From the perspective of Sigmund Freud, Thanatos refers to the death drive that compels individuals to engage in risky and self-destructive behaviors that could result in their own death. Moreover, citing Baumeister and Bushman (2010), Freud explains that our death instincts take an approach called “born to die’ that allows us to engage in behaviors that are likely to bring us closer to death. Although people hold the unconscious desire to die, their wish always fades because of life instincts.

Thanatos could be applied to scientific phenomena in the following ways. First, self-destructive behavior provides psychological relief. A person may engage in self-destructive behavior to get an emotional release. For instance, one may decide to cut herself because she thinks that by doing that the pain will come to the surface and she will have a quick and easy feeling of resolution to the chaotic life. People believe that it is easier to deal with physical pain compared to the mental pain (Baumeister & Bushman, 2010). Moreover, self-destructive behavior gives a feeling of control. Lastly, the concept of self-destructive behavior reinforces that an individual is indeed alive. When a person feels the pain, it is an indication of life. Conversely, people relate dumbness to death. Therefore, in this situation, people use death drive to illustrate their desire for life.

Reference

Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2010). Social psychology and human nature, brief version. Nelson Education.

 
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