Human versus Instinct
Instinct - A complex behavior that is unlearned. All members of the species posses it.
Can you name one Human instinct?
Apparently it seems to be non-existent within our kind. So all that we do is either express a learned behavior or simply are reactive to it. We can have intution...but none of it is instinctive.
Hmm...something to ponder. "Food for thought"
Comments
If you have ever taken a hand to hand combat class of any kind, you get to experience an aspect of human instinct.
We as a society work so hard to disconnect from our more primal selves but if you have ever had the hair on the back of your neck stand up because you knew someone was coming up behind you, that is a remnant of human instinct.
The mothers who fight off assailants to protect their children, human instinct.
It is an amazing feeling when you can actually access those instincts.
Sadly most people are spending too much time worrying about toning their abs, or checking their blackberry, to listen to their instincts which are so much more subtle. More like a soft whisper in the back of your heart.
I would suggest to anyone who wants to feel their instincts at work, take a martial arts class, or a yoga class taught by a master (not a class at your gym).
There are a lot of instincts that babies are born with, some stick around some don't. I'd have to get out my developmental psychology book to make sure I'm right about them, but one example is the sucking reflex that babies have. Put them near a nipple and they suck, they are born with the instinct to eat.
Also anytime a mammal, including humans, is touched unexpectedly, they pull away. Think about when someone taps you on your right shoulder from behind. You move to your left to get away. Dogs do the same thing, you pull on your dogs leash to get them to go one way and they automatically, at least for an instant try to go the opposite of where you are pulling them.
All living things share one common instinct - the survival instinct. Buddha said "All living things shutter before fear of death". No matter what, when faced with death (or fear of death), a human's first reaction will be to survive.
That first reaction (survival) may then be obscured by logical reasoning, that is the type of thing that makes people give their own life to save another, but I would argue that the very first instinct would be to save one's self.
Also, instinct can be looked at as an element of the evolutionary process - it is why mothers will jump in front of a car to save their child. So if it's a reaction that was passed on to humans from evolution, that must point to instinct. Children are taught to protect grow up and care for their children from a VERY young age, but they are only taught that because of the instinct to protect the species.
So, really, learning is an instinct too.
The "models" (aka learning) humans create in their mind to deal with situation in life is an instinctual behavior. We do not learn to create "models" for objects and situations, the "models" just evolve. So the behavior of creating "models" (aka learning) is an instinctual behavior.
Is the question - what instincts do humans posses that no other animal posses, or is it do humans have instinct? I think humans mos def posses instinct, it's just obscured by our cerebral processing.
I think the way mothers care for their children has a lot to do with instinct. Naturally that ties in a lot with survival. But really, all instinct is going to be connected with survival.
It brings to mind the challenges that present themselves when dogs and humans interact. Humans generally influence the actions of others by reasoning with them. Unfortunately, you can't really reason with a dog. The best you can hope for is to develop good habits by establishing simple cause and effect relationships...using prompt and consistent correction, positive reinforcement, and effective (but harmless) discipline.
I'm no dog trainer, and someone with more experience than me might disagree, but that's been my experience. I mean, there is a certain logic or "reasonableness" to training a dog, but really, the trick seems to be to get into the dog's head and think like he or she thinks. I say that because I've seen some rather illogical training tactics, like screaming at an off-leash dog to "come here," then hitting it when it finally does come...then repeating the process over and over again. Poor dog.
That said, dogs aren't very responsive to reason, but they're ten times easier to train than children. Ugh! Humans are such brats.
Maybe there real question is: Where does instinct start and bodily function stop?
Is learning a bodily function (a function of the brain) or an instinct?
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Also, I thought of the perfect way to prove that survival is an instinct (or a bodily function):
You could try to kill yourself by holding your breath.
Obviously, you shouldn't use anything to prevent yourself from breathing other than just closing your mouth and not breathing through your nose... You can't do it.
Jessica
"If you have ever taken a hand to hand combat class of any kind, you get to experience an aspect of human instinct."
- It's a reaction - you act either by reflexes or thought process and then sometimes, it's a bit of both.
"We as a society work so hard to disconnect from our more primal selves but if you have ever had the hair on the back of your neck stand up because you knew someone was coming up behind you, that is a remnant of human instinct."
- That's intuition not instinct.
"The mothers who fight off assailants to protect their children, human instinct. It is an amazing feeling when you can actually access those instincts."
