Guest ApostleKnight Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 So I read a quote that got me thinking. Humans are really dumb sometimes. We get all dramatic about hardships or just not "getting the girl" or "getting the job." Sometimes humans commit suicide. What is it about human nature and perspective that makes us do that? I know sometimes there are mental disorders involved, but I'm talking about the "Romeo and Juliet" type...not romantic, but acts of passion/emotion. Shoot, you'll never see an eagle intentionally fly into a 747's turbine just because it hasn't eaten in a week. Elk don't wander into the middle of the local sportsman's club because their mate got killed by a bear. And I've never seen a wildebeest trot into a pride of lions because the water dried up in his neighborhood. So why do humans act so self-destructively when we're supposedly smarter, brighter, and to top it off, God's children? Maybe our ability to remember so much of the past and project so far into the future is a curse? I guarantee you a peacock isn't going to start pecking its own tail feathers out because it remembers how three seasons ago that one female peacock didn't mate with him, and no others are likely to in the future. See what I mean? DISCLAIMER: I'm not trying to be insensitive to anyone who's had a family member or friend commit suicide. One of my close friends tried it once long ago, so I'm not being flippant. Just wondering what y'all think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanstress70 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 So I read a quote that got me thinking. Humans are really dumb sometimes. We get all dramatic about hardships or just not "getting the girl" or "getting the job." Sometimes humans commit suicide. What is it about human nature and perspective that makes us do that? I know sometimes there are mental disorders involved, but I'm talking about the "Romeo and Juliet" type...not romantic, but acts of passion/emotion.Shoot, you'll never see an eagle intentionally fly into a 747's turbine just because it hasn't eaten in a week. Elk don't wander into the middle of the local sportsman's club because their mate got killed by a bear. And I've never seen a wildebeest trot into a pride of lions because the water dried up in his neighborhood.So why do humans act so self-destructively when we're supposedly smarter, brighter, and to top it off, God's children? Maybe our ability to remember so much of the past and project so far into the future is a curse? I guarantee you a peacock isn't going to start pecking its own tail feathers out because it remembers how three seasons ago that one female peacock didn't mate with him, and no others are likely to in the future. See what I mean?DISCLAIMER: I'm not trying to be insensitive to anyone who's had a family member or friend commit suicide. One of my close friends tried it once long ago, so I'm not being flippant. Just wondering what y'all think.I don't think animals have the intellect to know that killing themselves is an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest just_jason76 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 I would say that animals for the most part live their lives on natural instinct. Humans live their lives based on emotion and intellect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrawberryFields Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Just recently someone I know shot and killed himself. The story was related to me by my son and they first thing I asked him was "WHY"? Apparently this man was divorced and a very hard working man who labored long hard hours. He had been fighting with his ex-wife who after months of fighting told him that he would never see his children again. This upset this man so much that he shot himself and died. Many thought flashed though my head. First this man was living for his children, he wanted them to be a part of his life more then anything, even life. He took his last stand and when he felt there was no way he would ever have them he shot and killed himself as a "symbol" of defeat and possibly a message to his ex of how much she had hurt him. I have also had a cousin who committed suicide and she left two children who never recovered emotionally from her actions. I have always believe that death is much harder on those left behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 I think most of it has to do with peer pressure, when someone doesn’t have enough confidence in themselves, or God, to avoid or get out of a hole… or what some people perceive to be a hole while telling others they’re in one, which, because they listen to them, they end up feeling depressed and would rather be dead than still living.Or in other words:Q: Why do so many of us listen to the promptings of Satan and other people who preach messages of doom and gloom?A: Because so many of us don’t know enough to NOT listen to those people, and listen to God who loves us and wants us all to progress and come to live with him LATER, no matter what obstacle we may face.Or in other words:Q: Why do so many of us listen to other people who tell us we’re not good enough and CANNOT fit in, because we’re either too fat, or too skinny, or don’t have enough money, or that no matter what we do they cannot love us, or that some person we love is the only person who could ever love us, and we would feel better off dead than still living?A: Because so many of us DON’T know enough to LISTEN to God, instead of listening to those of us who say things like that.And btw, many of us do have a lot of power to persuade, but knowing WHO to listen to is the key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr T Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 That is intersting Ray. Do you think that you sometimes listen to Satan? Not about you're too fat/skinny, etc., but anything else in your life? