Ask McFartnuggets: “Why Do People Jump Off Cliffs?”

And sometimes people jump
because Red Bull pays them a
shitload of money.

Dear McFartnuggets: Is it true that people can be F*cking crazy and jump off a cliff for no reason? If it is, then why are they dumb @$$es? -- Diana Mejia from Parts Unknown

Dear Diana:

When people feel the urge to jump off the edge of high places like cliffs it’s called the "High Place Phenomenon". According to a report that was done it’s basically a faulty brain issue that has to do with suicide ideation and anxiety. It doesn’t really make sense that a person would feel the natural urge to jump off a cliff, perhaps it’s something hidden in the deep in the subconscious of all human brains. Pretty much all humans enjoy the sensation of falling long distances whether they want to or not. That’s why skydiving, roller coasters, and bungee jumping are so popular.

You’d think the urge to jump off a cliff would have been filtered out through evolution by now, but I think what happened is cavemen who jumped off cliffs had already given birth to kids (because they procreated very young back then in order to survive) so the cliff jumping gene was able to continue on. Even today, people who commit suicide by jumping off bridges usually have kids beforehand, sometimes those kids are the very reason they’re jumping in the first place. 

Whenever you tip toe up to the edge of a cliff and think about jumping usually it’s your brain saying “I could jump if I wanted.” That's always a fun thought to have. It's like when you're standing in line at the bank daydreaming about robbing it. No one knows why we have these thoughts. They're just little fantasies for most people. Unfortunately, some people just can’t hold back the urge to experience the joy of falling. So why do people jump off cliffs? It’s really fun. It’s not recommended, but no one can argue it probably is extremely exhilarating up until the very last second. That last second is a doozy! A lot of times people make bad decisions because they focus too much on the happiness of an activity and don't pay attention to the negatives, like smoking crack. People want that sweet crack smoke even if it ends up killing them. Thanks for the question, Diana!

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