What’s the will to live?

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The will to live is a type of survival instinct that drives individuals to make efforts to overcome life-threatening situations and continue to enjoy the benefits of life. Given a strong psychological strength in most humans, the will to live can often provide the motivation for seriously ill or injured people to maintain life even when the prognosis for survival is not very good. Many doctors believe that this desire to continue living offers significant psychological benefits to people who are undergoing major surgery or trying to overcome major illnesses such as cancer, sometimes helping to provide the strength to live many more years than anyone else. he expected.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to the will to live, even when life circumstances are less than favourable. People dealing with serious illnesses that tend to undermine their personal zest for life may find that connections with loved ones and a desire to spend more time with them provide the motivation to keep fighting for a restoration of well being. The feeling of having more to do before death comes can also contribute to the struggle to overcome and stay alive. To some extent, the very fear of dying can serve as a motivator to continue the fight and stay alive as long as possible.

Over the years, various schools of thought have emerged attempting to explain the basis of the will to live, including Sigmund Freud’s pleasure principle and Adler’s will to power. Inherent in most of these approaches or theories is the concept that human beings tend to seek social interaction with one another as a means of nurturing their lives. When for some reason social interaction is reduced, it can weaken the will to live. For example, someone who is isolated from other people and has no reasonable hope of ever being reunited with people may come to care less about life and perhaps even welcome the prospect of death as a way to escape the isolation.

While the will to live is considered one of the primary drives of human beings, it will often work in tandem with other factors influencing the mindset of individuals. For example, religious beliefs or love of one’s country may prompt an individual to voluntarily give up one’s life if it is believed that doing so will be for the greater good. Similarly, people suffering from severe mental and emotional disorders may come to the conclusion that life is too difficult and unrewarding, prompting them to take their own lives. While the will to live is typically very strong, it can be undermined by a number of factors and over time become so weak that this will can no longer provide the inspiration for any desire to remain among the living.

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