existential pain and agony of living gets

of course death is the ultimate end, the end of all concepts of everything, you have nothing. but with my beliefs in an afterlife, heaven, that doesnt last. why would anybody seek life over eternal happiness ? humans innately desire death over life if they understand the stakes well enough

i dont mean to get into religious talk, but ive believed for a long time that death is something naturally desirable for conscious beings such as us.
we fantasize about it, we romanticize it, we create communities centered around it, we share it with loved ones, we seek it deeply.
it really is ultimate freedom, true freedom is detachment from all, no people, no feelings, no possessions, no nothing.

a fool dances naked around in the street, he cares about nothing and nobody, simply laughing at everybody around him, because to him everybody else is a fool for caring, and he is the happiest man in the world in that moment
death is the removal of the self, without any mortal possessions holding you down to earth, you have no self, the fool is nobody, he is dead.
death is ultimate freedom, you can say its joyful

forgive me if i sound lile a crazy person, but if you read this all thank you for listening to my ramblings and do share thoughts you have relating to what ive shared

 

[ardea]

I think your point about humans being the only species with the cognitive capability for existentialism is interesting. to commit suicide requires understanding that one is alive and can die, that death ends suffering, a concept of self in general, a capacity for future intention. the last two of these have been observed in non-humans to varying degrees, but no cases of animal suicide have ever been documented. generally, even if an animal can recognize death in others and experience grief, it lives in the present and doesn't know that it can and will meet the same fate. it's easy to come to the conclusion that humans are the most successful species as we have no predators and don't starve to death (for the most part), but our cognition disadvantages us in a way that other animals do not experience. if a chimp's basic needs are provided for, it will always be content, but for humans that isn't guaranteed. it could be said that understanding that oneself can die is a big part of what separates man from the rest.
that said, I don't think death is inherently desirable as it's based on your beliefs. if you believe that the afterlife is pleasant, death is inherently something to aspire to. some think that suicide condemns you to damnation and you must live a full life to avoid it, in which case death is to be avoided vehemently. personally, I think you simply cease to exist. having studied biology and having an understanding of how the consciousness and human experience are controlled by the brain, I can't subscribe to the idea that the consciousness continues to exist without its hardware. under this notion, life is to be lived because you might as well, and there is nothing to be gained or lost in death.

 

[hooman57]

very interesting perspective thank you very much for giving it

!!!

 

[moralfag]

I'm also very interested in this topic, although I haven't done much research on it. I think it's also interesting that human beings are the only species that can and will be evil for no particular reason. many animals will attack and exclude each other, although for them it is simply a way to survive. we do it just for fun. it's always intrigued me that we are the only animals with a clear enough conscious to form morals, yet we are the most immoral species.
for other animals, while some of the things they may do can be considered "evil", they have a very clear and specific reason for doing it. a wolf will kill a sheep, but for the wolf it is food, a way to survive. for humans, we kill each other for nothing more than fun. it's weird how human society can be so evil when we posses the capacity to be kind instead. in a way, I think the innate desire to die stems from our awareness of evil yet our powerlessness to change it.

 

[hooman57]

consciousness is the biggest gift and curse to ever be given to humanity

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

If AI starts to shut itself down, that would therefore be an indication that it has developed an awareness of the complexity of human consciousness.

 

[itsgone2]

what of SI? Where might it fit? Many of us would already be gone. Do we value life or just the SI? I'm sure it varies but mostly it's the SI for me. I don't want to exist.
Fear also. Fear of failure, followed by pain. I'm preparing a gunshot wound. What if it doesn't kill me? The knowledge of what it feel like to lay in such pain is frightening. It contributes to not making an attempt.