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I mean, everything we would consider instincts can be overridden.
Suicide defies not wanting to die.
Lot's of people put themselves in pain for entertainment or for fun like those electrocution devices at joke shops, kids cutting themselves, tattoos, etc.
We can starve ourselves, walk on hot coal for kicks, do dangerous things, etc.
Yes humans have instincts. However when they bury themselves in the morals and mores of a community, they tend to lose those instincts trying to please/get along with other members of the community; much like a wild dog or feral cat that has been brought into a home where they are fed and petted and cared for. Most folk know when someone else just 'smells wrong' - be they not wrapped too tight, child molesters, abusers, or murderers - IF they have been exposed to that sort and are trained to recognize it, or have been raised to be aware of themselves and their surroundings and not take any one or any thing at face value. The politically correct call it 'profiling' - yet say nothing about folks having 'gaydar'.
I can tell you if the next storm will bring snow or not, or rain, or a ripping thunderstorm, even a tornado... I can sense it, feel it, even smell it, sometimes TASTE it on the air. Others think I am crazy, so I don't mention it too often; just pretend to believe the weather forecasters like everyone else. I can sense when an animal will hurt me (wild or tame) or is just curious or trying to go somewhere else. I can 'smell' fear on others. It is instinctual; I simply have not been overly trained to ignore it as most humans have. A lot of folks can do it, and some of them don't even know when they are doing it! They call it 'perception'.
I'd say we have instincts -- if not we would never figure out how to suck milk or crawl or any of that stuff w/o being taught. Human babies will also teach themselves to swim if you let them play on the beach before the age of 10 mos.
I mean, everything we would consider instincts can be overridden.
Suicide defies not wanting to die.
Lot's of people put themselves in pain for entertainment or for fun like those electrocution devices at joke shops, kids cutting themselves, tattoos, etc.
We can starve ourselves, walk on hot coal for kicks, do dangerous things, etc.
Just because we go against our instincts doesn't mean we don't have them. Theres a reason everyone in the world doesn't commit suicide. Sometimes outside pressures or influences affect our actions, as well as hormone imbalances.
Just because we go against our instincts doesn't mean we don't have them. Theres a reason everyone in the world doesn't commit suicide. Sometimes outside pressures or influences affect our actions, as well as hormone imbalances.
true. we also have to keep in mind that sometimes one instinct overrides another; most people think that someone cutting themselves defies the instinct for safety. and yet, they feel *compelled* to do it. the instinct for them is that self mutilation might provide a different kind of safety and security that you are not recognizing.
doesn't mean that this drive is healthy in the long run, but that is what evolution is about: instinct affects natural selection as much as physical capability.
true, but i didn't think that it was according to "sociologists," but according to *some sociologists.* i tend to think that they are using too strict of a definition in order to support the claim. even in animals, instincts can be supressed for some other desire or some kind of training or acclimitization.
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