- This was one of those possible exceptions that Instructor considered. The "nurturing asspect".
However, not everyone is fit to be a parent. A lot of it is learned behavior, most likely from our own parents and/or relatives. After all...even animals such as Orcas ("Killer Whales") learn their parenting skills from their parents and grandparents or other members of the pod. It's not instinctive, even to them.
None the less, this asspect might be one to consider for the table -smiles-.
"Sadly most people are spending too much time worrying about toning their abs, or checking their blackberry, to listen to their instincts which are so much more subtle. More like a soft whisper in the back of your heart."
- This is again intuition. You are right though, some people should listen. Although there are other people out there that it is best that they don't listen to those little voices, lol. Ya know, those with ill intentions or urges.
"I would suggest to anyone who wants to feel their instincts at work, take a martial arts class, or a yoga class taught by a master (not a class at your gym)."
- Taking a Martial Arts class is indeed fun! It's not instinct, but it is a great way to sharpen your skills and learn some new ones -smiles-.
I'd recommend Shootfighting. It works on ground defense. For fights that may end up on the ground. Of course most fights don't, but if it were to happen, you'd be prepared on how to counter and escape it. Besides it's a TON of fun, I love flipping the instructors around, lol.
As for Yoga, it is a great way for you to highten your intuition, but again, not instinct!
Brandon
"There are a lot of instincts that babies are born with, some stick around some don't. I'd have to get out my developmental psychology book to make sure I'm right about them, but one example is the sucking reflex that babies have. Put them near a nipple and they suck, they are born with the instinct to eat."
- Suckling is a reflex, not instinct. This reflex is a response to being hungry. Suckling is also not a complex behavior.
"Also anytime a mammal, including humans, is touched unexpectedly, they pull away. Think about when someone taps you on your right shoulder from behind. You move to your left to get away. Dogs do the same thing, you pull on your dogs leash to get them to go one way and they automatically, at least for an instant try to go the opposite of where you are pulling them."
- It's not instinctive though, they/we are just merely reacting; Action = Reaction.
Brad
"All living things share one common instinct - the survival instinct. Buddha said "All living things shutter before fear of death". No matter what, when faced with death (or fear of death), a human's first reaction will be to survive."
- I also had considered this - Survival. I will bring it up to him next week in class.
I'm thinking though, that it won't be valid because it a kind of response/reaction to our environment. Remember, ALL members of the our species must posses it and not everybody is afraid to die....then again...that "not being afraid of death" could also very well have been a learned behavior.
I will ask my instructor and see what he thinks though.
"That first reaction (survival) may then be obscured by logical reasoning, that is the type of thing that makes people give their own life to save another, but I would argue that the very first instinct would be to save one's self."
- This sounds like a VERY good arguement. However, just one thing...a complex. This is an impulse, just as one responses to being hungry...one responses to this urge. So, this could probably be counted as a reflex.
"Also, instinct can be looked at as an element of the evolutionary process - it is why mothers will jump in front of a car to save their child. So if it's a reaction that was passed on to humans from evolution, that must point to instinct. Children are taught to protect grow up and care for their children from a VERY young age, but they are only taught that because of the instinct to protect the species."
- Yeah, but unfortunely...there are people out there that will WANT to save their child, but WON'T because of the fear of getting hit themselves. Also, this isn't a complex behavior. Though it takes a lot of guts and courage. Which are abstract ideas/"feelings".
"So, really, learning is an instinct too.
The "models" (aka learning) humans create in their mind to deal with situation in life is an instinctual behavior. We do not learn to create "models" for objects and situations, the "models" just evolve. So the behavior of creating "models" (aka learning) is an instinctual behavior."
- It's a kind of behavior but it wouldn't be classified as an instinct concerning this particular definition of the term.
"Is the question - what instincts do humans posses that no other animal posses, or is it do humans have instinct? I think humans mos def posses instinct, it's just obscured by our cerebral processing."
- Do Humans have instinct. The arguement here is whether our species possess it. So we can't discuss the other question unless we've discovered an instinct that could even compare.
Brad (again!)
"Maybe there real question is: Where does instinct start and bodily function stop?
Is learning a bodily function (a function of the brain) or an instinct?"
Hmmm...good question. I think I should have given examples. It may clarify it a bit more. The definition of "Instinct" is again...a complex behavior that all members of this species posses.
It seems that whatever my Instructor was looking for was a complex behavior that produce something tangible.
