Why Do Humans Enjoy Doing Wrong Things?

[curiousnorway]

I'm wondering why humans enjoys doing things that are either wrong, immoral or harmful to themselves. Examples may be drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, cheating, pre-material sex, prostitution, junk food and corruption. It may also be lying, theft and bullying. #Immoral #Moral

[Soteris]

Well to start with there is no such thing as a right and wrong in the universe, things just IS or they are not. Morality is something that is imparted on us humans (and other animals) and like everything biology this process is rarely without its flaws. If it fails then we have a situation where the person lacks certain morality and it becomes a much easier question of what their desire tells them to do and if it fails horribly to impart those morals.. well.. then it could very well be that your morality demands immoral things instead and fighting that is very hard.

Beyond that we have to consider what human morality actually is. Its a set of "rules" intended to guide us dumb apes to have a successful life and reproduce. It takes no consideration to if we have the ability to make this judgement call for ourselves since well, morality was developed long before animals could reliably do that. As such morality is not about logic but about a primeval instinct of survival of the species.

Things like deceit, cheating or stealing is not necessarily discouraged under all circumstances and is sometimes even encouraged by our own morality. These are things that under the right circumstances can help you be "successful". Of course Humans are primarily a social species so these traits are swept to the side to build a strong communal bond but at the same time they are much too powerful to remove entirely from our moral code.

There are also cases where this morality or internal driving force has served its purpose or even begun to become harmful. Junk food is a good example of our body driving us to seek out a certain kind of nutrition which was useful when it was rare but harmful today where we get far more than is healthy for us.

There are also cases where this driving force is triggered wrongly. Drugs, alcohol and cigarettes are examples of this. These are things that have unintended consequences on our minds and bodies that can make us crave more of them even though they are harmful.

As for pre-marital sex or prostitution they are things that is not registered as morally wrong by humans by default and not concepts that we are programmed with at all. For starters both occupations and marriage are constructs created by us humans.

We sadly dont really have time to go deeper into human psychology and why children enter rebellious phases or why adults often also rebel in some way.

[Dongtai]

Most of the things you listed aren’t really immoral. When I think of morality I think of right vs. wrong. Things like drugs, alcohol and cigarettes aren’t necessarily right or wrong because they don’t make a direct impact on anyone besides the person doing it.

Yes they can harm someone’s health but again, that’s not a matter of right or wrong. It’s personal choice. A lot of these things are only defined as wrong because of religious influence which I personally believe was a control tactic made by wealthier and higher class people to control lower class and poor people.

Immortality to me are things that directly harm innocent people. Bullying, stealing, lying, rape, etc.

I personally can’t even lie without feeling rotten so I go out of my way not to. I have a strict moral code that keeps my morality in check regardless of my personal feelings. I do what’s right not because I want to or am told to, but purely because it’s “right”. Helping people, being honest, etc. I have a lot of beliefs about karma and positive/negative energy.

I think people do immoral things because a lot of those things yield desirable outcomes much faster than moral actions do. It’s also easier to be immoral sometimes. A short cut.

Drugs/alcohol/cigarettes are usually used to relieve negative emotion. It’s quick. Easy. Meditating and facing your inner demons? Harder. Takes longer. Even though it’s healthier and more rewarding, some people just don’t have to strength or patience.

Stealing/cheating. Again. Quicker. Easier. If people could make thousands without working, most would. It’s easier to steal $300 vs. work a minimum wage job 30+ hours a week and wait for a bi-weekly paycheck. It’s easier to copy an A+ paper vs spend hours every night studying and learning.

Immortality is easier. Quicker. Morality is harder. Longer.

[aWes0MeNeSs]

A lot of that stuff makes people feel good in the moment. Some people feel that they need to be high or drunk in order to get through life, feel that cigarettes relax them, indulge in junk food to comfort themselves, sex makes them feel good and another person besides their SO makes them feel better about themselves, etc. If they see something they want, taking it makes them feel good even if it isn't rightfully theirs. Some also get a "rush" from stealing and lying. Bullies typically act the way they do because it's the only way they know how to make themselves feel like they're not below others, and they're not happy with themselves.

