Discussion Natural Selection

[ObssessedEirika]

This is something that has always had me interested. I find it so funny how we refer to job applications or applications to college as a sort of natural selection. If you get chosen, you're 'better' those who didn't. This sort of thinking applies to many other things such as medicare, making friends, and etc. It's basically a part of everyday life. You'd think this sort of thinking would apply to suicide as well, yet it doesn't. Instead of people thinking of natural selection for suicide, they think "Oh, I could've done something to help them." I know I'm being crude with how I'm describing it but it truly does confuse me. If you want me to elaborate or explain what I mean by this more I'd be glad to. I hope I articulated it well enough for it to be understood at least.

 

[cosmic_traveler]

This is something that has always had me interested. I find it so funny how we refer to job applications or applications to college as a sort of natural selection. If you get chosen, you're 'better' those who didn't. This sort of thinking applies to many other things such as medicare, making friends, and etc. It's basically a part of everyday life. You'd think this sort of thinking would apply to suicide as well, yet it doesn't. Instead of people thinking of natural selection for suicide, they think "Oh, I could've done something to help them." I know I'm being crude with how I'm describing it but it truly does confuse me. If you want me to elaborate or explain what I mean by this more I'd be glad to. I hope I articulated it well enough for it to be understood at least.

Do you mean people don't view suicide as an altruistic act? Like "hey, things weren't working out for them, this is what they wanted" kind of way? For me suicide is no different than saying "I don't like the cards I was dealt, I'll fold".

 

[ObssessedEirika]

Do you mean people don't view suicide as an altruistic act? Like "hey, things weren't working out for them, this is what they wanted" kind of way? For me suicide is no different than saying "I don't like the cards I was dealt, I'll fold".

More like a kind of "oh, they weren't fit to live and natural selection deemed that." Although I do agree with what you're saying.

 

[cosmic_traveler]

More like a kind of "oh, they weren't fit to live and natural selection deemed that." Although I do agree with what you're saying.

I get what you're saying. To the people that CTB it's a logical, natural step. I absolutely agree. With everyone I've worked with the last 2 years we've said "if you can't look at our circumstances and say, 'yeah, that makes sense why you'd want to kill yourself' then you're not seeing things from my perspective".

 

[ijustwishtodie]

This is interesting indeed. I'm not fully sure why it works like that and I'm not intelligent enough to think of a reason but I do hope somebody figures it out

 

[stilhavinightmares]

I think about this all the time. Like nobody needs to try to keep me here; I'm not fit. I'm already on borrowed time

 

[Slow_Farewell]

I...hmm..
I never equated CTB with natural selection because..I can't really say, 100%, that it's the right choice(even for me). I know it's the choice I make because of a set of circumstances I am in, and based on those, i chose to opt out of life. However, it doesn't mean it's the only choice, it's just the choice I decided to make.

People are, more or less, flawed. Everyone is. Having accepted that fact, supported by historical data, I interpret it as "I am not always right". Same with CTB. I respect the right of people to choose it. I do not have enough data to determine whether it is the optimal choice for them, nor do I wish to.

I've always equated the term Natural Selection as having something bigger than you made the decision to get you to a certain place of life. Like if you row out to sea and the current takes you to a destination that you didnt expect. Or my life being taken by some other means other than my own hand.

And maybe that's it. It's not natural selection (for me) because i grew up in a time where CTB's accountability lies with the person, and not with any other factor.