# Why stay alive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 10, 2016, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317 "2016-08-10T06:03:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/1 "2016-08-10T06:03:54Z")
Simply put, why not just die? Why keep on living? There doesn’t seem to be any rational reason behind continuing to exist. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/2 "2016-08-10T06:24:49Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > Simply put, why not just die? Why keep on living? There doesn’t seem to be any rational reason behind continuing to exist. We are born with a deep survival instinct. Most living things do. It’s an evolution thing. There’s no really rational reason other than that. There doesn’t have to be. The instinct pretty much covers enough people for us to thrive. Actually, I’m not sure it’s even possible to just die. Either you, something or someone else or time itself is what ultimately causes death. It won’t just happen by itself. You can’t just will yourself to die without an outside agent being involved. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/3 "2016-08-10T06:31:18Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > Why keep on living? There doesn’t seem to be any rational reason behind continuing to exist. Maybe you don’t feel so - but many of us and others do see good reason to keep living. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/4 "2016-08-10T06:34:13Z")
Because if all of us nihilists topped ourselves, the only ones left would be the people who are _WRONG_. And I’m not going to let them win. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/5 "2016-08-10T06:35:18Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > Simply put, why not just die? Why keep on living? There doesn’t seem to be any rational reason behind continuing to exist. Assuming you are still alive when you read this, why don’t you tell us? ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/6 "2016-08-10T06:37:49Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Assuming you are still alive when you read this, why don’t you tell us? Not that my answer was any better it does seem really harsh to ask someone looking for a reason to live “why don’t you tell us?” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/7 "2016-08-10T06:55:43Z")
> [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > Not that my answer was any better it does seem really harsh to ask someone looking for a reason to live “why don’t you tell us?” I don’t think he’s really looking for reasons to live. It’s like his threads on “Are pets slaves?” or “Does music have negative effects?” where he’s only asking questions. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/8 "2016-08-10T06:59:12Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I don’t think he’s really looking for reasons to live. It’s like his threads on “Are pets slaves?” or “Does music have negative effects?” where he’s only asking questions. Ahh, makes sense. I didn’t know the poster history. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/9 "2016-08-10T07:18:34Z")
I stay alive because I don’t (yet) have the means to destroy the entire universe. I’m working on it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/10 "2016-08-10T08:18:23Z")
Why not? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/11 "2016-08-10T08:21:03Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I stay alive because I don’t (yet) have the means to destroy the entire universe. > > I’m working on it. But when you cease to be alive, the universe does too (at least according to your perceptions). Just sayin…😛 ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/12 "2016-08-10T09:18:25Z")
It’s a dichotomy. The only alternative to living is killing yourself. Why kill yourself? There doesn’t seem to be any rational reason behind killing yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/13 "2016-08-10T09:31:26Z")
Well now, I get low and I get high and if I can’t get either, I really try. Got the wings of heaven on my shoes, I’m a dancing man and I just can’t lose. You know it’s all right, it’s OK, I’ll live to see another day. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/14 "2016-08-10T10:26:58Z")
Bacon. Sex. Pizza. Crushing your enemies and hearing the lamentations of their women. Whatever gets you out of bed in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/15 "2016-08-10T10:55:08Z")
I have plans Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/16 "2016-08-10T11:18:06Z")
Why keep on living? Fear of commitment. Staying alive for what, 70, 80, 90 years is a small thing. Taking the plunge and dying for… forever, you gotta really mean that. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/17 "2016-08-10T11:34:21Z")
Revenge. ---
**Author:** ![ultimate11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/49beb7/32.png) [@ultimate11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultimate11)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/18 "2016-08-10T11:51:26Z")
Why stay alive? I’m only 21, there are things in life I haven’t done yet, and things in life I need to experience, whether I haven’t already or I have already. There’s no deep dish pizza in heaven, nor Vienna Beef® hotdogs in hell, and don’t get me started with Ricobene’s breaded steak sandwiches in limbo! Also once it’s over, it’s over. That’s why I’m living life to the fullest. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/19 "2016-08-10T11:52:00Z")
2026 Oscars ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/20 "2016-08-10T11:52:36Z")
> [@Randolph](#): > > Bacon. Sex. Pizza. Crushing your enemies and hearing the lamentations of their women. Whatever gets you out of bed in the morning. Reminds me of something Warren Zevon said on Dave Letterman when discussing his (very) terminal cancer and how and why he kept on going despite it. [QUOTE=Warren Zevon] You’re reminded to enjoy every sandwich. [/QUOTE] I think there are a larger number of people than one might think who actively, seriously consider suicide but don’t go through with it simply so they can enjoy another sandwich. Or fuck session. Or roller-coaster ride. More of [Zevon’s quote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Warren_Zevon): > [@](#): > > You know, you put more value on every minute…I mean, I always thought I kind of did that. I really always enjoyed myself. But it’s more valuable now. You’re reminded to enjoy every sandwich, and every minute of playing with the guys, and being with the kids and everything. Please don’t off yourself. Have another delicious sandwich instead! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317.md?page=2)