Read Moby Dick recently, t'is a fantastic book which I would reccomend to anyone. One thing, however, which particully struck me was the way in which it illustrated The Will To Die.
Schopenenhauer stated that every one has a Will To Die, an impulse which drives them towards death. From a Jungian or Hermetic outlook, it is logical that every person should have a Will To Die to counter balance the Will to Live. Normally it is unconscious most of the time, and 'tis the think which drives people towards dangerous sports, fighting and such like. In a suicidal person, the Will To Die has become stronger than the Will To Live. 'Tis the brave person, with the strongest Will to Live, who is most willing to die for a greater good.
In Moby Dick, Ahabs crew of tourmented and unbalanced men are driven to the sea by their Will To Die, and in hunting the White Whale, they seek their own death.
