What do you believe about human nature?
Do you believe human nature is plastic, and can be molded by its environment?
Or do you believe human nature Is immutable?
If you believe the latter, exactly what traits of human nature are immutable?
I think human nature is immutable, however there is a plasticity in how we respond and subsequently act.
We are all selfish based on the very important survival instinct. Selfishness insidiously creeps out beyond that fundamental driver unconsciously and it takes a conscious effort to force it back into its hole.
Greed is an extension. There is some sense of security in the concept of more. Personally, when the more becomes beyond need, I see it as a sign of stupidity. I can’t help it. I see a guy driving a Hummer on the highway and I think, Dummy. I see two people living in a 30,000 square foot house, I don’t see accomplishment, I see Dummies. It’s no longer to fulfill their need, but to illustrate to others that they have more, most of the time. They are suffering from a need to feel self esteem.
Think about how valuable the conscious response to greed would be to feel self esteem by knowing you helped others realize a higher standard of living, while still enjoying one personally.
Another area that resides within, is productivity. I think productivity is an inherent trait that some people fight because they think not working and surviving is admirable, but who isn’t happier than when they are content in accomplishment? I literally work WAY harder when I am on vacation than when I am getting paid to produce.
There is another one that comes to mind that is immutable where conscious effort plasticizes the response. The desire to experience pleasure. From dining to driving to drugs. We can choose to allow this inner driver to reign unchecked, or we can examine the destination of following a particular path and consider if that destination fits where we want to end up.
@spitfire3dc I think human nature is plastic. For example, the gender construct. Yes, guys and gals obviously have different parts. However, it is the messages from society that mold the person into having certain proclivities. Selfishness, a message from the environment told the first humans, “you’re not safe.”
My current thought is that lower “default” human nature — that limited to urges, feelings, emotions in this moment — is immutable. It has persisted throughout time. Even those who manage to rise above it will tend to default back to it in times of stress. (Ie, our “civility” dropping away in various post-apocalyptic stories.
My observation through much study, conversation and experimentation, is that we cannot exceed this in any lasting way on our own.
There is a “higher nature” in us: a Divine nature. The concept of part of us “created in God’s image”. God’s “DNA” (Divine Nature of the Almighty). This is where choice transcends imprisonment; where feelings and urges are had but we are not had by them; where we can exceed the rest of the species in more than just being clever tool-making monkeys.
But we have to make a conscious free choice, to “activate” it. (Doing it at another’s urging tends to fail when one is no longer within their oversight)
I see in the teachings of Christ the potential gifting of activating this “new nature” that over time re-writes and amends the old nature . . . so one is less and less likely to “default” in times of emotion, stress and duress.
It takes one for easy example, from someone who’s first response to the monetary mistakes, foolishness or unguarded property of others as an opportunity for them . . . to someone who’s first response is to reunite such things with their rightful owner.
And as default human nature is “upgraded” over time, one finds it takes greater and greater personal need, stress or duress to “default” back to a more primitive, animalistic response to the unguarded assets of others.
3 responses to “Human Nature”
I think human nature is immutable, however there is a plasticity in how we respond and subsequently act.
We are all selfish based on the very important survival instinct. Selfishness insidiously creeps out beyond that fundamental driver unconsciously and it takes a conscious effort to force it back into its hole.
Greed is an extension. There is some sense of security in the concept of more. Personally, when the more becomes beyond need, I see it as a sign of stupidity. I can’t help it. I see a guy driving a Hummer on the highway and I think, Dummy. I see two people living in a 30,000 square foot house, I don’t see accomplishment, I see Dummies. It’s no longer to fulfill their need, but to illustrate to others that they have more, most of the time. They are suffering from a need to feel self esteem.
Think about how valuable the conscious response to greed would be to feel self esteem by knowing you helped others realize a higher standard of living, while still enjoying one personally.
Another area that resides within, is productivity. I think productivity is an inherent trait that some people fight because they think not working and surviving is admirable, but who isn’t happier than when they are content in accomplishment? I literally work WAY harder when I am on vacation than when I am getting paid to produce.
There is another one that comes to mind that is immutable where conscious effort plasticizes the response. The desire to experience pleasure. From dining to driving to drugs. We can choose to allow this inner driver to reign unchecked, or we can examine the destination of following a particular path and consider if that destination fits where we want to end up.
@spitfire3dc I think human nature is plastic. For example, the gender construct. Yes, guys and gals obviously have different parts. However, it is the messages from society that mold the person into having certain proclivities. Selfishness, a message from the environment told the first humans, “you’re not safe.”
My current thought is that lower “default” human nature — that limited to urges, feelings, emotions in this moment — is immutable. It has persisted throughout time. Even those who manage to rise above it will tend to default back to it in times of stress. (Ie, our “civility” dropping away in various post-apocalyptic stories.
My observation through much study, conversation and experimentation, is that we cannot exceed this in any lasting way on our own.
There is a “higher nature” in us: a Divine nature. The concept of part of us “created in God’s image”. God’s “DNA” (Divine Nature of the Almighty). This is where choice transcends imprisonment; where feelings and urges are had but we are not had by them; where we can exceed the rest of the species in more than just being clever tool-making monkeys.
But we have to make a conscious free choice, to “activate” it. (Doing it at another’s urging tends to fail when one is no longer within their oversight)
I see in the teachings of Christ the potential gifting of activating this “new nature” that over time re-writes and amends the old nature . . . so one is less and less likely to “default” in times of emotion, stress and duress.
It takes one for easy example, from someone who’s first response to the monetary mistakes, foolishness or unguarded property of others as an opportunity for them . . . to someone who’s first response is to reunite such things with their rightful owner.
And as default human nature is “upgraded” over time, one finds it takes greater and greater personal need, stress or duress to “default” back to a more primitive, animalistic response to the unguarded assets of others.