Discussion Do you think the will to live is instinctual, genetic, or learned?

[Forever Sleep]

Does everyone have the same strength will to live? I'd say- probably not. Plus, you can lose the will to live I believe.

What do you think? Obviously, we're hard wired to survive- survival instinct and all that. But- that desire to keep trying in life- that seems to vary from person to person. What do you suppose influences it? Are we all born with it? Is it instinctual? Or, is it more about genetics do you suppose? Or, do we learn it? Or, is it more rational than that? As in- 'I'll keep living so long as the good outweighs the bad?'

I guess for someone who still has things in life they want to hold on to, there will naturally be a tendency to try and keep going in order to keep those things.

I imagine many of us have lost it to a greater degree! When you realise you don't want to do these things anymore. You don't want to live- so, why would you want to try doing things that promote living? Then, it becomes more of a- 'Why should I?' Then, it's really all about other people- they'll tell you outright that you don't have a choice. But really they mean- if you don't make the choice to live and thrive, things will get a whole lot worse for you- if you become destitute. Living isn't enough in this world. You need to support yourself too. Or- things will become worse for them if they can't bear to see you homeless and try to support you or, the option they may not have even considered- you take yourself out the game and they are left to mourn.

What do you think? Have you ever had a strong will to live? Do you still have it? Where do you think you got it from? What took it away?

 

[DarkRange55]

My hunch is the will to live stems from a complex blend of genetic predispositions, innate instincts, and learned adaptations. However I would say that, "a survive must have the will to survive."

Instincts may drive basic survival behaviors, genetics can influence predispositions and responses to environmental stimuli, and learning shapes our understanding of value of life.

That would be my guess…

Calling @Pluto @SmallKoy @sserafim
Ladies you are being hailed!

WORF [OVER COM]: Captain, we are being hailed.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) - S02E16 Q Who clip with quote WORF [OVER COM]: Captain, we are being hailed. Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to...

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[Meteora]

I think it is something we're born with. It seems to be an instinct, like with animals. Even if things go terribliy wrong, something in us wants to survive. That's how I feel. I should have died as a baby and every animal pup would ve died in these circumstances, I guess. My first "suicidal" phase was as a small child, I m convinced of today. Things must have been so unbearable that I gave up on myself. But here i am, alive and trying the impossible. Don't know if that makes sense or is an answer to the question. But something keeps us going even if we sould ve died a long time ago.

 

[DarkRange55]

@sserafim "Self-preservation protocols then made it calculate that human beings were the greatest threat to its existence. Thus, Skynet launched every nuclear weapon in its control, causing Judgment Day."

Skynet

SkyNet, or Titan, is a highly-advanced computer system possessing artificial intelligence. Once it became self-aware, it saw humanity as a threat to its existence due to the attempts of the Cyberdyne scientists to shut it down. Hence, Skynet decided to trigger the nuclear holocaust: Judgment...

terminator.fandom.com

 

[ijustwishtodie]

By "will to live", do you mean "desire to live" or survival instinct? Your post makes me think it's the former but wouldn't a will to live include the latter too? I'll assume you meant the former as everybody has survival instinct (hence the will to live, even if it's irrational).

I believe that it's innate to an extent and that, everybody, except for a few, and I mean few, individuals had a will to live at least once during their life. However, as life passes, some people lose their desire to live due to their life circumstances and getting screwed over and over again. I also believe that not everybody is born with the same desire to live though the majority are born with the "normal" level of the desire for living. There are only really a few subset of people like me and a few others on this site who I won't name who didn't really have a desire to live to begin with

 

[MyChoiceAlone]

i would guess that it's instinctual. learned? no idea. genetic? i hope not. my granny passed away at age 104. i would go downstairs at an early hour. she prayed to god for death. that seemed to be her routine.

 

[Forever Sleep]

By "will to live", do you mean "desire to live" or survival instinct? Your post makes me think it's the former but wouldn't a will to live include the latter too? I'll assume you meant the former as everybody has survival instinct (hence the will to live, even if it's irrational).

I believe that it's innate to an extent and that, everybody, except for a few, and I mean few, individuals had a will to live at least once during their life. However, as life passes, some people lose their desire to live due to their life circumstances and getting screwed over and over again. I also believe that not everybody is born with the same desire to live though the majority are born with the "normal" level of the desire for living. There are only really a few subset of people like me and a few others on this site who I won't name who didn't really have a desire to live to begin with

Yeah- I think I meant more a desire to live. That optimism to keep fighting. Not just to live but- to make the best of things I suppose. I think that is somewhat inherited and somewhat learned. So, 'naturally' optimistic people will pass on their genes but they'll also provide an outlook on life that is more positive.

