We are a violent species

We are a violent species. We are not only prone to violence, we revel in it. Our violent thoughts and actions produce the very addictive substance, Adrenaline. Once your hooked on it, there is no turning back.

That being said, there are many out there that are going to go ape over this. There are many that are going to feel insulted because of some preconceived notion of "enlightenment." The "Panty-waisted" "Peace-Niks" are screaming about the war, yet it is safer in Baghdad than it is in NY. At least statistically. The Soldiers are safer than many of you are. We are fighting a war, get over it! We have been fighting a war, and losing, here at home. Still everytime someone steps up and "does the right thing", the ACLU sees to it that they are appropriately punished. WHY? Because we are "enlightened." Are we?

Source: www.disastercenter.com...

2004 there were 1,367,009 violent crimes in the US, REPORTED. FBI figures approximately 60% of all violent crimes go unreported. So conservatively doubling that number, to 2.6 MILLION acts of violence in the US in ONE YEAR.

In 1960 there were 160.9 acts of violence reported per 100K population.

2004? 465.5 per 100K

Statistically we are becoming more violent, not more enlightened. Definitely not more pacifistic.

Aggression and aggressive reaction to outside stimuli is programmed into our genetic make-up. We are designed to attack, protect and defend.

What have we accomplished by taking the violence from our children's cartoons? According to statistical data, nothing. Was Bugs Bunny ruining our children, making them more prone to acts of violence? Apparently not.
What has the prison system done to reform violent offenders? Again, apparently nothing.
We took paddling out of the schools and now students routinely assault teachers. Parents who spank their children are routinely reported to the police, until one day they lay dead where their children have killed them in a uncontrolled, formerly repressed rage.
Can't keep score at "T" ball, would not want our kiddies growing up being competitive. So they wait till they get on the streets and engage in "drifting", gang fights and "Jackass" competitions.
WHY? because they, like all the rest of us, need the adrenaline rush. More addictive than coc aine, Heroin or Meth, yet perfectly natural.

Me? I Mountain Climb, Rappel and Whitewater.

What I do not do, is lie to myself about some kind of wonderful society we are supposedly moving toward, where all the flowers are beautiful, the music is soft and low and everyone greets you with a kiss.

Semper

Why doesn't this show up on the new posts threads?

Just wild !...............................Very Intereasting stuff to think about...

And you don't have the figures for 'Legalized' crimes ...1/3

LOL+ u know the 'drill' !

Territorial, predatorial.

I think thats what we are.
We may have the ability to realize all the "goodness and light".
But in the end. It's all about ME...not ME me, but every-me.

Sometimes it's physical violence...sometimes, just a backhanded compliment.
We all like to get each others "goat"

Human Nature...it's 100% natural.

We're just animals with a large brain. Too large for our own good I am afraid. Interesting post.

Originally posted by zenlover28
We're just animals with a large brain. Too large for our own good I am afraid. Interesting post.

And would suck in a fight with any other creature on the earth without a weapon. With nothing, we are no match for bears, lions, cheetas, monkeys - our primitive cousins but if they are primitive then how come they are much stronger than us? And snakes that can move fast, hey rabbits are even faster than us and guess what? They are dumb. We are weak creatures living on a planet full of stonger and faster ones. But it may seem that makes them more violent, but we are much more. We kill each other more than any other creature on this world. We commit crimes that other animals cannot. We have gotten too spoiled by technology which in fact IS the reason why we are super violent against each other. Think of cavemen, they werent as violent with each other than we are with each other b/c they didnt have any technology what so ever except a stick with sharp pointy things on it and the knowledge of how to make fire.

[edit on 5-7-2006 by wildcat]

Ever watch a S.E.A.L. or other Spec. Ops Soldier during S.E.R.E. training? I have. You would be amazed at how incredibly dangerous a human can be without weapons.

Simply because our weapons are those devised and implemented instead of teeth and claws, makes us no less dangerous in the animal world.

I was, however more specifically referring to our innate ability to do harm for little or no apparent reason. Not for food, or instinct, but for anger alone.

Semper

Originally posted by semperfortis
Ever watch a S.E.A.L. or other Spec. Ops Soldier during S.E.R.E. training? I have. You would be amazed at how incredibly dangerous a human can be without weapons.

Simply because our weapons are those devised and implemented instead of teeth and claws, makes us no less dangerous in the animal world.

I was, however more specifically referring to our innate ability to do harm for little or no apparent reason. Not for food, or instinct, but for anger alone.

Semper

You think they can win a fight with a gorrila that is 10X stronger than them when the Spec. Ops only have fists? Not to cause any upset with you I dont mean harm. But do you really think that they can win against a gorrila that is larger than them, way stronger than them, and faster? Do you know? Now I know you are saying that they can do harm without weapons but I am asking you if they can win in a fight with nothing but their fists with them against a pissed off gorrila?

That my friend is irrelevant.

The entire point is that all species use their natural gifts to do battle. As man's gift is primarily one of the use of tools, my money is on the SEAL with a sharp stick, cunning and the use of natural surroundings.

Why would the man do battle with the Gorilla hand to hand, when he may either avoid him, or fashion a weapon capable to defeating him?

