Why do people insist it is human nature?

Question

to be greedy, materialistic, judgmental, start wars, lie, instead of saying that it is the easier path to take? If someone is cheating you can't have an even chance unless you cheat too, so all it takes is one person to act this way and others will follow suit. That doesn't make it human "nature", it just means so many people have no morals and will act in these ways if it suits them. But to say it is our nature is degrading and doesn't it set a really low standard of behavior? Why would anyone try to be a good person if they think they are inherently evil?

Answer 1

People like to insist it is human nature because it gives them an excuse to continue with what they are doing and not feel so bad about it or have you think they are bad. Afterall, they're "normal." It also gives them an excuse to not have to change. Changing of oneself and one's thoughts/actions is very hard. Saying it's human nature is the easy copout answer. We all know that things that are considered evil are selfish and exciting. People are inherently selfish and get bored easily which is why we need to take responsibility for our actions and stop blaming it on our "hard wiring."

Answer 2

Ok, well then, we will just say everyone has really low morals (aka, we are evil). Think about it. Even without war and big stuff like that, everyone does selfish, materialistic, etc. things. We do it from the moment we are born till the day we die. We don't need other people to show us how to do these things or to make us do something. If it were our nature to be good, it wouldn't matter what other people did.

Now a question... Does it really matter if it sets a low standard of behavior IF it is true? If it is true that we are all evil, the best thing to do would be to admit the truth and then do something about it (in other words, try to be good). You can not try to be good if you think you are already good. It doesn't matter if something is degrading, if it is true. If I am an idiot, it is true whether I believe it or not or whether it makes me feel bad or not (hopefully I'm not an idiot, but bear with me). If I was an idiot, the best thing to do would be to admit it and try to get smarter. If I was an idiot, but thought I was smart, then I couldn't try to be smart. Does that make any sense to you? I'm not sure it will, cus I'm half asleep as I write this. But anyways, hope that throws some light on the issue.

Answer 3

I think history has taught us that we are capable of committing horrible atrocities. And people continue to commit them, either individually or as a group, every day. If you don't think it's human nature, how does a child learn to act like total brat so early in his or her life? Sure, a parent can correct that behavior, but it's origin came from the child.

As a good person, (I really try to practice that every day), I think we may all inherently be different degrees of evil. Why one person would just seem to be born hating life and everything and everyone in it, while another turns into Mister Rogers is something I wish we ALL understood.

I agree with you, there IS an easier path to take. But, I believe there is something very powerful that attempts to block that path - human nature.

Answer 4

I could not agree with you more!!! I get so infuriated with people when they use 'human nature' as an excuse for almost everything that is wrong with them (never what is positive, productive, kind etc. about them). I also cannot stand how men and women, when faced with difficulties in thier relationships, use the excuse "well, that's just how men/women are, get used to it"...it is a monumental cop-out!!!
I think you answered your own question though - to use such excuses is the 'easier path to take' (as you said). People are lazy, unable to accept their faults and unwilling to change themselves for the better. It really is a shame.
Great question! I am very happy to hear that there are others out there, like yourself, who feel the same way I do.

Answer 5

I wrote a 10 page essay on this in my psych 2 class. After studying humans from new borns to 25 year olds i have noticed a patern that there are some things that can be considered human nature. It is with out a doubt human nature to be selfish, hence why a baby cries to get something, or a little kid pouts when he doesn't get something. Then some things come out later in life such as sex drive. Humans naturally want to have sex, more so when more hormones are released into the body. Humans are taught not to cheat, and taught to be faithful. Humans naturally do carry feelings but studies show that there are patterns that show people are supposed to only be attracted to eachother long enough to raise a child. Moral is defined as judgement concerned with goodness or badness of human action, but other humans are the ones who decided what is right and what is wrong. This goes back to humans naturally being selfish, humans have developed right and wrong to look out for themselves, and to protect their fears of what someone else is capable of. Which fear is human nature which stems off of selfishness. People become so concerned about themselves they become fearful of what can happen to ones self. true character shows when other people start caring about what other humans. one mans rights' end where another mans rights' begin. Law should be based on not allowing peoples rights to overlap, not on right and wrong because who decides on what is right and wrong. everyone has a different opinion. someone is not wrong for thinking about themselves which is human nature, but they become wrong when they don't think of others as well. So if someone cheats on you they can say it was human nature to like someone else and have sex with them etc. but it is not human nature to disreguard you feelings and hurt you along the way. thats where the balance of ego, id and super ego should be level.

everyone is evil (selfish) but everyone is also good (unselfish) at the same time. this is what creates a balance. i use the term "everyone" loosely because everyone is different and some people fall outside of the norms.

the last thing i noticed about human nature is humans can learn, and since they can learn they can change. if a person has a bad experience, they learn from it and adapt. adaption is forms and changes beliefs. everything is tied together, this whole idea of an individual can be tied down to the chaos theory and one small event can change the whole thought process in a generation, as every generation is different from the last. as individuals change, everyone else around changes, then everyone else around those people who were effected change. people have influence on others close to them, if you want to change a belief, change the people close to you, then have them change people close to them and so on. either that or become famous and get a fan base.

Answer 6

I am so bleeding happy that some one has brought this up!

Two of my most hated expressions are;

'It is just human nature.'
~or~
'It is society's fault.'

I personally feel that we are all individuals and we should all be responsible for our own actions. Of course there are the grey areas of this like everything else in life, such as mentally ill people for one example... But for the people who are mentally able, they should have to answer to their own actions.

People are all capable of good and evil. It is which one THEY will chose along the path that makes life worth living. If you are going to act in 'evil' ways then it is your choice as an individual, no one Else's.

I am tired of people not taking responsibility for their own actions today and I hope that one day they will become comfortable enough to take responsibility for their actions...

PoIsOn MuNkEy

Answer 7

Legally, there aren't any such difficulty as "undemanding human rights". There are universal rights implied or reported in the structure, or different equivalent information and tradtions for different countries. authorities intereference with deepest action, such as sleep, ought to fall frequently lower than great due procedure. In different words, the authorities can't in basic terms annoy human beings at will, devoid of certain procedural safeguards and secure practices of liberty pastimes.

Answer 8

People need to be taught manners, kindness, sharing. Today most children are just not taught anything. They put them in front of a TV from the time they are little enough to watch.Some parents don't know where their children are or what they are doing. Many don't even know what they do even when they're in their own house.

Answer 9

Read your first sentence:
"greedy, materialistic, judgmental, start wars, lie"
The only animals that do these things are humans.
But, you only act the way you do because of your innner convictions...don't blame it on everyone elses morality.

I do understand your wanting to know the answer to your question. It is, afterall, only human nature.

KaptainK

Answer 10

I agree - if was our nature than we couldn't do differently. I think people like to argue that something they know is wrong is part of their nature because it makes them less accountable