A Symptom of Being Human

"A Symptom of Being Human" is a song by American rock band Shinedown. It was released on February 22, 2023, as the fourth single from their seventh studio album Planet Zero (2022).

The song was a sleeper hit, reaching the Mainstream Top 40 and topping the Mainstream Rock Songs chart in early 2024.

Background
Unlike all of Shinedown's previous singles, "A Symptom of Being Human" was initially not released to Mainstream Rock radio due to its much softer sound, and instead was released to Hot Adult Contemporary radio. On June 23, a "Pop Remix" was released, which turns the song into an upbeat song in the style of modern top-40 hits. In January 2024, the song became the band's nineteenth to top the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, extending their record for the most number ones in the chart's history. The song also entered the Billboard Pop Airplay chart on the week of March 2, 2024, becoming Shinedown's fourth song on the chart, and the first one since "If You Only Knew" in 2009–2010.

Lyrics and composition
Frontman Brent Smith stated that "A Symptom of Being Human" is written about his struggles with mental illness and the social stigma surrounding it he endured throughout his life. Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone described the song as a "mid-tempo piano ballad about self-doubt, anxiety, and anything that threatens our mental health".