Is our species violent by nature?

[Vesuvius87]

I can think of several examples I've seen where it's not self-defense and there were several ways things would've been solved but many people keep resorting to violence (primitive instinct) as an impulsive and first resort:

- boyfriend or husband plays a cheating prank by laying in bed or sitting on the couch with a woman-size doll:

The woman returns home, goes ballistic and attacks the ''other woman'' or attacks both, only to realize it was a prank with a doll. Even if it were real, logically, walking away is the solution. Why bother all the energy on someone that doesn't love you, much less fight with the other woman? I would be gone in seconds and he would have to step out the door with the doll, explaining it was a prank.

- There is a real, racist Karen that's getting on someone's nerves:

Many people are already commenting on how she deserves getting slapped or punched. There are people that really think someone running their mouths deserves to get assaulted. Someone with little to no self-control over their impulses will hit. More than likely, that racist person can't defend themselves afterwards. Unless she were a martial artists, then technically she would be in the right to defend herself physically since she was only verbal and the other person hit first. Logically, just ignore that person. It's not like words is the end of the world.

- A 3-4 year-old toddler is having a bad time, is frustrated about something and throws a tantrums

Too many people (with the except of logical individuals) are already thinking about using a belt, switch, putting hands or a flipflop on that kid. Someone can even go to the extreme of saying ''tan that bottom''. The first thing that pops out of their mouths is hitting that kid and there are many followers agreeing with that stance. Logically, the situation should be handled in a non-physical, intimidating manner. Then people glorify that. Same thing with a teen arguing back. They all have urges to hit that teen.

Updates

4 mo

Punching is violent, slapping someone's face is violent, hitting with a belt or strap is violent. All those were example of people resorting to hitting as first resort, impulsive urges to hit.

[ohsheeT]

Our species can be anything in any given moment each person is different it depends on how you were raised to a point and then when you leave the house you were raised in you see the world a different way. Then you have to make a choice to live the way you were raised.
Or you find your own answers you make up your own mind who you want to be and you become the person you want to be you have to know who you are. You can be happy you can love until you get backed in to a corner.
And in that moment you become the person you dont want to be. because if you dont your not going to ever leave that corner

It's a choice we can be anyone we want to be depending on the who backed us in the corner you were backed into it because you were being nice about it there becomes a moment in time everything changes and if you decide to become violent you lose you have to go to the next level if you want to walk away.

Most people who are violent lose. They only know what they know and its not much. they are angry people who have gotten away with things. its the people who understand the true meaning of love who can go past violent and walk away.

And our species. Is getting ready to prove it
A lot of people will die a lot of innocent people will die

But have you ever noticed when something bad in your life goes wrong? And you think it's the end of the world and a couple years down the road when you see it for what it really is , it's the best thing in the world that happened , because everything has changed because of it for the best

This is where we are right now all the bullies of the rich people , all the big , fat mouth , people , they're gonna put everybody in harm's way
And whatever happens happens, but what will come from, it is peace, love and a whole different world where we are all when we're all friends. We all help each other. We will learn different ways. There won't be greed anymore. Big pharma will be gone. All the evil will be gone , not all of it but eventually all of it we are more loving in nature we just have to get over the hump.\nOf all the evil in the world, we are kind of backed into a corner.\nBecause we didn't ask for any of this , but it was greed , it got us here

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

I wouldn't say violent by design, impulsive by design instead.

Because, at the individual level, slapping someone starts as an impulse, which is just a thought/feeling, whereas violence is something else, it is this thought/feeling manifested in reality.

I don't think impulses can really be suppressed, as in erased. But it can be repressed and/or punished, that's thought police, that gives unpredictable results I'd say. It can be regulated and/or repurposed in a way that limits, or ideally, prevents violence as an outcome.

[Tiptoetamm]

If you really think about it humans or as much of a predatory species is any other predators we hunt like other predators do we do all of that things so violence is in our nature also comes from our past and things that have happened and it makes people jaded and angry, so yeah I think anger is in her nature. I think violence is definitely in our nature.

[Vesuvius87]

Meanwhile it takes so much effort to reprogram ourselves and think logically with our brains. It's interesting how we have brains and ability to talk to and reason with but fewer people use those capacities.

[Tiptoetamm]

You’re absolutely right and it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to get past that

[4ngelic]

yes obviously, just look at all the evil that we've done since the dawn of humanity. thankfully though, pro-social and moral behavior are also innate at the same time.

[OlderAndWiser]

You are 38 years old and still expecting the real world to conform to your standards? How's that working out for you?

[Vesuvius87]

That's one of the reasons I'll have my son enrolled in martial arts when he gets older; like when he turns 7-8 years old. If some pathetic future school bully ever tries attacking him for words or because he feels like it, my son would have my permission to defend myself.

[OlderAndWiser]

Good plan!

[KostasKouvalis]

Honestly, yes. People talk about the Vikings and Ghengis Khan, but the Hollucaust happened in OUR generation and the Rwanda genocide happened in MY lifetime. Still today, we have stonings and head choppings, mass shootings and mass slaughters. I believe humans are inherently violent. If we didn't have laws, we'd all be killing and raping each other.

There was a Bosnian artist a few decades ago who let people do whatever they wanted to her for the whole day, using the objects on the table. It started off innocent, but by the end of the day, her clothes had been cut off, her neck had been cut and she was nearly shot in the head. She showed what humans will do when there are no consequences.

