Why are humans so self-destructive?

[Dis]

Why?

You would think evolution would root out those traits. Why do humans do things that are detrimental to their well being? Or even worse- things that would kill them. Why would humans be willing to give their lives for some abstract cause- or things that don't really exist except in the minds of men- countries.

[rev]

Maybe it's a built-in method of ensuring there's natural selection -- if we're destructive, then even if the rest of the world were perfect, we'd still be ensuring our own evolution?

(It's half-way a joke :P)

[Skanky Burns]

Self-preservation is less important from an evolutionary viewpoint than preservation of their progeny.

[Urban Ranger]

Only if you are k-strategists instead of r-strategists.

Surely enough, humans are k-strategists.

[Flandrien]

Humans don't like to kill themselves.
They like to take risks.
The evolutional advantages of that should be obvious.

[Berzerker]

Humans don't like to kill themselves.
They like to take risks.
The evolutional advantages of that should be obvious.

Yup, and with greater intelligence comes more "emotion" and susceptibility to emotional (mental) trauma resulting in "mind games" or insecurities leading to self-destructive behavior. Why does a person eat themselves to death? Does that happen in the animal kingdom?

[DAVOUT]

Re: Why are humans so self-destructive?

Originally posted by Dissident
Why?

You would think evolution would root out those traits. Why do humans do things that are detrimental to their well being? Or even worse- things that would kill them. Why would humans be willing to give their lives for some abstract cause- or things that don't really exist except in the minds of men- countries.

Looking at Earth and you from Andromède, I would say that you are wrong :

- from 5000 BC to 0, the population of the human species grows tenfold to 300 millions

- from 0 to 2000 AD, the pop grows to 6 billions.

Either the self-destruction is totally ineffective, or you are referring to collateral incidents with no historical importance.

[Spec]

Re: Why are humans so self-destructive?

Didn't you see the terminator movies!?!?


Spec.

[Lorizael]

Re: Re: Why are humans so self-destructive?

Originally posted by DAVOUT


Looking at Earth and you from Andromède, I would say that you are wrong :

- from 5000 BC to 0, the population of the human species grows tenfold to 300 millions

- from 0 to 2000 AD, the pop grows to 6 billions.

Either the self-destruction is totally ineffective, or you are referring to collateral incidents with no historical importance.

Nah, humans just **** a lot. We're still quite self-destructive. Most animals have very little intra-species conflict. If it does exist then it's non-lethal dominance competitions or killing offspring of other males. Only in mammals that approach our intelligence (primates and such) do you see anything approaching the wars that we have.

[General Ludd]

All animals become self-destructive when confined or becoming obsessive over something, while Nationalism and Capitalism are prime examples of both confinement and obsession.

[Az]

We're still quite self-destructive. Most animals have very little intra-species conflict. If it does exist then it's non-lethal dominance competitions or killing offspring of other males. Only in mammals that approach our intelligence (primates and such) do you see anything approaching the wars that we have.

ants, dude. ants. It's even much more lethal, deadly, and barbaric than humans. But then again, humans aren't (completely) zombified by chemicals, etc.

[BeBMan]

Re: Re: Re: Why are humans so self-destructive?

Originally posted by Lorizael
Most animals have very little intra-species conflict. If it does exist then it's non-lethal dominance competitions or killing offspring of other males. Only in mammals that approach our intelligence (primates and such) do you see anything approaching the wars that we have.

So most animals are too stupid to make war.

[General Ludd]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Why are humans so self-destructive?

Originally posted by BeBro


So most animals are to stupid to make war.

Much like the mad genius of a serial killer, I suppose.

[Jamski]

Ants make war.

-Jam

[Az]

They're not too stupid. You don't have to be extra smart to wage war.