Are humans hardwired to hurt?

[Conserative Morality]

In what way does selfishness lead to violence? And if by selfish you mean we innately look out for number one, that's not selfishness--it's survival. Selfishness is when your life DOESN'T depend on requiring what you're aiming to get, and many people get rid of that aspect of themselves through maturity. You need to psychology more.

*sigh* Learn to use the English language.

Selfishness denotes the precedence given in thought or deed to the self, i.e., self interest or self concern. It is the act of placing one's own needs or desires above the needs or desires of others.

[Kitarmania]

In what way does selfishness lead to violence? And if by selfish you mean we innately look out for number one, that's not selfishness--it's survival. Selfishness is when your life DOESN'T depend on requiring what you're aiming to get, and many people get rid of that aspect of themselves through maturity. You need to psychology more.

*sigh* Learn to use the English language.

Selfishness denotes the precedence given in thought or deed to the self, i.e., self interest or self concern. It is the act of placing one's own needs or desires above the needs or desires of others.

The only grammatical error I made was intentional. Also, selfishness does not denote anything--denotation is in the eye of the beholder (who needs to learn to use the English language now?). Selfishness CONNOTES a negative action that is done to retrieve results that are superfluous. Survival is not superfluous.

[Conserative Morality]

The only grammatical error I made was intentional. Also, selfishness does not denote anything--denotation is in the eye of the beholder (who needs to learn to use the English language now?). Selfishness CONNOTES a negative action that is done to retrieve results that are superfluous. Survival is not superfluous.

Pardon? I'm afraid the answer is still you, the denotation is the proper 'dictionary definition' of a term. Honestly, before you try to lord your expansive vocabulary over the rest of us peons, double-check the definition.

[KiloMikeAlpha]

You guys cant even ARGUE without being mean and disrespectful. I think that answers this thread right there.

[Conserative Morality]

You guys cant even ARGUE without being mean and disrespectful. I think that answers this thread right there.

If you call this 'mean and disrespectful', I highly suspect the internet is not a safe place for you.

[Ryadn]

To prevent a further threadjack of this, I'm opening this here.

Are humans innately violent or altruistic or do we as a species socialize these behaviours?

Edit: Thanks Kat. Reposting poll too.

Yes, we are indeed hard-wired to hurt and hate anything and anyone different from our culture. It's what kept the small tribal villages together--an instinct to be repulsed by what is different, perceive it as a threat (after all, the other village wants resources, too), and squash it.

Social psychology further states that altruism is a load of shit.

Really? It does? Or just the bits you choose to read? Because there's quite a bit in psychology, anthropology and biology that states altruism is very real.

[Ryadn]

Every behavior conceivable is a socialized, learned behavior.

Human nature is defined as the psychological attributes that are assumed to be shared by all human beings. Therefore, the implication of the term is that certain psychological, hence mental behaviors are in some way "hardwired" into a person. We are thus supposedly born with some preset psychological inclinations.
The notion of human nature is largely mythological. It stems from primitive religious dualities that the human is good or evil inherently. The pursuit of people who seek the gene, or the like, which is supposedly the cause of a particular behavior is essentially a form of superstition. It is like a person being possessed by demons which control their actions.
The fact is, while neurochemicals and physiological traits set propensities for a person's reactions and social gravitation, it is the environment which really creates our values and behavior. There is no fixed, predetermined "human nature." Our values, methods, and actions are developed and derived from experiences. The bottom line is that our behavior is based on what we learn, coupled with the bio-social pressures that we must deal with in order to survive.

Sucking isn't socialized learned behavior. It's the first instinct we have.

Hey, you said "every".

[Buffett and Colbert]

I am in a rather pissy mood as of late...

[Ryadn]

I am in a rather pissy mood as of late...

I've noticed. I just assumed you were drunk and cranky, though.

[Buffett and Colbert]

I am in a rather pissy mood as of late...

I've noticed. I just assumed you were drunk and cranky, though.

Drinking might solve my problems.

But then I remember NSG.

[Tubbsalot]

Why is the poll doubled? Am I drunk?

Anyway, we are altruistic and violent - it just depends on the situation. Things like organised warfare aren't innate, but getting into a fight over a deer carcass? Yes.

[Ryadn]

Why is the poll doubled? Am I drunk?

Anyway, we are altruistic and violent - it just depends on the situation. Things like organised warfare aren't innate, but getting into a fight over a deer carcass? Yes.

Bonobos would just sit quietly by and beg for tasty morsels until the dominant females had finished eating.

Not that bonobos eat deer...