Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 5, 2009 14:16:45 GMT
The Root of All 'Evil'?
This article will deal mainly with instincts and how they impact - both positively and negatively - on human interaction and behavioural patterns. You have been warned!
Humans are a curious mix of instinct, trained interaction, feelings and thoughts. Because we are primarily herd animals, we have instincts that tell us we need to form groups with other people and from those instincts have grown our complex social interaction patterns. We have an ingrained set of priorities that include, in no particular order:
Survival of self.
Survival of family.
Survival of friends.
Survival of tribe.
Survival of species.
Survival of our personal bloodline.
Because we are a social species, our mating patterns tend to revolve around courtship rituals, but make no mistake: the same strong instincts towards propagating both species and our personal bloodline runs in all of us. A surrogate will do ('Adoption') if it has to, but the desire to become a parent is something that is inborn, as are the instincts that will likely make it happen.
We desire sex because our instincts use a carrot and stick method to get us to do what they want us to do: in this case, create more children. This approach by our instincts is common in other ways, too, but nowhere is it more obvious than in the human desire for sex. To address the obvious: "What about homosexuals? Don't they destroy your theory?" No, they don't. Homosexuals are just as likely to want children as heterosexuals, they just tend to adopt, use artificial insemination, etc, in order to get them. The instinct is still there.
In fact, it is true to say that most if not all of us have every on of those instincts in varying degrees and that our behavioural patterns are largely dependent on the order in which we subconsciously place them.
This is, of course, where out favourite social constructs start to come into the equation. 'Good' is usually defined as putting other people and/or society first; 'Evil' as putting oneself first, even to the detriment of others and/or society. OK, that's very simplistic, but I think it's the best way to make the point. Because I think it now becomes obvious.
Let's take a closer look at all those survival instincts and exactly what they result in:
Survival of Self: Originally, people would create a store of goods to tide them over rough times, such as Winter, injury or other travails. They would act cautiously where they needed to in order to minimise danger and otherwise act in ways that would create a greater chance of personal survival. Positively, this instinct leads modern humans to invest, to save, to keep things they like against future use. The next time you get something now that you intend to wear some time next Summer, this is why! Negatively, it results in greed and selfishness: a desire for more goods and property than one can reasonably require for oneself and thus to the concommitant depriving of others.
Survival of Family: Possibly the most obvious in its manifestations, this one is basically the prioritisation of one's own family. Physical possessions are often shared within the family group and food certainly is. The family unit looks out for its members and does what it has to to ensure the survival of the unit as a whole. Positively, this results in unselfishness within the family group and when needed in self-sacrifice for the good of the whole. Negatively, it can result in the same problems as survival of self, with the family unit being given a degree of priority that leads to the detriment of others.
Survival of Friends: Really a subset of 'Survival of Tribe' but the group will be more close knit as it is composed of people who share a strong social and personal bond. As such, both the positives and the negatives will be emphasised. Where this type of survival is considered more important than survival of tribe, it can result in criminal gangs or other groups of malcontents.
Survival of Tribe: The prioritisation of the people, nation, tribe or other large grouping with whom the individual feels affinity. Results in the construction of rules for social cohesion/interaction and ultimately The Cycle Of Civilisations, so on a macroscopic level, might be deemed the most important. Of course, all the rest of the survival instincts act as mitigation and as the emphasis changes in the majority of people, so the Cycle turns accordingly. Interesting to note how the predominant instincts in any generation tend to react to perceived social conditions and external threat levels, no? Makes you think we might even be able to control these things if we only understood what it is we are controlling... "With our thoughts we make the world." Positively, this instinct results in people trying to better their society/nation/tribe/whatever and improve the lives of everyone. Negatively, it results in 'my country right or wrong' attitudes and the justification of crimes against humanity because the country is considered all and other people are nothing.
Survival of Species: I'm not sure this one has ever been properly tested, so it remains largely theoretical at this stage. There is some evidence of it in individuals, but not much in nations. Basically, it's the prioritisation of the survival of humanity as a whole and manifests as a desire to help and/or improve the lives of humanity as a whole. The theoretical dark side would mean that nothing not human would matter... Quite whether the entire race COULD come together in face of a common threat is very dubious, but there are no lack of individuals in all nations who would at least try.
Survival of Personal Bloodline. This one obviously manifests in men and women somewhat differently. In men it is the desire to sleep with many women, in women it is the 'biological clock' - the strong desire to have children while they can. Positively, this instinct results in families. Negatively, it results in the belief that the opposite sex are basically objects to be used. The ultimate negative manifestation of this instinct (And the negative attitude that results from it) is rape.
So as you see, 'Good' is pretty much the result of the positive impact of our survival instincts and 'Evil' the result of the negative impact. Understand all this, however, and your instincts are yours to control. No-one is wholly the slave of their genetics.
