What is Autocannibalism? Defining Cannibalism Categories
Autocannibalism...it's kinda in the name what it is, but many of us don't realize that we are autocannibals ourselves.
Have you ever chewed the insides of your cheeks or lips and swallowed? Maybe you've eaten the skin off your cuticles? Have you ever cut off a body part and eaten it? You probably haven't gone that far, but autocannibalism is:
The act of eating oneself.
I believe there is a spectrum to eating oneself. I myself chew on the insides of my cheeks and without even thinking of it, I swallow it. These mindless habits are usually called autophagia, which is just a prettier, more tame version of the word autocannibal.
Although most people don't cut off limbs like the creep in the video above, there have been quite a few "opportunistic" autocannibals who have had body parts medically or accidentally removed, and having the opportunity to do so, they have eaten said body parts. A few of my favorite cases include the man who lost his finger in a motorcycle accident and boiled it, the man who had foot tacos with his friends after having it amputated, and the woman who ate her knee cartilage in spaghetti, as discussed in this video.
Some folks have asked, "Is autocannibalism ethical?" and here is where the spectrum of autocannibalism comes into play. I consider the people discussed above "opportunistic autocannibals" because the amputation/removals were going to happen regardless, they simply took this *opportunity* to consume human flesh. In the case of chewing fingernails, cuticles, cheeks, and lips, and maybe even scab eating, we could say that this is more of a compulsion (sometimes related to OCD but not always). Due to the fact that most of us do it without thinking and it's usually related to anxiety/nervous behavior, I can't say that it's unethical. But cutting a piece of yourself off to consume it... that's self harm. I can't say that self harm is "unethical," but it's definitely not healthy.
So next time you're chewing the insides of your cheeks or maybe your cuticles, remember: some folks take it to a whole other level!
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