Humans are self-destructive

Discussion in 'Human Science' started by MScully42, Apr 14, 2002.

  1. MScully42 Registered Member

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    Why is it that as humans we enjoy certain things which ultimately lead to our destruction? There’s that saying, “If it feels good, it’s probably bad for you.” For example junk food, it’s unhealthy for our bodies yet we like it more than fruits and vegetables. No other animal has these kind of cravings, it’d be like a rabbit loving the smell of a wolf cave.
     
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  3. Merlijn curious cat Registered Senior Member

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    welcome MScully42

    Hmmm... everybody keeps on saying we humans are the only species doing such things. Is that true? what about the infamous lemmings?
     
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  5. MScully42 Registered Member

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    Yes, that's true. So I guess then my question is: why? Why do we enjoy doing things that could be harmful for us? I suppose if you're looking at it from a religious aspect, like Christianity, it means that you are being challenged by evil and resisting those challenges makes you a good person. But if you're looking at it from the evolution theory what does that say about the human species?
     
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  7. Merlijn curious cat Registered Senior Member

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    Don't do drugs do do sex

    Actually most (and indirectly all) of those distructive things are by-products of evolution.
    An example: sex feels good because our brains contain certain 'pleasure centra' that are triggered by certain neurotransmitters. When you use certain drugs, those drugs mimick the effects of your endogenic chemicals, and you are very strongly rewarded.

    In fact there once was this cruel experiment with a rat. It had electrodes connected to the pleasure centra. Pressing a lever would cause a electrical stimulation of the pleasure centra. Some rats died out of malnutrision: they were so busy pressing the lever that tey forgot to eat.

    likewise: runners-high, the rush of danger, smoking, over-eating, ....
    You get the idea.

    Merlijn
     
  8. bbcboy Recovering christian Registered Senior Member

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    I can't remember the name of the chemical contained in chocolate that is the same as one produced in the brain by the acts of orgasm and falling in love

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    Also, about the electrode machine...

    Where can I buy one?

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  9. daktaklakpak God is irrelevant! Registered Senior Member

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    From a statistic point of view, as more and more people exist, the chance of harmful behavior multiplies. So if the population is not large, you won't see that much harmful behaviors amont people. And I think homosexual is a nature's way to combat human population.
     
  10. varkas __________ Registered Senior Member

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    phenylethylamine. *

    so eat that f***ing chocolate!

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    * i didn't know this. i found it from the net. like everyone else finds everything else. (books? what books?)

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  11. Cactus Jack Death Knight of Northrend Registered Senior Member

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    First, Merlijn have you ever read "Terminal Man" By Michael Crichton? I suggest it because its theme is directly related to that experiment. Second I think some of our self-destructive tendecies have been pushed upon us by our society. Junk food, drugs, etc. Harmful examples of the commodification of happines or pleasure in our society.

    Also the media prays upon our emotions. When the person someone is "in love with" breaks up with them it doesn't mean they should be disrought and contemplating violent or suicidal acts as some do. However every movie we see pushes us to believing emotions are so important, and love the king. Every song we hear pushing us to believe this. So maybe its not that a person is having a horrible lifestyle and wants to make it worse, it may be hes acting on what's been force fed to him.
     
  12. MScully42 Registered Member

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    Interesting points everyone. Now about this rat, yes I happened to read the Terminal Man, where the rat was so busy receiving pleasure it forgot about food. It's sad that as humans we have been guilty of the same act. Some people who are addicted to drugs would rather not eat that day then not have a fix. Isn't it odd that we would behave the same as a rodent considering the huge difference in our intelligence. Yet then again I guess if a living thing is codependent on a chemical it doesn't matter how big its brain is.
    But when were talking about not-so-extreme cases, such as enjoying junk food, isn't it strange that our brain works in such a fashion that it would rather enjoy the pleasure then remain healthy. I mean I thought the supreme animal instinct was survival. So can the need for pleasure surpass the need for survival?
     
  13. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    Well I guess that when you eat junk food every day, and really nothing else but that, it would be like drug addiction. People will get a feeling they lack something when only eating junk food. The body needs vegetables and fruit to survive, so every once in a while. Then you feel an urge to eat vegetables and/or fruit. (instinct?)

