Your theories on human behavior

HoneyBeeStings said:
Its a very abstract question so my answer is going to be a bit abstract.
I like how Pin simply said its all about the reward. We act the way we act because we are hoping to obtain a pleasure of some sort. For each individual person it will vary what they experience most pleasure from so their actions will automatically be different from other peoples actions. Thats where personality typing in conjuction with psychology comes into play. It can help a person understand why they may be doing the things they are doing and then objectively asses if their actions will fulfill their deepest needs. As a personal example, I would say INFJ's find themselves being very attracted to learning theoretical concepts, (and this is because of our dominant function of introverted intuition)so therefore we will often find ourselves researching, discussing and contemplating all sorts of deep topics about life.
I do beleive that majority of our actions are not really so intentional and we are pretty much being controlled by forces outside of ourselves which we have limited control over. At the same time we still do take much pride in our ability to autonomously choose what we would like to do.
So I would say that it boils down to how nature has programmed us to be as well as how well we were nurtured in the area of practicing our own independance in choices.
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What an excellent way to start your post! When I read the first sentence of your post, I could feel that you know how to get straight to the point and have good analytical abilities lol.

I'm probably right too. :tonguewink:

Good post!
 
I think there are leaders and there are followers.
There are givers and there are takers.
There are righteous and there are trouble-makers.
There are first response and there are murderers.
There are lovers and there are haters.
There are cowards and there are the brave.
There are those that care, and there are those that do not care.

I think human behavior is like an open window into the heart of mankind. Haters gonna hate, as they say.
 
just me said:
I think there are leaders and there are followers.
There are givers and there are takers.
There are righteous and there are trouble-makers.
There are first response and there are murderers.
There are lovers and there are haters.
There are cowards and there are the brave.
There are those that care, and there are those that do not care.

I think human behavior is like an open window into the heart of mankind. Haters gonna hate, as they say.
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In general, I think about people a little more like this:
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Human nature mostly nature and not nurture.
 
I think that all people show different faces to different people. They sacrifice their individuality for whatever, mostly money and fame. It makes me sad that nobody wants to be who they are and that they scorn and shun the people who do, who dare to be different. They conform to be treated well, but it doesn't work, it never does. There is always someone, usually this is someone close to losing themselves. For some, the strain is just too much. They either give up, or they break. Eventually it all comes out. The question is whether the result is going to be good or bad. I guess it depends on the situation wherein the breaking point was passed.

I prefer those who don't conform, those secure in their own way. Quite contrary, they are respected and well-liked. How is that? It's all confidence, I think.

This brings me to my point: human behaviour is contradictory. It is individuals trapped in a mass society. It is actually way more complex than that, but it's a stance that represents our current society superficially. At least the way I look at it at the moment.
 
Happy Phantom said:
Isn't it obvious? Of course they're real quotes.
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Took the words right out my mouth,

As for the OP,

I feel uneasy theorizing on problems that large about people who walk a different path from me, especially when I find it difficult in my own shoes, so God knows what it's like for them. All I know is we breathe the same air and end up in the ground just the same. You meet some nice, you meet some bad, all in all, it doesn't really matter.

***For maximum effect read the above post in Beric Dondarrion's voice***
 
Humans are animals. We have billions of years of programming in us and many times this programming is far stronger than our consciousness.
Consciousness throws a wrench into the whole thing...makes people unpredictable. Much our lives are lived trying to prove we are not animals.

In any case that's pretty much it. Animal meet consciousness and here we are.
 
There are many different ways to explain human behaviour. It can be explained in terms of social structure and organisation, which is primarily explored by social psychologists. Cultural context, which is studied by anthropologists and historians. And then there is "human nature", which is studied by evolutionary psychologists. Each is independent and explores different "truths" about human behaviour, which means they can't be reduced to a single theory. In either case, I think "human nature" models are interesting, so I'll go there.

In his book The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins explains that 'instincts' are like strategies. They are part of the story of how animal species go about surviving in their unique 'way of life'. For example, some monkeys live in trees, so their instincts are optimised for dealing with a 'way of life' living in trees. Some bears live in the snow, so their instincts must be optimised for dealing with a 'way of life' in climates that are typically scarce in resources. Our instincts are strategies as well. They are optimised for a 'way of life' that involves dealing with other people.

In his book Sex At Dawn, Christopher Ryan explains that humans have evolved a whole variety of instincts for dealing with a whole variety of 'ways of life'. Times of plenty and times of little are just two of them. In times of plenty, our egalitarian instincts take charge, since these are the ones best optimised for this particular way of life. In times of little, our more competitive instincts take charge, since these are the ones best optimised for dealing with a shortage of valuable resources.
 
HoneyBeeStings said:
I do beleive that majority of our actions are not really so intentional and we are pretty much being controlled by forces outside of ourselves which we have limited control over. At the same time we still do take much pride in our ability to autonomously choose what we would like to do.
So I would say that it boils down to how nature has programmed us to be as well as how well we were nurtured in the area of practicing our own independance in choices.
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I really like your line of reasoning here. The paradox of the human condition is definitely a push-pull: sometimes the carrot on a stick pulling the mule, or as memory serves, the cart before the horse.

I'm really partial to the idea that since language is fundamental to not only interacting with people that nurture and culture us, but inseparable from internal dialogue and individual thought, that human life is allegory; every idea is not our own, but collective: and the symbols that we think in define the edges and boundaries of the thoughts that border, somewhat temporarily fence our world. In concepts we share - which are always abstractions of hard reality - that same temporary access to more of what we cannot necessarily touch, but share in meaning with others nonetheless. We can't yet fly over the rings of Saturn, but we share in the idea, the language, and images of what satellites beam back to us - and we make real in imagination and unconscious archetype what is just a bright point crossing the ecliptic every night. I'm not saying language is all humans are, just that language (and the thought and sentiment behind it) colors perception to picture between the lines - analogous to how the gaps between sounds is music to our ears, but ours alone. Language and the thought and feeling that arbitrarily forms it is the meaning our recently conscious species suggests (and sometimes forces) on the world.
 
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