What is human nature – or, what is the nature of humans? What is it that makes us tick? Why do we do what we do? Where are we destined to go from here?
-
The desire for freedom.20% Voted for by Mephitic ID Synergy, flamingsword.
Once our needs are taken care of, we human beings find ourselves with huge amounts of spare time on our hands. With nothing to do in that time but confront one another, we are left in the grasp of the desire for freedom. One who has complete freedom has ultimate control over one who is not free. Even in lesser amounts, freedom grants us breathing space from others, gives us recreation, and helps to form an individual’s portrait of himself or herself (i.e. Self esteem). But how can we define freedom?
This can be a confusing question. G.W. Bush tells us on national television that the terrorists who maim our country do so because they “can’t stand freedom.”1 In the movie Braveheart, Mel Gibson’s character, William Wallace, cries out “Freedom!” as he is eviscerated in front of a crowd of Englishmen. In the United States of America, (most) citizens cherish their freedom of speech, even while many curse, and many others laude, the freedom of the press. There is such a confluence of “freedoms” chaotically mixing in and jostling for our attention that it can be confusing to tell exactly what one is speaking of when they speak about freedom.
To begin with, there are two types of freedom: freedom from and freedom to. These are in constant opposition.
Freedom from can be the freedom from judgment, the freedom from oppression, the freedom from fear of death, or any number of similar entitlements that protect you from the actions and encroachments of others. These are generally the freedoms granted in the constitution. This could be confusing if one thinks of the first amendment as the freedom To speak, but it is actually the freedom from governmental monitoring and control of what you speak.
Freedom To can be the freedom to take a vacation, the freedom to judge others, the freedom to kill yourself, or anything that grants you the ability to do something. These freedoms are not mentioned in the constitution. In our society they are generally gained by merit. If you have money, you get certain freedoms to do what you want by virtue of being able to afford the price tag on what you want. In most cases no one is guaranteed these sorts of rights.
In a responsible society one must always sacrifice one type of freedom for another. Of course, that isn’t always what happens. Human nature is such that it will desire ultimate freedom, which is both freedom from and freedom to. As I have said, one who has ultimate freedom has ultimate control over one who has no freedom.
For example, gay rights activists campaign against what they feel to be encroachments on their freedom from being judged. At the same time, many slander and malign Christian organizations that are campaigning against them, or lobby for Christian activists to be penalized for their words. For instance, Ake Green, a Pastor in Borgholk, Sweden, was sentenced to a month in jail after delivering a sermon detailing how homosexuality was defined as wrong in the Bible, comparing it to a “cancerous tumor.” A spokesperson for the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender rights (RFSL) had this to say about the case: “Hatred and defamation is not to be accepted, just because it’s based on religious beliefs or religious scriptures. You have some limits when it comes to the freedom.” The same spokesperson even went further to express agreement with the district attorney that, “...6 to 8 months [in jail] would be more appropriate.” From this we can conclude that these organizations desire freedom from judgement, but not at a loss of their ability to judge others. 2,3
There are plentiful instances of this sort hypocritical desire for ultimate freedom in our everyday lives. Many people believe that if they would be justified if they murdered a cheating spouse out of passion. It is unlikely that the same persons would approve if they found that they were being murdered in such a situation. They desire the freedom to kill in passion, and at the same time they demand the freedom from the caprices of the hormones of others.
Consider the millions of Americans who grumble about taxes, or don’t pay them. They want the freedom to spend all of their money how they so desire, but are they willing, then, to abstain from the use of highways, streets, schools for their children, homeland security, military protection, parks, and all other tax-funded facilities? Not likely. Humans, if they feel they can get away with it, will tend towards hypocrisy, and the pursuit of absolute freedom.
The pursuit of absolute freedom, unlike “the pursuit of happiness,” an idea based on ethical egoism, a branch of hedonism, and which is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, is not by any means a glorious or noble thing. It is simply what Man does, when he can. Obviously this does not completely preclude civic or intimate relationships. Our personal experiences would disprove that easily enough. The desire for absolute freedom is more of a constant drag on, and corrupting poison of, any civilization.
2. For the gay & lesbian advocate’s view
3. Quotes taken from ‘Swedish conviction of pastor…’ on Becketfund.org
-
phrase20% Voted for by Energizer Bunny, ErroneousSage.
I believe when most people use the phrase "human nature" they are using it in reference to "exspected behavior" or "the most common response" in any given situation.
-
Cultural InfluenceVoted for by Philosophical-Pug.