[Vesuvius87]

It's very sad that many people only function by the system of rewards and punishment, instead of simply doing the right thing out of character. I'm willing to bet those very same people that will do wrong things when there are no consequences (the ones that attack the artist) are the children that only behave to avoid getting humiliated or punished but not because they understood right from wrong.

[Vesuvius87]

It's sad there are so many people that would've been violent if they knew they got away with it.

[dragoblack]

Yes, and mainly due to an overzealous ego where humans think they are superior because of tools and opposable thumbs along with having a tribalist instinct. Literally there are so many animals that can use tools and have opposable thumbs outside of Simians. Racoons, rodents, and squirrels are easiest to notice for opposable thumbs, but birds, elephants, and lemurs are a few seen to use tools. Humans may have ingenuity, but instinctual they haven't evolved past violent monkey. Humans usual reactions is 'hit', 'yell', and 'throw things'

[Kaneki05]

Of course, it's in our blood. Though it's also in our best interest to socially get along as that has many positives. So we've grown to try lessen our violent nature for such cause.
We are smart and adapted enough to know this but will still feel the urge to act impulsively to those who can't stop themselves. In reality you can argue it's not anyone's fault as we are designed this way but at the same time you need order to benefit us all.

[Vesuvius87]

The only thing that distinguishes us from the other animal species is our ability to speak and reason by using our brains. I have to say that likely takes more effort (since you're trying hard to suppress that instinct) time and years of practicing regulating your emotions. It's hard but not impossible.

I don't want violence (not even physical punishment) for my son; no hitting in the house. Though I don't mind enrolling him in martial arts in the future when he's 7-8 years old. I wouldn't mind if he had to use physical force in real self-defense.

[Theunfadeable]

Not at all. People are just impressionable. If we were violent by nature, you wouldn’t see any form of peace anywhere On the planet. When people are well, socialized in a stable environment generally, people know how to get along and act right. You’re always gonna have dysfunctional people if you remove the degenerate elements from society, you can get rid of most of the violence.

[Vesuvius87]

What I don't understand is this:
- The ones suggesting violence and thinking that's the only way to solve things are dysfunctional people yet they always received far more hearts and likes on FB and other social medias. They always get praised so much by others. That ones suggesting hitting the screaming toddler with a belt or smacking him get so much likes and 100+ positive comments from similar views. The ones suggesting logical-based (non-violent) answers get further likes.

[Vesuvius87]

So it makes me think there are more dysfunctional people than logical ones. It should be the opposite.

[Theunfadeable]

Society is becoming more degenerate by the second. I never said that there weren’t violent people, I just don’t believe the violence is ingrained or inherent from anything genetic. It’s a product of influence from poor upbringing and ghetto peoples.

[NaultD]

We can do better. Ultimately I see this as an excuse to be violent. Even beyond that I don't think majority of people have the stomach to be violent.

There's rules in MMA to have pay view event's. There's got to be a story a level of humanity and perseverance.

[Berethor]

"I gotta say, it's a real privilege to be born a Saiyan!" -Kefla.

https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Saiyan

https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Blood_Knight

https://www.youtube.com/embed/zMUtNmWcR1U

[OneViewpoint]

Look at human history over the last 3,000 years where we have semi reliable written records. Humanity is a shit show of greed, hate, and violence. Wars are the norm, not the exception. Yeah, we are violent by nature.

[jshm2]

No. Don't be stupid.

Nature works by the "weakest" being sacrificed for the good of the herd.

Humans look after their weakest, even to the detriment of the herd. We are the opposite of nature.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

No, not violent by nature. The violence is cultural, and more heavily leans on cultures that focus on hierarchies

[Vesuvius87]

I'm always surprised every time I see those response by people that want to solve things by hitting and they get lots of hits and many people glorifying that. It shouldn't be glorified. It takes little to nothing to lose self-control and act violent.

[NathanDavis]

when the Homo Sapiens "won the race" against the Neanderthal... it didn't go nicely

[Agape93]

Absolutely. That's why we have laws to restrict our instincts towards violence.

[Vesuvius87]

It's a good thing. Yet, even with laws there are still some people acting on their instincts.

[Agape93]

Good and bad yeah.

[FreyaRed]

Yes, evil baboons are rather our brothers among apes not chimpanzees.

[DryGermanGuy]

"It's in your nature to destroy yourselves."

- Model 101, Terminator 2

[captain_voidwalker]

Almost all species are violent by nature. It's what let's them survive

[exitseven]

yes, it is hardwired into our DNA

[Vesuvius87]

no wonder it takes years to regulate our emotions and handling things logical is like an exercise. So basically by doing that, we're suppressing that instinct.

[Crankor]

No, only the stupid ones are

[Vesuvius87]

Yet, too many people glorify those stupid ones, as if that was some type of achievement and something so great to admire. Those stupid ones received lots of hearts and likes on posts, full of comments too. Meanwhile someone that applies logic over violence gets criticized or ridiculed. It should be the opposite. It's like the world is upside down.

[Massageman]

We are ALL born into original sin.

[Jeff51]

Yep. A lot of wars over the years

[BadApple69]

Yes.

[fish5505_87]

Yes!