Everything Everywhere Daily · Friday, August 7, 2026
Physician and psychoanalyst Sabrina Speilrein theorized in 1912 that humans have a dual instinct towards death and life, and witnessing public executions heightens these instincts. This fascination with unnatural death, she argued, makes observers appreciate their own lives more, drawing parallels to why people slow down to view accidents.
“According to a theory published in 1912 by a Russian physician and psychoanalyst, Sabrina Speilrein, humans are interested in witnessing the specific process of unnatural death.”
“Speilrein argued that humans possess both a negative instinct towards death and a positive instinct towards life.”
“She believed that witnessing events like public executions heightens these instincts, making observers feel a stronger appreciation for their own lives as they watch another person's end.”