Human Nature?

Question

Are humans by nature creatures of selfishness, or is this a symptom of the american culture?

Answer 1

I think it is there when you are born, but it is cultivated by culture and life in general.

Answer 2

I think we are by nature creatures of selfishness. Selfish behaivor transcends american culture. you find the same acts all over the world and through history. Even in altruism (helping others) we are still fulfilling a selfish need. Very rarely do people donate money or assistance without expecting some sort of validation or recognition that they are a wonderful person. And many times in the odd case that help does come from an anonymous source it can be because the souce needs to rid themselves of guilt or to prove a point.

Surely there are cultural stimuli that can make "selfishness" worse. But when it comes down to it the inborn need to feel special is the root cause. Hence why communism fails time and time again. Nobody wants to feel like they're just another face in the collective and eventually someone will act selfishly to gain more than everyone else in an attempt to feel as if they are "better" than the rest. Then other people feel like it's unfair that person is doing better and so they start trying to do better and the whole system goes down.

Capatilism is much the same except for that the activities of "bettering" yourself against your fellow man is actually encouraged as opposed to being frowned upon by the establisment.

Answer 3

the answer is kind of complicated because the first objective of every human is to survive therefor it is in our nature to be selfish .

however i know that when people are in need and they know that the only way to survive is to help each other then our nature to survive changes the selfishness we have on us and make us think in others and to remember what we might had been through before when we were in need .

about America all i have to say is that YES America is selfish and has forgotten how it really feels to be in need . the American culture constantly sends a message of we should only care for ourselves . Americans are not being told what is really happening and many just do not care about it . i must add that i don't think every American is this way but certainly the culture is and that i also think that this mistake can be corrected and that America can still go back to be the leader it has been in many important world issues .

Answer 4

Humans are by nature selfish, if being selfish is what is required for survival. Given that many of us in the West are not lacking in food or shelter, I would say that American culture promotes excessive selfishness

Answer 5

It is a cultural thing, however it may be rooted in Human Nature.
It's def. not the american culture. Several examples of extreme selfisness exist far beyond Americanism. Sadam H., Hitler, Napolean, The Czars, and many other cultures have thrived because of selfishness. It's not always a bad thing. Selfishness motivates and causes us to be more productive. The US is a productive nation because we are selfish as a group, not just because of our leader.

Answer 6

Selfishness is a choice, not a symptom of human nature but a lack of giving which is also a choice.

Answer 7

After thinking about your question I feel that it almost answers itself. If you were to ask "Is the selfishness trait from nature or nurture?" we could discuss that. Since you put "American culture" in there, you're assuming that other cultures are not selfish, therefore the answer is obviosuly: American Culture.

Answer 8

Human nature is first, Nature. Most forms of caring and selfLESSness have to be cultivated. Any creature will tend to look out for itself. There are, luckily, for most higher forms of life, some instincts for raising young ones until the being is old enough to care for itself. Even that may manifest itself into caring only for members of its own family.

An adult either has learned to care and cooperate with others or has not. That adult may have learned just enough cooperation to survive and stay out of trouble. It would take a significant emotional event to change that in a person.

Answer 9

Socio-economic, but also part of us.

It takes a certain narcissism of the polis to change the "self-serving, egotisical, 2-yr-old" conception of selfishness. Really there's no contradiction being selfish and living in a shimmering utopia where everyone does the same.

Answer 10

I believe that it is an acquired thing that is learned by the by the environment that they are raised. Because I know a lot of people that are not that way at all. there a lot of caring generous people around. It is unfortunate that the selfish ones that make the headlines

Answer 11

No, It's not only about being an american.It's about being materialistic too.We are born innocent but the moment we enter this world,we are affected by all that happens around.It's wise to give children good and friendly atmosphere and set limits for them.But human nature is unpredictable.