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Thoran · 01-16-2002, 04:22 PM

I've been giving this some thought lately... it's a tough thing to accept, the things that humans do to other humans and the world around us.

Human Nature - I think the use of the word "Nature" is important here. If you look at Nature it won't take long for you to realize is a harsh mistress. In "Nature", only the strong survive. In "Nature", if you're a creature that needs 2 quarts of water a day and you live in a desert... you will die. In "Nature", if you're blind, deaf, crippled... you're dead, it's the way nature insures that only the best genes of any species propegate. In "Nature", you're goal is to create progeny, as many and as strong as possible. He who's seed takes over the world... wins.

"Nature" is WAR, it's violent, senseless, arbitrary, cruel.

It's in our attempts to rise above this that we become Human. At the same time that we help our fellow man and strive to be compassionate, we can NEVER escape that we are a part of Nature and ultimately bound by it's rules. Our psyche is intimately tied to the base drives that Nature demands we have to succeed. We NEED to have something to work for, we NEED to see our labor accomplish something in order to feel fulfilled. The weakness of socialism is that they tried to deny this simple and unavoidable reality. If a high performing individual is given the same life as a low performing individual... you eventually reduce the entire civilization to a "least common denominator" state where no one is motivated to achieve... because it gains them NOTHING that "Nature" (and thus those base drives we all live with) values.

I would LOVE to be able to say that humanity has evolved to the point where the motivation for "group" success within a person is stronger than the motivation for "self" success... but we aren't there yet, and given the time required for even basic changes in physiology I'd guess it will be thousands of years before that might happen... and even then it will ONLY happen if there's a clear "Natural" advantage to doing so.

We can kid ourselves with the notion that we live in an enlightened world... but in the end "Nature Rules". All we can strive for is to UNDERSTAND the things that really motivate and try to exert a positive influence over the more self centered drives.

Maybe that sounds a bit pessimestic... in reality I'm an optimist about human prospects. I see slow change, and if we can hold it together long enough we may get there. Keep in mind that Humanity has only been the "Master of all it surveyed" for a bit over a century. Before that we were struggling for survival against nature... the true hope IMO is that we change from struggle against nature to the "Guardians of Nature". Some already are there in this world, most are not. But I have faith.

[ 01-16-2002: Message edited by: Thoran ]

01-16-2002, 04:22 PM	#5
Thoran Galvatron Join Date: January 10, 2002 Location: Upstate NY Age: 57 Posts: 2,109	I've been giving this some thought lately... it's a tough thing to accept, the things that humans do to other humans and the world around us. Human Nature - I think the use of the word "Nature" is important here. If you look at Nature it won't take long for you to realize is a harsh mistress. In "Nature", only the strong survive. In "Nature", if you're a creature that needs 2 quarts of water a day and you live in a desert... you will die. In "Nature", if you're blind, deaf, crippled... you're dead, it's the way nature insures that only the best genes of any species propegate. In "Nature", you're goal is to create progeny, as many and as strong as possible. He who's seed takes over the world... wins. "Nature" is WAR, it's violent, senseless, arbitrary, cruel. It's in our attempts to rise above this that we become Human. At the same time that we help our fellow man and strive to be compassionate, we can NEVER escape that we are a part of Nature and ultimately bound by it's rules. Our psyche is intimately tied to the base drives that Nature demands we have to succeed. We NEED to have something to work for, we NEED to see our labor accomplish something in order to feel fulfilled. The weakness of socialism is that they tried to deny this simple and unavoidable reality. If a high performing individual is given the same life as a low performing individual... you eventually reduce the entire civilization to a "least common denominator" state where no one is motivated to achieve... because it gains them NOTHING that "Nature" (and thus those base drives we all live with) values. I would LOVE to be able to say that humanity has evolved to the point where the motivation for "group" success within a person is stronger than the motivation for "self" success... but we aren't there yet, and given the time required for even basic changes in physiology I'd guess it will be thousands of years before that might happen... and even then it will ONLY happen if there's a clear "Natural" advantage to doing so. We can kid ourselves with the notion that we live in an enlightened world... but in the end "Nature Rules". All we can strive for is to UNDERSTAND the things that really motivate and try to exert a positive influence over the more self centered drives. Maybe that sounds a bit pessimestic... in reality I'm an optimist about human prospects. I see slow change, and if we can hold it together long enough we may get there. Keep in mind that Humanity has only been the "Master of all it surveyed" for a bit over a century. Before that we were struggling for survival against nature... the true hope IMO is that we change from struggle against nature to the "Guardians of Nature". Some already are there in this world, most are not. But I have faith. [ 01-16-2002: Message edited by: Thoran ]