Man's Animal Nature

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

I have finally realized what has been bugging me the past few years. Our (American) society has drifted towards exploring the animal side of human nature rather than the higher or divine side of ourselves. This tendency is illustrated by things like extreme sports, reality television, the sophomoric humor of many of our TV shows, as well as many other examples. We've been paying way too much attention to things like sex (see Viagra commercials) and bodily functions.

In my opinion we are falling away from those aspects of our nature that we really should focus upon (like kindness, compassion, honor, integrity et al) and focusing way too much on the lower aspects of our nature.

I can't put it any other way.

[kah]

I agree. However, watching American Inventor last night reminded me that there are still some great people out there, with dreams and ideas that keep us one step above the animals.

[sickness]

Here's my problem with the idea of highmindedness being the ideal state: concentration of too much time and energy in a single area leads to a very narrow experience. I used to be very much about intellectual pursuits. I still enjoy them and still engage in them but this is only a part of who I am now. I used to let it interfere with doing anything else. This resulted in fewer friends, poorer health and total lack of success with women. My intelligence and knowledge were unquestionable but my social skills were lacking. Social skills are ultimately what makes the world go round.

What we really need is a balanced approach. I start my day at 6:30 every morning to get to the gym by 7:00. I usually finish lifting around 8:00 and finish cardio around 8:30. Then I go home, eat, ****, shower, etc., and go to work as a scientist for a company working in the homeland security sector. At work, I collect data, process it, perform maintainence on the systems I work with, provide design input whenever it seems useful and generally help out wherever I can.

Not only am I more physically fit but I'm more social and have actually found a number of people to discuss my intellectual pursuits with both from work and the gym.

In short, there's nothing wrong with some low-brow humor or mindless entertainment, as long as you don't let it control you. And it's the same on the flipside. Wonder about the world, life, death, the universe, whatever you want, just make sure it's not all you do or the thing you hold in highest regard.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Originally Posted by sickness

Here's my problem with the idea of highmindedness being the ideal state: concentration of too much time and energy in a single area leads to a very narrow experience. I used to be very much about intellectual pursuits. I still enjoy them and still engage in them but this is only a part of who I am now. I used to let it interfere with doing anything else. This resulted in fewer friends, poorer health and total lack of success with women. My intelligence and knowledge were unquestionable but my social skills were lacking. Social skills are ultimately what makes the world go round.

What we really need is a balanced approach. I start my day at 6:30 every morning to get to the gym by 7:00. I usually finish lifting around 8:00 and finish cardio around 8:30. Then I go home, eat, ****, shower, etc., and go to work as a scientist for a company working in the homeland security sector. At work, I collect data, process it, perform maintainence on the systems I work with, provide design input whenever it seems useful and generally help out wherever I can.

Not only am I more physically fit but I'm more social and have actually found a number of people to discuss my intellectual pursuits with both from work and the gym.

In short, there's nothing wrong with some low-brow humor or mindless entertainment, as long as you don't let it control you. And it's the same on the flipside. Wonder about the world, life, death, the universe, whatever you want, just make sure it's not all you do or the thing you hold in highest regard.

You're making logical sense. My concern is that if too much emphasis is placed on superficial things, not enough gets put into the important things. I just wonder why so many TV commercials and dialogue in TV shows seems mean spirited and violent to me. The suffering of people is never funny, or at least it isn't most of the time, and I see too many examples on TV of people just being mean to each other for no good reason.

We, as a society, are allowing certain ideas to gain a foothold in our collective consciousness that I think aren't good ideas. There is a line that by crossing diminishes our integrity and honor, and we need to be mindful of that.

[Space Tycoon]

Originally Posted by Asonokirk V 2.0

Our (American) society has drifted towards exploring the animal side of human nature rather than the higher or divine side of ourselves....

In my opinion we are falling away from those aspects of our nature that we really should focus upon (like kindness, compassion, honor, integrity et al) and focusing way too much on the lower aspects of our nature.

I can't put it any other way.

