How is suicide so rare?

[thetwilightzone]

Across the world, only about 800,000 people out of 7 billion kill themselves. That's amazing (not in a good or bad way just astonishing). I thought it would be higher.

I'm starting to realize that maybe it's genetic. Just like there can be a will to live, there is also something (not a mental illness) but certain genetic predisposition that makes some not fit into society and see suicide as the better option.

I used to think that the "Suicide to escape wage slavery" mindset was something common but apparently it really isn't. It really isn't. A select few people in tight communities online would make you think that was the case but the average young person/old person who can't find a job doesn't believe that. It seems that the biological will to live along with social shaming is so strong.

Another followup question, why aren't people killing themselves to escape wage slavery especially in this economy?

 

[Querry1]

I think it's mainly due to fear of pain that comes with dying and survival instinct

 

[Deleted_9cKnXB34QG]

The survival instinct is very strong, so is the fear of pain and death. Plus it's just easier to keep living most of the time.
And we've been indoctrinated so hard, I mean I'm a hardcore atheist but I steel think that there can be something after death - reincarnation, hell, purgatory? The uncertainty is kinda scary.

 

[thetwilightzone]

I think it's mainly due to fear of pain that comes with dying and survival instinct

I wonder what the suicide rate would have been like if heroin was kept legal for as long as possible without detriment to society (It was once legal until Congress controlled it in 1914 in the US).

The reason I say that is that it's so easy to overdose on CNS depressants.

 

[thetwilightzone]

The survival instinct is very strong, so is the fear of pain and death. Plus it's just easier to keep living most of the time.
And we've been indoctrinated so hard, I mean I'm a hardcore atheist but I steel think that there can be something after death - reincarnation, hell, purgatory? The uncertainty is kinda scary.

As Hamlet said

Ay, there's the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

 

[creatureoflight]

I don't think it's that rare. First of all, there are no exact numbers on how many people really kill themselves as in many countries, especially Muslim ones it's a taboo. Then there are all the numerous deaths that may have been suicides but don't get counted as such-old people not taking their medications, mysterious car crashes etc. Also, a lot of people live in poor countries where suicide doesn't make much sense. If I were to live in Sub-Saharan Africa, the risk of dying as a woman is already very high as labor, birth, infections etc do their work and diseases are widespread. So why would I kill myself? Or if i live in San Salvador, all I have to do is to pick a fight with some drug cartel boss and let him shoot me. I could let nature do it for me. Both my BF's father and grandmother committed suicide and it didn't cound as such because it was an accident.
And there are not so obvious forms of suicide, for example in Russia men live on average 10 years less because a lot of them drink and smoke as they can't cope with the reality there. They literally drink themselves to death.

 

[shadow11]

The survival instinct is very strong, so is the fear of pain and death. Plus it's just easier to keep living most of the time.
And we've been indoctrinated so hard, I mean I'm a hardcore atheist but I steel think that there can be something after death - reincarnation, hell, purgatory? The uncertainty is kinda scary.

People are afraid to die it's the fear of pain and the unknown

 

[Santiago]

Couldn't disagree more with the idea of it being genetic.

It has everything to do with your upbringing if you ask me.

 

[mattwitt]

One website I came across said that for every 1 successful suicide there are 25 attempted failures which would be 20 million failed attempts per year. Plus I think they lie about these kind of statistics. I tend to believe stuff like that is actually at least twice as much then what they tell us

 

[Zzzzz]

Yea but that's 800,000 people who succeeded in killing themselves, in a society where Everything is done to force people to stay alive and prevent them from suicide. The number who actually want to die is most likely much higher than that. if people had a legal right to end their life, I personally think there would probably be millions doing it each year.

 

[HannibalLector]

Across the world, only about 800,000 people out of 7 billion kill themselves. That's amazing (not in a good or bad way just astonishing). I thought it would be higher.

I'm starting to realize that maybe it's genetic. Just like there can be a will to live, there is also something (not a mental illness) but certain genetic predisposition that makes some not fit into society and see suicide as the better option.

I used to think that the "Suicide to escape wage slavery" mindset was something common but apparently it really isn't. It really isn't. A select few people in tight communities online would make you think that was the case but the average young person/old person who can't find a job doesn't believe that. It seems that the biological will to live along with social shaming is so strong.

Another followup question, why aren't people killing themselves to escape wage slavery especially in this economy?

You are only looking at global suicides per year, thats why the number might appear smaller then u expected. "Suicides in the world amount to 782 thousand in 2008 according to the WHO estimate, which is 1.4% of total mortality..."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3367275/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3367275/

 

[Comatose11]

I know suicide is a leading cause of death. I think the survival instinct gets in the way and also not knowing what people are doing. I believe for every completed sucidie there were around 4 attempts or so. But I would imagine if we didn't have a survival instinct and people knew what they were doing, it would be much, MUCH more common.

But then there are also some people who genuinely enjoy life and wouldn't even consider suicide.

 

[QueenEtna]

I just don't want to be a statistic that's why I'm still alive

 

[Steve]

a) religion - religious people believe in the afterlife and that suicide is a sure way to purgatory, and given that most people are religious that explains the large majority
b) fear of death - death is thought to be painful
c) things are going well for them - why die if you are doing well e.g. born into money, all your hopes and dreams are fulfilled
d) obligation - need to care for children etc

For myself, I am non-religious and have no obligations. What used to stop me from considering suicide was that a) things were going well and b) I was afraid of death.

But then I was given a short course of benzos and received brain injury from them. Over that course of 6 months, I was tortured over and over and I've lost my fear of death. I still am afraid of pain, but certainly don't fear death anymore. Give me a bottle of N and I'd be glad to swallow it when things go sour.

 

[shadow11]

a) religion - religious people believe in the afterlife and that suicide is a sure way to purgatory, and given that most people are religious that explains the large majority
b) fear of death - death is thought to be painful
c) things are going well for them - why die if you are doing well e.g. born into money, all your hopes and dreams are fulfilled
d) obligation - need to care for children etc

For myself, I am non-religious and have no obligations. What used to stop me from considering suicide was that a) things were going well and b) I was afraid of death.

But then I was given a short course of benzos and received brain injury from them. Over that course of 6 months, I was tortured over and over and I've lost my fear of death. I still am afraid of pain, but certainly don't fear death anymore. Give me a bottle of N and I'd be glad to swallow it when things go sour.

I believe these benzos have injured my brain also plus an antipsychotic they put me on