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 That is intersting Ray. Do you think that you sometimes listen to Satan? Not about you're too fat/skinny, etc., but anything else in your life?Yes, we all listen, and sometimes we follow, but the key is to then turn away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ApostleKnight Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Interesting replies so far. Thanks especially to you, SF, for the "real life" insight. Something you said got me thinking. If our emotional "center" is in someone or something else that we can't control, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment. We certainly can't control other people (unless we're Hitler or Mussolini). But then, Hitler killed himself too so I guess that proves that even controlling other people isn't enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 If our emotional "center" is in someone or something else that we can't control, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment. We also can't control God, and when He is our center we will not be disappointed in Him. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ApostleKnight Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 We also can't control God, and when He is our center we will not be disappointed in Him. :)We can control God. He is bound when we do what He says, and I agree that having our center in Him is of prime importance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Animals do not remember lost loved ones for years. Despite the thinking of some over the top humans - few animals show much kindness (out side of certain breeds). For the most part I am disappointed with efforts to compare animals with humans. I am impressed with the post that humans are intelligent. I have long argued that humans have the ability to learn any cognitive behavior. Though we are born with some variation of abilities but we are in essence what we have learned to be and we respond as we have learned to respond. The Traveler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 <div class='quotemain'>We also can't control God, and when He is our center we will not be disappointed in Him. :)We can control God. He is bound when we do what He says, and I agree that having our center in Him is of prime importance.Heh, you can think of that idea as being in control of God if you want to, but He is the one who gave us that law and none of us could have made Him make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ApostleKnight Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 He is the one who gave us that law and none of us could have made Him make it.Obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 If anything I think that animals act more on instinct, humans act more on emotions. I don't think that you can compare the two..... to me that's just borderlining on accepting evolution. I will use a human vs animal reference once in a while, but I never mean to really try to compare the two. I have heard on nature shows and such that some animals will go into a period of mourning for the loss of a mate or offspring. So I do think that some were given some sort of maternal/paternal feelings, but than again... how many will eat or leave their young...no second thoughts? Suicide is a very lonely way to die, it's a form of desperation, and to me it's a loss of faith in themselves, in others and in God to help pull them thru the worst of times. Only one I really knew who committed suicide was a GI who couldn't handle the fact he was an alcoholic homosexual. He didn't' like himself, he didn't know how to cope, so he hung himself in a jail cell. So many just give up trying to make things better, they just don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, and the hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper, loneliness and despair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrawberryFields Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Over the past weekend I heard this song and thought of this thread. I think it might come down to lose of all HOPE. BLAINE LARSEN LYRICS "How Do You Get That Lonely" It was just another story printed on the second page Underneath the Tiger's football score It said he was only eighteen, a boy about my age They found him face down on his bedroom floor There'll be services on Friday at the Lawrence Funeral Home Then out on Mooresville highway, they'll lay him 'neath a stone... How do you get that lonely, how do you hurt that bad To make you make the call, that havin' no life at all Is better than the life that you had How do you feel so empty, you want to let it all go How do you get that lonely... and nobody knows Did his girlfriend break up with him, did he buy or steal that gun? Did he lose a fight with drugs or alcohol? Did his Mom and Daddy forget to say I love you son? Did no one see the writing on the wall? I'm not blamin' anybody, we all do the best we can I know hindsight's 20/20, but I still don't understand... How do you get that lonely, how do you hurt that bad To make you make the call, that havin' no life at all Is better than the life that you had How do you feel so empty, you want to let it all go How do you get that lonely... and nobody knows It was just another story printed on the second page Underneath the Tiger's football score... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bizabra Posted August 2, 2006 Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 Interesting replies so far. Thanks especially to you, SF, for the "real life" insight. Something you said got me thinking. If our emotional "center" is in someone or something else that we can't control, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment. We certainly can't control other people (unless we're Hitler or Mussolini). But then, Hitler killed himself too so I guess that proves that even controlling other people isn't enough. BIZ: Hitler killed himself because he was about to be caught, thus, he retained "control" over his person and denied control to others. He WAS controlling the situation. It wasn't because he wanted to die or thought he was failing in his life or despondent or anything like that. Not a very good example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ApostleKnight Posted August 2, 2006 Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 He wasn't despondent? Ummm, what would you call the mood evoked by seeing your "thousand year reich" crumble beneath Soviet tank treads and Allied bombs? The man was afraid, that's why he killed himself, not because he was cool and in control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr T Posted August 2, 2006 Report Share Posted August 2, 2006 I would second that thought AK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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