Examples:
- A Weaver Bird, instinctively weaves a nest.
Experiments have been done where they isolated a single egg. Egg hatched; bird was cared for by people and grows. Then later on matured and created an amazing woven nest. The bird was never taught, there weren't any other Weaver birds around he could learn from! He just knew. Weaving is a difficult task.
- A Spider instinctively weaves a web
Spider's aren't taught to make a web, they just do it! Creating a web isn't easy, there is a lot of detail!
I think the question here should be to argue the definition of "instinct" OR perhaps there are two variations of this term?
- Complex Instinct
and
- Survival Instinct
Oh! I'm having SO MUCH FUN with this. I need to start a debate in class next week. I've got some new material and I'm SO going to challenge him with it. Sociology is awesome, I love it! lol.
Uh-oh, I also have to study for that test! =(>-,<)=
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"Also, I thought of the perfect way to prove that survival is an instinct (or a bodily function):
You could try to kill yourself by holding your breath.
Obviously, you shouldn't use anything to prevent yourself from breathing other than just closing your mouth and not breathing through your nose... You can't do it."
True, BUT this is reflexive, your body requires oxygen. So when oxygen is prevented from entering the lungs, your body reacts to this by whatever means in to order to once again restore the flow of O2.
Heidi
"Babies are born with a fear of falling. If you pretend to drop an infant, they startle and throw their hands up in the air. I've read it's the only fear we're born with."
- It is very abstract to be an instinct under this definition of the term. Fear is an emotion. Being startled and throwing their hands up are reactions to the falling motion.
Just to rattle old Pandoras box a bit, I did open my good old thesaurus. Instinct is considered a synonym for intuition and vice versa.
It is a fun debate.
As far as martial arts go, I personally have soft spot for kung fu, and am dying to learn krav maga. As far as grappling and ground fighting, I have taken a good deal of judo. It is a hoot.
But when I was a 20 year old girl living in New York on Avenue C, I would say it was instinct not reflex that left my attempted assailant on the ground bleeding and me just trembling a bit.
Krav Maga is kinda terrifying and awesome. It is Israeli hand to hand combat.
Thid is from the International Krav Maga Federation kravmaga.com
Definition
Definition - What is Krav-Maga?
A practical and tactical system which teaches
how to prevent, deal and overcome all kinds of violence and attacks. KM
prepares the trainees in the subjects of self-defense, self protection,
fighting and combat skills, as well as skills to defend others, all in
unique and comprehensive teachings and way. Krav-Maga was developed in
Israel, under realistic demands and conditions. Founded and formed by
Imi Lichtenfeld (Sde-Or) and continues to advance and be modified by
Eyal Yanilov, assisted by the top instructors of IKMF.
* * *
Krav-Maga is a horizontal system with a unique and logical approach. It
is easy to learn and retain, performed naturally and intuitively, and
practically be use under stressful conditions. An essential part of KM
is its teaching process, methodology and ways of training.
Krav-Maga includes the subjects of:
- Prevention, avoidance, escape and evasion.
- Dealing with throws and falls to all directions and angles.
- Attacks and counterattacks, performed to all targets,
- Defending all unarmed attacks: punches, strikes and
- Dealing with the above attacks when sent from all
- Physical and mental control and disarm.
- KM prepares the trainees to function in all
Krav-Maga contains special approaches,distances, ranges, heights, angles, directions and in all rhythms.
Executed from all positions and postures. Use of all sorts of common
objects for defensive purposes.
kicks. Releases from all sorts of grabs and holds. Defending all armed
attacks and threats of knife and sharp objects; of sticks bars and
other blunt objects; of all kind of firearms.
possible directions and places; When are performed by a single or
multiple attackers; When occur in all possible places, positions and
postures. Including in confined or open areas; in an ally, staircase,
car; On all types of grounds; In water; When free or in limited space
of movement; While standing, on the move, sitting down, laying down on
the back, side or facing down.
circumstances and scenarios, in all combat and fighting environments,
according to their needs, risks they are facing and job descriptions.
KM enables and brings technical, tactical, physical and mental growth
and improvements.
tactics, techniques, subjects, drills and training methods for the
different sectors: Civilians of all ages, men and women, young and old;
Law-enforcement officers; Military personnel and units; Correction
service officers and wardens; Security officers; As well as: Close
protection officers; Undercover agents; Antiterrorists groups;
Air-marshals; Special and commando units.
Eyal Yanilov