***
Blame Dragon for reminding me of this! ;D Don't think I've ever written it up, before and he reminded me I hadn't... ;D
This article will deal mainly with instincts and how they impact - both positively and negatively - on human interaction and behavioural patterns. You have been warned!
Humans are a curious mix of instinct, trained interaction, feelings and thoughts. Because we are primarily herd animals, we have instincts that tell us we need to form groups with other people and from those instincts have grown our complex social interaction patterns. We have an ingrained set of priorities that include, in no particular order:
Survival of self.
Survival of family.
Survival of friends.
Survival of tribe.
Survival of species.
Survival of our personal bloodline.
Because we are a social species, our mating patterns tend to revolve around courtship rituals, but make no mistake: the same strong instincts towards propagating both species and our personal bloodline runs in all of us. A surrogate will do ('Adoption') if it has to, but the desire to become a parent is something that is inborn, as are the instincts that will likely make it happen.
We desire sex because our instincts use a carrot and stick method to get us to do what they want us to do: in this case, create more children. This approach by our instincts is common in other ways, too, but nowhere is it more obvious than in the human desire for sex. To address the obvious: "What about homosexuals? Don't they destroy your theory?" No, they don't. Homosexuals are just as likely to want children as heterosexuals, they just tend to adopt, use artificial insemination, etc, in order to get them. The instinct is still there.
In fact, it is true to say that most if not all of us have every on of those instincts in varying degrees and that our behavioural patterns are largely dependent on the order in which we subconsciously place them.
This is, of course, where out favourite social constructs start to come into the equation. 'Good' is usually defined as putting other people and/or society first; 'Evil' as putting oneself first, even to the detriment of others and/or society. OK, that's very simplistic, but I think it's the best way to make the point. Because I think it now becomes obvious.
Let's take a closer look at all those survival instincts and exactly what they result in:
Survival of Self: Originally, people would create a store of goods to tide them over rough times, such as Winter, injury or other travails. They would act cautiously where they needed to in order to minimise danger and otherwise act in ways that would create a greater chance of personal survival. Positively, this instinct leads modern humans to invest, to save, to keep things they like against future use. The next time you get something now that you intend to wear some time next Summer, this is why! Negatively, it results in greed and selfishness: a desire for more goods and property than one can reasonably require for oneself and thus to the concommitant depriving of others.
Survival of Family: Possibly the most obvious in its manifestations, this one is basically the prioritisation of one's own family. Physical possessions are often shared within the family group and food certainly is. The family unit looks out for its members and does what it has to to ensure the survival of the unit as a whole. Positively, this results in unselfishness within the family group and when needed in self-sacrifice for the good of the whole. Negatively, it can result in the same problems as survival of self, with the family unit being given a degree of priority that leads to the detriment of others.
Survival of Friends: Really a subset of 'Survival of Tribe' but the group will be more close knit as it is composed of people who share a strong social and personal bond. As such, both the positives and the negatives will be emphasised. Where this type of survival is considered more important than survival of tribe, it can result in criminal gangs or other groups of malcontents.
Survival of Tribe: The prioritisation of the people, nation, tribe or other large grouping with whom the individual feels affinity. Results in the construction of rules for social cohesion/interaction and ultimately The Cycle Of Civilisations, so on a macroscopic level, might be deemed the most important. Of course, all the rest of the survival instincts act as mitigation and as the emphasis changes in the majority of people, so the Cycle turns accordingly. Interesting to note how the predominant instincts in any generation tend to react to perceived social conditions and external threat levels, no? Makes you think we might even be able to control these things if we only understood what it is we are controlling... "With our thoughts we make the world." Positively, this instinct results in people trying to better their society/nation/tribe/whatever and improve the lives of everyone. Negatively, it results in 'my country right or wrong' attitudes and the justification of crimes against humanity because the country is considered all and other people are nothing.
Survival of Species: I'm not sure this one has ever been properly tested, so it remains largely theoretical at this stage. There is some evidence of it in individuals, but not much in nations. Basically, it's the prioritisation of the survival of humanity as a whole and manifests as a desire to help and/or improve the lives of humanity as a whole. The theoretical dark side would mean that nothing not human would matter... Quite whether the entire race COULD come together in face of a common threat is very dubious, but there are no lack of individuals in all nations who would at least try.
Survival of Personal Bloodline. This one obviously manifests in men and women somewhat differently. In men it is the desire to sleep with many women, in women it is the 'biological clock' - the strong desire to have children while they can. Positively, this instinct results in families. Negatively, it results in the belief that the opposite sex are basically objects to be used. The ultimate negative manifestation of this instinct (And the negative attitude that results from it) is rape.
So as you see, 'Good' is pretty much the result of the positive impact of our survival instincts and 'Evil' the result of the negative impact. Understand all this, however, and your instincts are yours to control. No-one is wholly the slave of their genetics.
***
Blame Dragon for reminding me of this! ;D Don't think I've ever written it up, before and he reminded me I hadn't... ;D
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