    Drug addicts don't eat, because of the withdrawal effects the drugs have on their body. The fix is necessarry to keep them feel good, as in, not sick. It is a very expensive "hobby", so they have to spend their money on that in stead of food. Guess the pleasure of it is not so pleasurable any more after a while when they are so hooked, they just can't live in a normal way any more without the drugs.

    I think humans are always looking for that pleasure feeling because they are bored with life. Then it becomes a kind of addiction too. The addiction to feeling that same pleasure all day long. They go back to have the same feeling as much as they can. Kind of trying to fool their instinct to survive, by denying it and go for the pleasure feeling. People always get the "back fire" on it, 'cause the body will protest, in one way or another. (bad teeth, bad health, for instance)

    I am sorry, can't put it in the exact right words. I hope you understand what I mean here...

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  14. TruthSeeker Fancy Virtual Reality Monkey Valued Senior Member

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    Humans are self-destructive because they forgot their original Nature. We "were" simple little children, self-fulfilling, respectful and joyful, and now most of us are Compulsive Obscessive Rationalists.

    We should remember who we really are...

    Children of Love

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    Love,
    Nelson
     
  15. TruthSeeker Fancy Virtual Reality Monkey Valued Senior Member

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  16. Xev Registered Senior Member

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    Obsessive-compulsive, Nelson.

    (Note that my correction of the term is anal-retentive

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    )

    Am I a compulsive obsessive rationalist? I'm going to use that in my sig, if you don't mind.

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    Sushi!,
    Xev
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2002
  17. TruthSeeker Fancy Virtual Reality Monkey Valued Senior Member

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    You can use it...

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  18. bbcboy Recovering christian Registered Senior Member

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    posted by Xev
    Note that my correction of the term is anal-retentive


    One thing you're not full of is shit!

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  19. Xev Registered Senior Member

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    Why thank you, Bbcboy!

    Thanks Nelson, there it is!

    Sushi!
    Xev
     
  20. narcissus Registered Member

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    Alright, so I have yet to see anyone produce a scientific answer to the junk food question. Here is an answer from the evolutionary perspective:

    First of all, evolution takes place over large periods of time. Back before real civilizations had been formed, food was much scarcer; we did not have the same highly specialized agricultural techniques, and were in fact hunter-gatherers. So, in general, food was scarce. People lived from meal to meal, so those who were most successful at surviving until breeding age were those who were attracted to the fatty foods that would give them a backsupply of fat to keep them through hard times. When food was in abundance, it was largely plant-based, as in fruits and grains; and meat-based, as in hunted deer, cattle, etc. There was no access to trans-fat, pre-packaged food, etc, so clearly the effects of these junk foods are irrelevant to most of the human evolutionary process.

    Secondly, the evolutionary imperative is to pass your genes on to the next generation. After that, the proliferation of your children is in their own hands, and thus what happens to you has no effect upon the dispersal of your genes into the gene pool. So, many of these foods that produce adverse effects after breeding age (for example heart disease or diabetes in your 50s) might still be attractive in an evolutionary context. In other, less scientific terms, evolution doesn't give a shit what you do after you finish reproducing.

    Does that help?
     
  21. invert_nexus Ze do caixao Valued Senior Member

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    Lemmings, by the way, don't really commit mass-suicide. They can (gasp) swim. Also, the Walt Disney film that originally spread this myth (meme) faked the entire sequence.

    Those bastards.


    As to the topic, animals don't care about high cholesterol. They like 'unhealthy' foods just as much as we do. We just have more unfettered access.
     
  22. maxg Registered Senior Member

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    Animals will also become addicted to drugs if given the opportunity. Rats, for example, will starve themselves to death if given a choice between food and cocaine. Monkeys given an unlimited supply of cocaine will use it until they OD. And if you prefer anectdotal evidence, in high school I had a friend who had an dog with epilepsy which had seizures whenever it drank alcohol and yet it still drank whenever it could.

    So I don't buy the claim that humans are the only species that will engage in "self-destructive" behavior.
     

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