Thread: Which is more selfish?

Originally Posted by MoSurveyor

That you were focused on anything while in that condition is surprising to me.

Homo sapiens are complex critters, dont under estimate them. After all look at war, if humans were incapable of rational reasoning during highly emotional events everyone would just freeze at the crucial moments.

Originally Posted by FreedomFromAll

Suicidal mentality is not the same as someone who decides to kill them self. Suicidal mentality is a symptom of many mental disorders. While other people thought they had rational reasons to kill them self, but in reality they were just stupid or lazy. Some people just do not want to try anymore and give up. Which is lazy. Personally I have witnessed people who are not depressed or mentally ill that decided to just say **** it and end it. The act was simply stupid. While I have also seen people that committed suicide as a way to make someone else suffer. These people are responsible for their actions they were not insane just stupid enough to kill themselves. I make no claim as to what percentage are mentally ill or not, only that not all suicides are committed by mentally ill people. And those that were not mentally ill were stupid and lazy. Most likely they always took the easy way out in life, suicide was a natural progression in their character.

We can identify a common denominator of extremity and suffering, regardless of anecdotal evidence.

I'm not quite certain that level of intelligence or general motivation applies. Suicide may be committed by any manner of individual, regardless of personality type.

Originally Posted by FreedomFromAll

Homo sapiens are complex critters, dont under estimate them. After all look at war, if humans were incapable of rational reasoning during highly emotional events everyone would just freeze at the crucial moments.

Fight or flight is the common result of the "highly emotional events" you talk about. Freezing in place is usually just the short-lived beginning of it - and, yes, soldiers and police train to reduce their freeze time.

But to get to the point - depression is often lack of emotion, which can be a trap in itself. You don't care about anything, which also means you don't care about yourself, including your condition. It's difficult to seek help (to do anything, really) without the motivation to do so - hence the trap. To me focus assumes a certain amount of motivation.

Originally Posted by NoC_T

We can identify a common denominator of extremity and suffering, regardless of anecdotal evidence.

I'm not quite certain that level of intelligence or general motivation applies. Suicide may be committed by any manner of individual, regardless of personality type.

I'm not sure the bolded is the case. The typical and normal basic human urge is one of survival. There are different personality types, but it appears that people who tend toward introversion seem to be more prone to depression and suicidal ideation. A person who internalizes stress can get to the point that the load seems too heavy to bear.

Originally Posted by MoSurveyor

But to get to the point - depression is often lack of emotion, which can be a trap in itself. You don't care about anything, which also means you don't care about yourself, including your condition. It's difficult to seek help (to do anything, really) without the motivation to do so - hence the trap. To me focus assumes a certain amount of motivation.

Just anecdotal evidence based on my own experience, but when I was having bouts of major depression, there was a hyper-emotional state, but there was no focus- just fear.

Originally Posted by NoC_T

We can identify a common denominator of extremity and suffering, regardless of anecdotal evidence.

I'm not quite certain that level of intelligence or general motivation applies. Suicide may be committed by any manner of individual, regardless of personality type.

Which is my point. One can kill them self with no reason or with reason. Unless a person is unable mentally to be able to make a proper decision or that there is a rational reason for taking your own life, suicide is stupid.

It's too subjective to really insult those who decided to take their own lives. I can understand if it was a criminal who decided to hang him or herself. That would be not only a case of selfishness, but ultimately cowardice. Now if it was someone who was severely depressed, then I wouldn't necessarily call it selfishness, it's just that person obviously had some problems and they didn't have the logical skills at the time to cope and adapt.

Originally Posted by lizzie

Just anecdotal evidence based on my own experience, but when I was having bouts of major depression, there was a hyper-emotional state, but there was no focus- just fear.

Looking at both your posts I have to wonder if those who seem to lack emotion have just gone one step beyond where you were. Having lived with fear for too long (and maybe not even recognizing it as such or possibly in denial of it) they have simply turned it all off or, like rubbing one spot of skin, have simply gone numb?

Originally Posted by MoSurveyor

Looking at both your posts I have to wonder if those who seem to lack emotion have just gone one step beyond where you were. Having lived with fear for too long (and maybe not even recognizing it as such or possibly in denial of it) they have simply turned it all off or, like rubbing one spot of skin, have simply gone numb?

Could be. Thank God I didn't go there.

Originally Posted by lizzie

I'm not sure the bolded is the case. The typical and normal basic human urge is one of survival. There are different personality types, but it appears that people who tend toward introversion seem to be more prone to depression and suicidal ideation. A person who internalizes stress can get to the point that the load seems too heavy to bear.

Forgive me. I should have clarified that.

It's the case that, among the entire demographic of suicide statistics, all personality types will be represented. However, certain of those will be more prevalent, as being indicative of a greater proclivity to instability in that regard.