You're assuming that our animal nature is something "low" to be ashamed of. Many animals have qualities that I consider quite noble and honourable; namely, survival and caring for their offspring. If anything, we've adopted a lifestyle which is too far removed from the animals-- we devote far too much time to things like leisure, fashion, popular culture, pleasure-seeking, sensuality and other such trivialities. As a result North Americans (not to mention others) have become weak, flaacid and dependent. As opposed to strong, self-reliant, and basically honest, like most animals.

I find myself almost hoping humans become extinct to make way for the "lower orders."



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[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Originally Posted by Space Tycoon

You're assuming that our animal nature is something "low" to be ashamed of. Many animals have qualities that I consider quite noble and honourable; namely, survival and caring for their offspring. If anything, we've adopted a lifestyle which is too far removed from the animals-- we devote far too much time to things like leisure, fashion, popular culture, pleasure-seeking, sensuality and other such trivialities. As a result North Americans (not to mention others) have become weak, flaacid and dependent. As opposed to strong, self-reliant, and basically honest, like most animals.

I find myself almost hoping humans become extinct to make way for the "lower orders."



.

What? "almost hoping humans become extinct . . . "

Forgive me, but I find no rationality* in a statement like that. I think there might be some guilt we each feel about being human, given the bad things we are capable of doing, but it is certainly our right within this universe to put ourselves ahead of other life forms. It is the right of all life to seek survival, and when that right to survival competes with the right to survival of another species, then that life which is more capable of surviving subjugates or eliminates its competition.

Homo Sapiens have proven to be the dominate higher life form on this planet through our growth, perpetuation, and ability to subjugate all other life here, with the exception of viruses and some others that have learned to co-exist with us without being diminished (think of pigeons).

We have earned the right to feel and be superior to other life here and it is our duty to continue to try and grow and evolve.

*-(However, there is one nugget of an idea present within your implication that is important. What if we've reached the end of our evolutionary path, the one that has enabled us to become dominant? At that point would it be our duty to step aside for a higher form of life?

[Intelligent_Design]

Originally Posted by Asonokirk V 2.0

What if we've reached the end of our evolutionary path, the one that has enabled us to become dominant? At that point would it be our duty to step aside for a higher form of life?

I think there are some of us that are more evolved than others. The prisions are filled with the lesser evolved humans.

[Space Tycoon]

Originally Posted by Intelligent_Design

I think there are some of us that are more evolved than others. The prisions are filled with the lesser evolved humans.

So is Congress and Parliament. :smirks:




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[Space Tycoon]

Originally Posted by Asonokirk V 2.0

What? "almost hoping humans become extinct . . . "

Forgive me, but I find no rationality* in a statement like that. I think there might be some guilt we each feel about being human, given the bad things we are capable of doing, but it is certainly our right within this universe to put ourselves ahead of other life forms. It is the right of all life to seek survival, and when that right to survival competes with the right to survival of another species, then that life which is more capable of surviving subjugates or eliminates its competition.

Homo Sapiens have proven to be the dominate higher life form on this planet through our growth, perpetuation, and ability to subjugate all other life here, with the exception of viruses and some others that have learned to co-exist with us without being diminished (think of pigeons).

We have earned the right to feel and be superior to other life here and it is our duty to continue to try and grow and evolve.

I'm just disgusted with the direction we've gone. I don't see much progress there. I see ignorance, complacency, and self-indulgence, coupled with a blatantly arrogant superiority complex.



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[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Originally Posted by Space Tycoon

I'm just disgusted with the direction we've gone. I don't see much progress there. I see ignorance, complacency, and self-indulgence, coupled with a blatantly arrogant superiority complex.



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But look back. Think of where we were just 100 years ago. Then 200, then 300 etc. The direction we've gone in would appear to be, albeit slowly, enlightenment, at least slowly in the sense that it would be nice if we would become better at peaceful co-existence than we are a bit faster. You think humanity has an arrogant superiority complex now, think of the 19th century.