The Exploding Tarsier
As we were smoking our last cigarette, my friend looked at me and asked, “Why do people smoke?” To which I replied, “I don’t know. I guess it’s a subtle impulse to kill yourself. It’s like alcohol or drugs or even controlled starvation. We know it can kill us, but we take them in anyway. I guess our creative impulses always compete with our destructive impulses. That’s just the way most humans are.”
six and nine
The Philippine tarsier, scientifically known as Carlito syrichta, is a primate species with a small stature, measuring only 85-160 millimeters in height. What distinguishes tarsiers from other primates is their disproportionately large eyes, which are fixed in their skulls and cannot rotate like ours. To compensate, tarsiers have evolved heads that can turn 180 degrees, much like owls. These tiny primates possess exceptional visual and auditory senses. In order to navigate in darkness, tarsiers have developed reflective tissues in their eyes, enabling enhanced night vision—a feature absent in most primates. Additionally, they possess highly sensitive hearing, allowing them to vocalize and detect ultrasonic frequencies ranging from 9752 Hz to over 22 kHz, a range beyond the capabilities of human hearing. Ultrasonic waves are acoustic waves with very high frequencies that are inaudible to humans. Although tarsiers may appear quiet and solitary, they may already be communicating or emitting vocalizations that are beyond our auditory range.
While heightened senses serve tarsiers well for hunting and avoiding predators, there are trade-offs associated with their amplified sensory perception. Exposure to intense stressors, such as extreme noises, becomes unbearable for them. In such situations, tarsiers have been observed to engage in self-destructive behaviors, such as repeatedly banging their heads against cages or causing self-inflicted harm when kept in captivity.
It is worth noting that tarsiers are not the only animals known to exhibit self-destructive tendencies. Scorpions, for instance, can inject themselves with their own venom when provoked. Abandoned dogs have been observed to starve themselves to death. Certain groups of whales beach themselves intentionally, and dolphins have been known to consciously hold their breath until they perish. Even among humans, we witness instances where individuals perform extreme and inventive acts with the intention to end their own lives.
Therefore, it is inaccurate to claim, as Albert Camus did, that humans are the sole creatures capable of experiencing anguish over life and death. Perhaps animals do not require "rational" contemplation to determine whether they want to continue living. Similar to tarsiers, other animals may possess heightened senses that, when subjected to overwhelming stressors, drive them towards self-destruction. It is possible that our exposure to an excess of overwhelming stimuli impairs our ability to think "rationally," thereby pushing some individuals towards self-inflicted harm or suicide.
Suicide is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that can have social and biological impacts. As inhabitants of our living planet, we are interconnected with all other organisms, and the health of the planet relies on the well-being of its microcosms, including ourselves. Climate change, often perceived as an issue that primarily affects certain groups, is in fact a matter of self-preservation for all organisms capable of tolerating current conditions. The Earth, as a whole, exerts a totalitarian influence. If the majority of organisms are driven towards self-destruction and a reboot, even those privileged enough to endure the current state of affairs will ultimately suffer alongside everyone else.
While some individuals may be unaware of climate change, others may choose to remain apathetic due to selfish motives. It is possible that many people no longer care about the consequences of their actions or find living on Earth unbearable. The collective effort to "save the planet" is crucial, but at the same time, each individual grapples with their own personal crisis of living. It is essential to consider whether our actions are truly aimed at saving the planet or merely focused on preserving our own species and those currently inhabiting it. The Earth will persist without us, and nature is always ready to reclaim its dominion. Self-preservation is a natural instinct, but when the conditions become intolerable for the majority, the contagion of self-destruction begins to take hold.
On a more positive note, it is a universal truth that we will all eventually die. Instead of fixating on thoughts of death, it is important to focus on living. Forgetting to live would be akin to forgetting to breathe, sing, dance, or choose nourishing food. Society constructs rules and laws that sometimes restrict our exploration and discovery. These laws discourage us from exploring the potential benefits of natural substances that could aid in longevity and cognitive enhancement. They contribute to the incarceration of loved ones without seeking to understand the underlying crises that led them there. Barriers also exist that discriminate against individuals with mental health issues, inhibiting their ability to thrive as their true selves. Social pressures constantly instill doubt, pushing us to question our worth each day. How much overwhelming stimuli can we endure before life urges us to press the reset button, dragging those we love along with us?
References/ Further readings
Řeháková-Petrů, M., Policht, R., & Peške, L. (2012). Acoustic repertoire of the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta fraterculus) and individual variation of long-distance calls. International Journal of Zoology, 2012.
Ramsier, M. A., Cunningham, A. J., Moritz, G. L., Finneran, J. J., Williams, C. V., Ong, P. S., ... & Dominy, N. J. (2012). Primate communication in the pure ultrasound. Biology Letters, 8(4), 508-511.
Groves, C., & Shekelle, M. (2010). The genera and species of Tarsiidae. International Journal of Primatology, 31(6), 1071-1082.
Jarosz A. (2019). The Philippines: The Tarsier Man. National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2019/05/philippines-tarsier-man
Ramsden, E., & Wilson, D. (2014). The suicidal animal: science and the nature of self-destruction. Past & present, 224(1), 201-242.
Camus, A. (1990). The Myth of Sisyphus. London: Penguin.
Bourne, A. G. (1887). II. The reputed suicide of scorpions. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 42(251-257), 17-22.
Legros, C. H. R. I. S. T. I. A. N., Martin-Eauclaire, M. F., & Cattaert, D. A. N. I. E. L. (1998). The myth of scorpion suicide: are scorpions insensitive to their own venom?. Journal of experimental biology, 201(18), 2625-2636.
Angier, N. (2008). Do animals grieve over death like we do? The New York Times. September 2.
King, B.J. (2013). How animals grieve. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
King, B.J. (2016). Animal mourning: Précis of How animals grieve (King 2013). Animal Sentience 4(1).
Reggente, M.A., Alves, F., Nicolau, C., Freitas, L., Cagnazzi, D., Baird, R.W., & Galli, P. (2016). Nurturant behavior toward dead conspecifics in free-ranging mammals: New records for odontocetes and a general review. Journal of Mammalogy, 97, 1428-1434.
Margulis, L., & Sagan, D. (1997). Microcosmos: Four billion years of microbial evolution. Univ of California Press.