That make the Human no less violent, no less prone to savage aggression.

The question of which animal is dominant, was decided thousands of years ago. We won.

One thing we got on our sides is technology. That has kept us from surviving the worst storms, diseases, lightnining etc. I believe that we cannot survive without technology. They way we have gotten spoiled now makes us incapable of surviving without all the stuff we have today. I think media causes violence and especially the 3 stooges. But I rather live with what we got than live off in a cave somewhere. But really, if someone adventuring in the jungle and accidentaly went into a gorrilas lair and pissed it off so it cannot be reasoned with, do you think a human could win? Climbing up a tree is no use, they are smart enough to shake it if its shakeable like alot of trees in the jungle. And you cant run from it b/c its faster than you. It is so mad and will not stop chasing you. Just really, can a human survive if no other choice they had was to fight with nothing except their fists? Thatd what Im asking. I dont think so. Wasnt it a cheeta or a jaguire that can climb trees? Well one of them lets just say their hungary and you have nothing to fight with and there a tree about a kilometer away and one of those two animals is chasing you, I dont think anyone could win unless some how they find a way to hurt it and make it go away with just what humans are born with, the animal thats chasing you has sharp claws and needle sharp teeth, also it can climb trees and just much much faster than you. No one could win.

Originally posted by semperfortis
That my friend is irrelevant.

The entire point is that all species use their natural gifts to do battle. As man's gift is primarily one of the use of tools, my money is on the SEAL with a sharp stick, cunning and the use of natural surroundings.

Why would the man do battle with the Gorilla hand to hand, when he may either avoid him, or fashion a weapon capable to defeating him?

That make the Human no less violent, no less prone to savage aggression.

The question of which animal is dominant, was decided thousands of years ago. We won.

Also what I mean is a human that doenst know how to make a weapon, humans were created or evolved with no advantages against the animals that attack them. What I mean is that a human that cannot make a weapon and has nothing. But thats very improbable if one doesnt make a weapon in these days b/c everyone has got to have some knowledge to make a weapon.

OK, what does a "Make believe" animal and a man with no skills have to do with this thread?
This is not Saturday morning and the Transformers.

This thread was about Human Kinds natural propensity towards aggression. The psychological impact of that aggression on society.

????

Semper

My friend thinks it is technology. He says that technology has made mankind spoil and unfriendly, but I think that even without technology mankind will still be as violent and primitive, just look at the "dark ages".

Darker emotions like greed, jealousy, hate, fear etc. are mainly the cause of most of our violent, unreasonable and anti-social behaviour. We will always have them, but we must not let them rule us or we may turn into savage beasts.

I watch the show "Star Trek" and noticed that a race called the "Vulcans" suppressed all their emotions. While it is not a very good thing to do, it seemed to have produced a race of beings who were very logical and quite reasonable. Violent, unreasonable and anti-social behaviour seem be a very rare occurance in members of their race.

If we learn not to let these darker emtions dorminate our actions, we may become a more logical, understanding and less violent race. Maybe that is the way to become more enlightened and to reduce hate and anti-social crimes. Don't suppress these dark emotions, lose them in more controlled, less harmful or destructive ways.

Sports, Yoga, friendly debates, councilers, singing, etc. etc. releases harmful stress.

ixiy,

Very astute observation.

Yet no matter how much we sugar coat it, it is still survival of the fittest out there and will be for generations.

Semper

Why is it the dumbest humans reproduce the most? Our species is on its way to extinction. Thank goodness for that.

i absolutely agree with you, Semper. 50-100 years ago, none of this would have even been contemplated. too many people are afraid of hurting someones feelings, or damaging someone's psyche - to them, i say quit being pus**s. if you can't accept responsibility for your actions, you're a complete waste of the air you breathe.

Now thats it exactly!!!!

We have become a species of excuses.

25cents hit it on the head. I never looked at it that way, but take the social programs, the defense lawyers etc, and you take away our responsibility for our actions.

"Wasn't his fault, he was abused as a child." "He suffers from PTSD." on and on.
Heck I have PTSD, but that is no excuse to go out pillaging.

Good One 25

Semper

Speaking of excuses and responsiblity, lets try this:

"Litter all you want, someone will come and clean it up anyway. In the future, technology will destroy any litter the minute it is throw onto any road or pathway".....:shk:

An excuse to litter, breeds spoiled and irresponsible people. Responisble people do not litter.

"Pollutions and toxins are not responsible for global warming, the Earth is going thought a global warming cycle anyway.".......:shk:

People should not use the global warming cycle on Earth as an excuse to continue to pollute and dump toxins, chemicals into the environment.

Well I'm not exactly sure how violent littering is where your from.

but if that is your slant, I'll go with it.

Semper

not that i disagree with ixiy, but i have to laugh every time someone yells at me for littering on a city street. guess what i just threw that cigarette butt/aluminum can ON to?

that's right. 6 inches of tar.

i acknowledge that littering outside of the city is a bad thing, nature needs to be left alone - but where we've made our cities, we've killed the earth anyway.

[edit on 9-7-2006 by 25cents]