Why don't more animals commit suicide?

Animals don't have a good sense of what it means to exist... I assume their short term memories play a role in forgetting that threats exist so that they can continue living as per usual.EboyLOL

some species have better constructed memories than humans do...

There are no other animals on this planet that are as advanced as us, and frankly being so advanced is our downfall. Animals live their lives based on their instincts. They eat, they sleep and the reproduce. Let's use a fox as an example. The fox eats rabbits, it sleeps and it mates with the vixen. The fox's population increases. They continue to feed on rabbits until the rabbit population decreases, and then the fox population naturally decreases allowing the rabbit population time to increase again. This is called natural balance.

With us, it's difference. We have no natural balance, but there must be a balance whether we realise it or not and so where does the balance come from? We bring it on ourselves. Our population increases, people have more children who are living to much older ages due to medical science. Animals are subjected to disease and so are we, but we can cure most diseases. Whenever we completely cure a serious killer, then a new one will arise to take it's place. Think of how we used to deal with smallpox, and then today we have AIDS and Cancer. This isn't enough though as detected early enough, we can treat AIDS and Cancer to a degree and in a matter of time we will be able to cure them.

So there are other ways of achieving the balance. Every so often, we will have those select few infamous people who kill dozens, hundreds, or thousands of people. Think of Hitler or Saddam. Wars are a good way of lowering our population. Natural disasters help to a degree, but we're getting quite good at avoiding those and so it seems that violence amongst our youth has increased dramatically. More and more of us are killing each other for what seems like stupid reasons.

This brings me back to my main point, and I know I'm going on and on here. Most of us realise that there is a serious problem with the way we're living but few of us realise what the actual problem is. Mental illness has developed rapidly over the years as another way of maintaining the natural balance. In my opinion, I think that we're developing a greater understanding of the way our planet is working, and it's just too much for some.

In conclusion, the answer to why animals don't commit suicide is simply because that they don't need to.

[QUOTE="muthsera666"]

[QUOTE="GodLovesDead"]Animals aren't conscious. They follow their instincts which is to survive and reproduce. They are no more alive than artificial intelligence found in a videogame - besides their physical being of course.GodLovesDead

I definitely cannot agree with this position. Animals are more than just instincts wrapped in a bag of flesh. They have personality as well, and there is some degree of intelligence (though many will want to say that it is no where near to that of humans).

Having a personality and having intelligence is not that same thing as being able to articulate diverse thought. Animals are simple and are linear mentally. They are unable to question their own existance. "Cogito, ergo sum"

I want to know how you guys know this. I mean, just because it does not appear that animals are as advanced as us does not mean that they aren't. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that some animals are not as intelligent as some humans.

With all of the technology that man possess, he still lives a life full of distress and suffering, so I don't see how that necessarily makes humans better than animals...

I wonder if ANY animals commit suicide on purposeEwanMac

They do, but in a more passive manner than humans. It has been observed many times that some animals in captivity become severely depressed and stop eating and drinking. They essentially lose the will to live.

Domesticated animals like house cats and dogs have it the best, those SOBs. No giant poisonous scorpions to kill them, and no work or school to attend.

Our brains are more developed so we can think ahead, philosophize, brain-storm, and know how **** the world is. If lower animals could do this, they'd end their lives like we do more often.

Suicide is the easy way out. Animals carry on with the circle of life. Humans are way too emotional, animals just carry on. Humans should really just be like animals in that way and just carry on like normal.Ryo_Kensen

i dont think they "know" there's a 15 foot tall snaggle-mouthed 1500 fanged slimy 5-eyed scorpion monster living on thier block..

and they keep on living for the same reason you keep on living.. so create more of your species.

Ya, but that's the circle of life. Animals die on a regular basis.

Animals live on instinct. Suicide is not instinct.:|LJS9502_basic

That's basically the point I was trying to get across.. :P