Some people also like the feeling of being "rebellious" and going against the grain.

[19magic]

Because I simply don't view some of the things as immoral or sinful it's just life and things to do in it its something to enjoy akain to going to the cinema or skydiving, others I'd say a person feels they are stuck in a rut or between a hard place and a rock and as such feels as though they have no other escape

[sawno]

I get what you are saying as its something i observed as well, but i am going to take your individual cases on face value rather than group them all together since it serves this thought experiment better.

Drugs : Not interested in them at all, some people use it as a form of escapism or entertainment
Alcohol : Not interested in them at all, some people use it as a form of escapism
Cigarettes : Social pressure by people who had no backbone themselves
Cheating : Strong sensation of lust
Pre-material sex : I don't believe in marriage. But in the form of casual sex because it can still be pleasurable to do so. Its not necessarily wrong either if you do it protected.
Prostitution : I don't consider this wrong either, guy gets what he wants girl gets what she wants. But obviously this is driven by natural desires and the lack of willing partners.
Junk Food: This one i noticed it by, its probably because junk food is not bad for you on its own. It still provides elements we need but is made in an attempt to appeal to our taste in.
Corruption: Greed.

So it seems a massive mix of all kinds of factors, wanting to escape reality, wanting to be less aware, wanting to have pleasure / enjoyment and greed. Nothing really specific and not all of those are wrong by nature.

[NaultD]

Frodian death drive and the endless want with being in miserable state not having what you want. In contrast once you have what you want you get board and melancholy sets in. You can see this story structure all over history. From Oedipus rex to eve in the garden of eden to a kid eating all the candy they want. A fundamental part of the human condition.

So doing things is the sweet spot of having meaning. The more self destructive things to do uses the skinner's box naturally to loop that destruction. People can still use that loop for better endeavors but it takes work. I liked this video on this subject.

https://youtu.be/_llZeVWBoz8

[AlexanderBrunnrgaard]

What perspectives are you interested in? Answers will differ depending on the person.
The Christian answer is that this is a fallen world that belongs to Satan at the moment. Humans sin and do immoral things because we are born sinful and love darkness more than light, as a legacy of Adam and Eve's downfall. But the good news being that Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins on our behalf by dying at the cross, setting us free and re-granting us the eternal life that was always meant for us, when believing in him and following him.

[CubsterShura]

Because humans naturally has animalistic behavior and we have to LEARN to be better and work on ourselves to be civilized human beings. I once watched a video which said how the human subconscious mind can't differentiate between right and wrong or real and fake.

[Z3ID366]

Almost everything is subjective, for example you said pre marital sex many do are not religious so what's the harm with sex, same with drugs and alcohol you think about the effect of the drugs and not your health. Corruption is easy you put yourself above others in a community position

[NickiB]

It's the people that are not thinking about the whole picture.

Drugs and alcohol it soothes them temporarily but damages them in the long run but its that small time frame of taking away pain that they care about.

Same goes for the rest. Not thinking about morale or how it effects others just they want something or think it makes them look cool in front of others and that's all they can see.

[KieranByrne]

Peer pressure, have fallen victim. 13 years old, maybe younger when alcohol were introduced into my system "It's ok, a small bit won't hurt"... and soo forth!
28 and still get bad times/vibes. Have had to starve my system in order to feel.

[Monster_Recluse]

Morality and immorality are valuative statements. You can look at someone and decide what they are doing is immoral but to them their behavior own behavior is alright.

In short, people do immoral things because it's what they want to do. Which is also the same reason they do moral things. You asked a very shallow question.

[Wharvey98]

There are very few people who enjoy doing things simply because they’re wrong. Those that do are typically psychopaths or at the very least lack empathy. There’s almost always an ulterior motive, maybe it’s something that feels good, maybe it gets them something they desire, maybe they actually lack the ability to differentiate between right and wrong. There is no singular motivation, although in my experience the most common reasons are pleasure/satisfaction.