It is very hard for us to judge what human nature is, because it is always expressed within a cultural context. How can you tell what is human nature and what is cultural influence? Looking across cultures can give us ideas about human nature, but more and more these days our world is dominated by a single culture. Therefore, our perceptions of human nature are increasingly influenced by the dominant culture. From my perspective, humans tend to seek connection, achievement, satisfaction of basic needs, meaning and freedom, to name a few.
-
MaslowVoted for by redbrita.
humans live in a cycle, developing further very slowly? heres a theory: Maslow's hierarchy of needs. as each level is achieved, they can concentrate on the next level. (however criticism = sometimes people have different priorities, like the poet who starves while writing). physiological needs (food water shelter) safety needs (hide from predators, more choice in habitat) love needs (others in population, family, partner) esteem needs (feeling of self-worth) self-actualisation (enjoy art, culture, intellectual stuff, enlightenment)
-
Piece of cake....Simple answer--Do what it wants to do.Voted for by jfritzyb.
Simple answer to a mind-boggling question for some people. Humans like to do what they want to do. Therefore, the majority of the time, they will mess up because we all know that humans, by themselves, tend to mess up things. Humans aren’t perfect on their own. Another thing most humans like to do is disobey God (sin.) Because of this, they are all doomed to a hot place when they die—because they did not do what God wanted them to do, and because they didn’t follow God’s rules, He had to make them suffer the consequences. That is why God sent Jesus. Jesus came to pay our fine the same way a convicted criminal, facing a $1000 dollar fine and not even owning two cents, is released when someone he doesn’t even know, stands up and pays his fine. Jesus did the same for us—all we have to do is repent (totally turn away from) our sins and trust in Jesus—the same way we would trust and put on a parachute before jumping 10,000 feet out of an airplane. “Put on” the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him the Lord of your life.
-
It is in the nature of humans to survive all existence.Voted for by katchi.
The goal of human nature is to be fruitful and multiply. To survive. Everything thing else we do is just a distraction and something to do to take up the time who's ending is not known. Most of what we do is unnecessary to our development. Everything we make (fashion with our own hands) we set out to destroy or to use to destroy something else. It is that we were programed to survive that keeps all this technology expanding, keeps our brains motivated, keeps our vocabulary growing, evolving and branching out into new languages, cultures. All we are trying to do is survive. But since our lives are finite, we multiply, to keep the line going. From a single man, a woman was formed. From these two everyone else in the world exists. We are a continuation of their life span. We are supposed to live in harmony, but forgetting that we all are one has created differences and wars between us. In essence, it is through trial and error of forgetting who we are, why we are here and for how long that motivates us to seek out like minds, find places of peace and to make them last for as long as humanly possible.
-
animalsVoted for by raven shadow 13.
humans, whether we like it or not, are animals. look at the housefly. they are animals. in the few hours that they like, they eat, mate, and birth.
thats all they do
so i think we eat to stay alive mate to give birth give birth to produce more people
-
The True Human NatureVoted for by Wolf Heart.
I don't fully agree with any of the above. Yes, human nature takes control of the lessers. We are animals, and like animals we are partly here to multiply. We may have some cultural issues(although from what culture could thousands branch off of?) and perhaps it is possible that their is a cycle to human life unknown to humans themselfs. There is a nature for feedom but i think sometimes it gets confused with wanting to do thier own thing. But in the mist of it all humans have a nature. We test things. We test in chemical labs. We've tested tools and tested to make fire and other things thoughout the ages. WE test the earth and sky and lighniing to do our own bidding. WE HAVE TESTED LIFE ITSELF. But when we test we also tend to cheat. HOW MUCH CAN I GET AWAY WITH(THAT ISn't IN THE NATREAL ORDER OR IN THE LAW) TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS I WANT TO THAT WILL MAKE MY LIFE EASIER AND GIVE ME THE UPPER EDGE? BUT NOT GET CAUGHT. that is the true motto of a human. WE search for somthing more. And we will never stop seaching and test boundires until the world finally crashes down around us. And maybe even then we will contuine our ways.
Adding your reply:
Registration is required because of issues with spam. It is fast and free! This author would LOVE to get a comment from you, please join!
April 18, 2005
Edit | Reply
Yes, you're right-in a way...
Yes, you're right-in a way. Human nature LIKES to do what it wants to do--and one of those things is disobeying God--which IS sin itself! That's what human nature thinks freedom is--if there were no rules, everything would be great and dandy--when, in reality, you and both know that isn't true...May 18, 2005
Edit | Reply
July 11, 2005
Edit | Reply
Lost Rider
May 12
Edit | Reply
Please register or login to comment! It's totally free