I could really use some input on this. It's really hard to explain, it sounds good in my head but bad when put into words so I don't blame anyone if they don't understand it.
I wasn't thinking about existance and why were are here persay, but it was something along those lines. I need someone to correct me where I'm wrong. Most if not all animals procreate out of instinct correct? They do this to keep their species alive. Humans, having little instinct, has insentive to procreate. It feels good (with some execptions, but that needs no going into) Now then, to cut to the chase... why? We can tell ourselves that we want our species to go on, but how many people use that for pillow talk? Also, we didn't exactly invent ourselves did we? No, I don't personally know anyone who believes that. So basically, who was it that cared if our species or any species thrives? Could it be that something you can look for as a higher power is existance itself? Existance is what created us, through our existance it is sustained. I'd tell you to bear with me at this point, but it doesn't get any clearer.
I'm not going to get into a religion debate, because I don't personally find any of them to be completely wrong. It seems to me they all have a lot of similarities. It's hard to explain, but they all believe in something comparable to existance as their god. Well I don't know what I'm talking about, so I have only a couple sentances left. When you think about it, there really is life after death no matter how you look at it. When you die, you become something else, something cannot turn into nothing. So basically you can end up being another human... but who is to know? I sure don't

If you come upon a clear understanding of this let us know. 1000's of generations have pondered this very subject...

Ahh... in my dreams Wet1... I could never hope to understand, just to contemplate.

Actually humans do have instincts. The intellect is capable of overcoming most but still not all. You have instinctive reflexes, try to get a finger close to the eye. The eye will want to close. Now this one you can overcome. But try holding you breath. You won’t win in the end on that one. Instinct, my friend. And yep, it’s still there watching you.

Oh I agree, I said we have little instict... which I compare to say, a dog, who will walk in circles on carpet to pat down the "grass" before it lays down.

I agree and won't argue you that one.

<i>"Actually humans do have instincts. The intellect is capable of overcoming most but still not all."</i>

Yes...or we mask it behind complexity while searching for an alternative outlet.

Silent Bob,

It reads as though you feel you are a drop within a larger pool. With out a doubt, we are all part of something larger yet alike. I think the question is, what is its extent?

now you have me interested in instinct... ok... a man licks his finger and tests the wind. Was that a discovery or instinct?

Discovery. The same as letting a handful of sand sift through the fist to discover the wind direction.

which I compare to say, a dog, who will walk in circles on carpet to pat down the "grass" before it lays down.

I do feel safer when with my dogs. I think they have a sixth sense when it comes to unwanted guests.

Instinct, is when you head for the fridge when you got the munchies! Or like when you duck between the tracks as the train thunders by over your head!:eek:

The sole purpose of all living things, is to multiply, grow, expand, evolve and mutate.
In the same way that life began with single celled organisms, which evolved into multi celled ones, the universe began from a single, tiny source and evolved into trillions and trillions of parts.
All living things have cells that replicate (emulating the universe itself), therefore the instinct to procreate is fundamental, universal and absolutely inherent in all life forms.

Would you say that mans desire to alter his environment is instinctive--part of his nature?

Yep!

Uh...just an FYI: <b><i>bollox or bollix...</i></b> Unless, that is, you are demonstrating the definition of the word.

Then again, maybe you ment to say <i><b>bullocks.</b></i> Yes, very <i>confusing</i>. <img src = "http://www.sciforums.com/t3783/s19e62c7b4680aa2245ff7a1150e933b6/images/icons/icon10.gif">

According to the Collins English dictionary it is actually bollocks. But who gives a fuck? It's all bollocks anyway!

Hmm... I looked it up in the American Heritage Dictionary. The word must be in transition.

Mabye we just instinctively overcome our more base instincts.

In reply to Bowser and Tablariddim: Would you say that mans desire to alter his environment is instinctive--part of his nature? Yep!

So what we're saying is that we kill and destroy and all other bad things we can do.... because of instinct? That would be a tad easy way of justifying things, wouldn't it?

( oh, and excuse the (maybe) wrong spelling here and there. As you've probably noticed this isn't my native language :D)

Welcome to Sciforums, Mr_Japio. Do not worry about your spelling, you are doing just fine.



Would you say that mans desire to alter his environment is instinctive--part of his nature?


Man's desire to alter his world is both instinctive and conscious. It is instinctive to find and make that place his territory. To mark it in some fashion as "this is mine, stay away". It is conscious in that he plans how to do it before carrying his actions out.

We are many things. Killers is just one. We are also animals who cause considerable change to the environment. I think there is an inborn desire within most of us to create, in one form or another, something new. We want to build. This compulsion is expressed in various ways: Politics, business, religion, family, and most other human activities. It's what we do. we build things.

Building things is agreed an instinctive thing. But I think that it's more, I think we naturally try to balance parts of our lives. Every living species kills, in some form or another, trees kill grass by blocking sunlight, and thereby getting more water to it's own roots when it rains.
And people just kill anything that gets in our way.
but we balance it out by creating things that we deem worthwhile to give ourselves a sense that we left something behind.

<i>"...creating things that we deem worthwhile to give ourselves a sense that we left something behind."</i>

Hmm, the later may very well be linked to our instinct to build, but I would hazard a guess that it is closer to the instinctive pressure for survival.

hey all

contraception has been the science of sex as much as the
imagination of the participants :)

we feel a need/want yet fail to recognise the benefit of such things.

can we determine the act itself is more important than the enviroment of the participants(being in love) ?

here is a task to test with...
try listing all actions that can be defined as anthropromorphic
now cross reference those with communication techniques to achive a common goal between other animals(humans excluded)
then compare both to to see how we "work in" with the enviroment allongside that which which is percived to "be the" enviroment.
:D

.... good luck

:)

Okay, am I the only one that found humour in this:


Ahh... in my dreams Wet1... :rolleyes:

What, What????? Did I miss something here?
You play on words.

In other words, humans destroy Earth, Yes that we already knew.
When comes the time that humans do their best to help the Earth to become healthy again.

I heard and saw on tv last evening that Earth is getting greener.
That is not a good thing. It's all seaweed and alges that you can see. That is suffocating the oceans and sees. So everything living in it will die.

All that whales, dolphins, orca's and more of the most beautiful and useful animals deep down under the water will suffocate.
Is that what humans want??? Total destruction??? It looks like that, a very lot.
I don't mind the bad english, hope you got the message.