4 ms·

I've read the suicide rate among vets with genital injuries is over 25%. Tragic.

cat199 9y ago
Not to downplay the vast significance of such an injury, but seems to me the far greater tragedy is that our society/culture places so much emphasis on sexual function that a 25% rate of suicide in such cases 'makes sense'. There's a lot more to life than sex - this is basically saying that 1 in 4 males don't think the rest of it is worthwhile otherwise..
- merpnderp 9y ago
  Is it society and culture or the single most important biological imperative our DNA can express, something hardwired into the parts of our brains older than life on land?
  - textor 9y ago
    Certainly it isn't hardwired in any relevant manner, and people are in fact just fine not reproducing, see vasectomy. Don't just repeat platitudes. People are killing themselves over not being able to have sex, or rather not being able to prove they're proper functional men. It has at least as much to do with social status as with actual sex.
    - merpnderp 9y ago
      Knowing you aren't held in respect by your peers doesn't cause depression because of culture or society - every single living organism with some sort of higher brain function gets "depressed" when its peers hold it as less valuable. This isn't platitudes, this is science, and shows the solution likely isn't down the path of telling people 'losing your junk" jokes are harmful. Choosing to not have kids are far different than having that choice taken from you, and the most viable solution is likely chemical intervention.
- philwelch 9y ago
  People aren’t just formless masses of pure reason floating through the world. We’re animals, and one of the most primal drives is to reproduce. That’s not society and culture that says sex is that big of a deal; it’s billions of years of evolution.
- zzzzzzzza 9y ago
  For the record I agree with you (in contrast to some of these other commenters); sex is criminally over rated. There's a reason why we have a distinction between people and animals guys (though even many animals can live a eudaimonic existence without sex, see neutered dogs).
  - throwajay81763 9y ago
    “sex is criminally overrated” is certainly a statement borne of the sort of careful, even-handed consideration i would expect from someone asserting people aren’t animals
- ralusek 9y ago
  Even at an academic level, far too many people feel entitled to attribute absolutely every human outcome to society and culture. Not only do we have philosophical, logical, and biological contributors affecting this, but "society" and "culture" can have logical and biological components as well. From a purely philosophical standpoint, what if I had come to the conclusion that a part of myself would live on through my children, and I am in despair at the lost opportunity to do do so? From a biological standpoint, I have lost access to one of life's greatest pleasures, but am also subject to the same physical drives without any release. Now to expand that to "society," what fault is it of a partner who similarly has a philosophical drive towards procreation, or a biological desire for certain pleasure? Some things just are blamelessly tragic, I'm sorry to let you know.
collyw 9y ago
Out of interest whats the normal rate for vets? I imagine it could be relatively high as you hear a lot about PTSD.

Not to downplay the vast significance of such an injury, but seems to me the far greater tragedy is that our society/culture places so much emphasis on sexual function that a 25% rate of suicide in such cases 'makes sense'. There's a lot more to life than sex - this is basically saying that 1 in 4 males don't think the rest of it is worthwhile otherwise..

merpnderp 9y ago
Is it society and culture or the single most important biological imperative our DNA can express, something hardwired into the parts of our brains older than life on land?
- textor 9y ago
  Certainly it isn't hardwired in any relevant manner, and people are in fact just fine not reproducing, see vasectomy. Don't just repeat platitudes. People are killing themselves over not being able to have sex, or rather not being able to prove they're proper functional men. It has at least as much to do with social status as with actual sex.
  - merpnderp 9y ago
    Knowing you aren't held in respect by your peers doesn't cause depression because of culture or society - every single living organism with some sort of higher brain function gets "depressed" when its peers hold it as less valuable. This isn't platitudes, this is science, and shows the solution likely isn't down the path of telling people 'losing your junk" jokes are harmful. Choosing to not have kids are far different than having that choice taken from you, and the most viable solution is likely chemical intervention.
philwelch 9y ago
People aren’t just formless masses of pure reason floating through the world. We’re animals, and one of the most primal drives is to reproduce. That’s not society and culture that says sex is that big of a deal; it’s billions of years of evolution.
zzzzzzzza 9y ago
For the record I agree with you (in contrast to some of these other commenters); sex is criminally over rated. There's a reason why we have a distinction between people and animals guys (though even many animals can live a eudaimonic existence without sex, see neutered dogs).
- throwajay81763 9y ago
  “sex is criminally overrated” is certainly a statement borne of the sort of careful, even-handed consideration i would expect from someone asserting people aren’t animals
ralusek 9y ago
Even at an academic level, far too many people feel entitled to attribute absolutely every human outcome to society and culture. Not only do we have philosophical, logical, and biological contributors affecting this, but "society" and "culture" can have logical and biological components as well. From a purely philosophical standpoint, what if I had come to the conclusion that a part of myself would live on through my children, and I am in despair at the lost opportunity to do do so? From a biological standpoint, I have lost access to one of life's greatest pleasures, but am also subject to the same physical drives without any release. Now to expand that to "society," what fault is it of a partner who similarly has a philosophical drive towards procreation, or a biological desire for certain pleasure? Some things just are blamelessly tragic, I'm sorry to let you know.

collyw 9y ago

Out of interest whats the normal rate for vets? I imagine it could be relatively high as you hear a lot about PTSD.