[tara987]

Drugs and alcohol make me feel better sometimes. So does pre-marital sex and junk food. I think that all of those things, in moderation can be fine. The rest of your list are awful things that people either choose to do, or are forced into doing. Corruption, lying and bullying are products of a desire for people to have power.

[Mexicoman101]

I would reject the idea that most of those things are wrong. People doing things harmful to themselves can be as serious as smoking or as mundane as applying deodorant. In both cases you’re introducing yourself to carcinogens. The truth is we take risks that endanger our safety in a variety of ways, all the time, and it’s often enriching to our general life experience.

[_SOARER_]

Human nature is inclined to sin.
However many people feel guilt and resentment about their lifestyles.

They do wrong things because they are "right" they have been deceived into thinking those things are good, acceptable, and they are "expressing their uniqueness"

People need to read scripture and reclaim their dignity. Stop offending God. Life will be much better

[Wewladdy]

Lack of a good upbringing or just plain lacking in judgement and the ability to think of potential consequences. Depression/desperation also plays a role. I was a pothead as a teen, never got into the whole hookup culture crap, thankfully. Reason I turned to pot was that I was unhappy, depressed, felt i didn't fit in anywhere. Basically, damaged people seek instant satisfaction instead of working on what's making them feel something's missing in their lives.

[henju]

Sadly that's human nature. That's why we have rules and many forces to enforce it. Most human beings without proper guidance usually tend to take destructive behaviours. Always curious all the time like cats and sometimes lazy as %%$$. And as always most human wants to take shorter paths cuz they think that's easy.

[FabianChang]

Because not everyone believe the same thing. If stealing is the norm, you would do it too. That's why we have laws, but laws differ based on the country/nation

Better question is, why do different countries have different laws? Shouldn't it be the same?

[Therisinghero12]

This is actually a really good question, I dont know myself xD
I can explain the physiological side of it, brain releasing dopamine and all that makes you addicted.
Overall I think that's just how life it though, we all do stupid things at some point.

[BeHappy1985]

Right and wrong are a subjective matter. Some of us simply understand that we have only one life and living it by the standards of others is a horrible idea. If you're not being yourself and not doing whatever makes you happy you're wasting your time on this earth.

[sheepdip]

Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes - they feel nice. I see nothing immoral in a healthy consumption of these things.

Cheating - that one is a trickier one. Basically its lust. Its power. Its about feeling good. It is immoral however because you are breaking a person's trust.

Pre-material sex, prostitution, junk food - nothing wrong with these provided that its all consensual.

Corruption - it makes your life easier and it never seems to be *that* bad when you do it. Its hypocrisy for sure.

[Apple1996]

I think it's more that we enjoy doing things that we are told not to do cuz we are naturally rebellious. If these things werent painted as bad in our minds then they probably wouldn't be so appealing

[Carbon_fiber]

There is no wrong thing, everyone has a different perspective, for drugs I would say it's an way of escaping their problems even if they know it's wrong. It's not an easy life, especially when your mental health is depleting, drugs make it all a bit more bearable until everything crashes down on them

[Desconhecida]

Human beings love to do what's prohibited. If you tell someone that something is off limits they won't be at peace until they have it.

[Ayer93]

Not true at all. Everyone is different. I have no desire to do what is prohibited just because it is prohobited. If it's illogical that it's prohibited then I would not care, regardless. I'm not a sheep that listens to rules because they're rules.

[Desconhecida]

Yes, you are

[curiousnorway]

@Ayer93, I think it's a middle ground here. I knows stealing, murdering, raping and torturing are illegal - and I don't want to do it either because of it sounds too grotesque. Promiscuity, visiting escorts/prostitutes, starting my own business caring about money only instead of socialism, pre-material sex etc. are all considered "wrong", yet I find it tempting to do. I wouldn't visit sex workers tough because of it's illegal and I don't want 1 - 2 years in prison and thousand of dollars in fine, but if it was legal trying would sound fun.

[Desconhecida]

He knows what I meant.