The Theory of Death Instinct
Have you ever heard of the death drive or death instinct theory? This is a theory from Sigmund Freud, which continues to be explored up until the present days.
According to Freud, there is a personality that seems to contradict everyone’s satisfaction impulses. But other than contradicting the libido, it also works on relieving tension. This is a force within human instinct that operates against the principle of pleasure, gratification and self-preservation. This counterforce is known as “Todestrieb” or “death drive”. It is also called “death instinct”.
Death instinct has something to do with energy conservation within organisms. Freud theorised in his early works that mental conflict sprang up from component instincts like libido and erotic instincts. Later on, he amended that the logic of death drive demands that energy is reduced to nothing or to a state of rest. This is returning to inorganic stasis, which he believes is every matter’s original condition.
Freud observed the death instinct in hate and primary masochism, which precede feelings of love. So if you choose to feel hate for a person, it means that you are working against your natural instinct to feel love.