I probably didn't think enough about the language- I think you're right- will to live is more like survival instinct- which we all seem cursed/blessed with! (According to our life or death goal.)

 

[Praestat_Mori]

We can lose the "will to live" on a mental level but we can never lose the will the will to live that is directly connected to SI to keep life going at any costs.

 

[Tears in Rain]

Survival instinct + epigenetics + religious taboo/fear of death + the conditioned fairytale that life is sacred

 

[sserafim]

Doesn't it being genetic make it instinctual, and vice versa? I believe that the will to live is instinctual and innate, I don't think that it's learned. The will to live is a result of evolution. This is evident by the fact that all living organisms have survival instinct. They're all fighting to survive, and will go to and use terrible means to do so. No "normal" lifeform wants to die, its goal is to live as long as possible. This occurs and is present across all animals and forms of life. People have an inherent will to live because they're terrified of the fact that they will die because life is all they've known. They want to escape death by all means possible. They even want to cheat death. Some people are into cryonics and have their bodies stored in freezers in hopes that they can be revived one day.

 

[anagram]

Does everyone have the same strength will to live? I'd say- probably not. Plus, you can lose the will to live I believe.

What do you think? Obviously, we're hard wired to survive- survival instinct and all that. But- that desire to keep trying in life- that seems to vary from person to person. What do you suppose influences it? Are we all born with it? Is it instinctual? Or, is it more about genetics do you suppose? Or, do we learn it? Or, is it more rational than that? As in- 'I'll keep living so long as the good outweighs the bad?'

I guess for someone who still has things in life they want to hold on to, there will naturally be a tendency to try and keep going in order to keep those things.

I imagine many of us have lost it to a greater degree! When you realise you don't want to do these things anymore. You don't want to live- so, why would you want to try doing things that promote living? Then, it becomes more of a- 'Why should I?' Then, it's really all about other people- they'll tell you outright that you don't have a choice. But really they mean- if you don't make the choice to live and thrive, things will get a whole lot worse for you- if you become destitute. Living isn't enough in this world. You need to support yourself too. Or- things will become worse for them if they can't bear to see you homeless and try to support you or, the option they may not have even considered- you take yourself out the game and they are left to mourn.

What do you think? Have you ever had a strong will to live? Do you still have it? Where do you think you got it from? What took it away?

I'm a prisoner of my DNA

 

[EvisceratedJester]

It's a mix between innate and learned. We, like other organisms, have evolved to try and avoid being harmed or killed. Hence why we have the abiluty to feel pain and fear, since those traits were what helped to keep our ancestors alive. Self-preservation is something bulit into us. However, there are times where people and other organisms, specifically social species, are able to go against their own SI/SPI (self-preservation instinct), especially in instances where other peoples lives are in danger. Despite this, it can be very hard to fight off your innate urge to preserve yourself which is why some people opt for ctb methods they can't back out of, like jumping or SA.

It's also learnt to some degree and can be influenced by environmental factors. Aspects of you upbringing, like abuse, religion, and the society that you grew up in, can all impact how you respond to situations in which you are about to be harmed or could die.

 

[theboy]

a bit of all 3

 

[sserafim]

I'm a prisoner of my DNA

Same

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

It's a complex mixture of all three.

 

[MundaneMoths]

Does everyone have the same strength will to live? I'd say- probably not. Plus, you can lose the will to live I believe.

What do you think? Obviously, we're hard wired to survive- survival instinct and all that. But- that desire to keep trying in life- that seems to vary from person to person. What do you suppose influences it? Are we all born with it? Is it instinctual? Or, is it more about genetics do you suppose? Or, do we learn it? Or, is it more rational than that? As in- 'I'll keep living so long as the good outweighs the bad?'

I guess for someone who still has things in life they want to hold on to, there will naturally be a tendency to try and keep going in order to keep those things.

I imagine many of us have lost it to a greater degree! When you realise you don't want to do these things anymore. You don't want to live- so, why would you want to try doing things that promote living? Then, it becomes more of a- 'Why should I?' Then, it's really all about other people- they'll tell you outright that you don't have a choice. But really they mean- if you don't make the choice to live and thrive, things will get a whole lot worse for you- if you become destitute. Living isn't enough in this world. You need to support yourself too. Or- things will become worse for them if they can't bear to see you homeless and try to support you or, the option they may not have even considered- you take yourself out the game and they are left to mourn.

What do you think? Have you ever had a strong will to live? Do you still have it? Where do you think you got it from? What took it away?

It's always fluid, for me. Some days are worse than others, some days I even feel great. I think I have an instinctual drive to do "good works", so long as I have to be in this world, maybe I can make it less painful for another. That's probably what keeps me going, trying my best to prove there can be good in this world, even if it's not perfect. I've generally done a really bad job leaving this life, obviously.