Why are humans so self destructive?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Is playing Civ natural?

Not on them damned eelectronic monsters, no way, no how.

Whatcha do is, you go out in the woods, and you make a map in the dirt with a stick. You can draw the terrain and stuff, or use leaves and grass. Use big rocks for cities, and small rocks and sticks for units. When you need something random, flip something thats relatively flat.

[Spec]

Alcohol is self destruction, but its fun and tastes good.
Drugs are self destruction, but they are fun - for a while.

"Why" do you ask? Because we have this thing called a concience, and that is stronger than what animals rely on: instinc.

Spec.

[Spec]

Hard drugs get you stupid though and put you on auto destruction mode.

Spec.

[Elok]

Hmm, I'm torn. Part of me wants Blake to STFU. But another part wants him to continue so that, in the future, polytubbies won't single out Xians as the most annoying religion of proselytizers.

[Lorizael]

Oh, come on. You can't blame him for being delusional; it's a very human quality.

[Meticulous Man]

Maybe self-destructiveness is a form of genetically determined altruistic behavior? Could it not be helpful for the gene pool of a species if poorly fit individuals would self-destruct instead of taking up resources needed by the stronger?

[Dis]

some humans are self destructive because of the need to procreate. And animals are as well. They go to dangerous lengths to attract mates.

And perhaps the other end of self destructive behaviour is because of the lack of procreation. Just a theory, kind of rough right now, I know. But some self destructive behaviour by others is an attempt to live the fast life and attract mates. While others are just depressed for whatever reason.

[Perfection]

Gotta destroy something.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Spec

"Why" do you ask? Because we have this thing called a concience, and that is stronger than what animals rely on: instinc.

Spec.

Actually, I would disagree. After all, most animals don't do things that are obviously self-destructive. They may do things that are risky, but the rewards are generally clear- fight that one so I can have sex, go over that dangerous terrain looking for food.

Only a few animals do clearly obvious self-destructive things like eat themselves to death.

I would say that what allows humans to be both self-destructive and to improve themselves in ways most animals can't is the same thing, our sentience.

Human beings are able to imagine and rationalize many things, including overindulgence in pleasure.

[Cort Haus]

It's being assumed here that people play Civ to break things. Some of us play it to build things.