Do humans have any instincts?

Question

My question is, do adult humans have instincts? I know babies hold their breath underwater etc, but aside from emotional responses such as wanting to protect their children, do humans as animals have any physical instincts at all? Like cats burying feces, bears hunting fish and such as that?

Answer 1

Humans have no instincts, only reflexes or learned behaviors. Instincts are complex in-born actions used for greater chances at survival (example: nesting).

Quoting the source: Instincts are "a complex and specific response by an organism to an environmental stimuli that is largely hereditary and unalterable, does not involve reason, and has as its goal the removal of a "somatic" (inst. note: physical, relating to the body) tension. also, Behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level."

Answer 2

There are 2 types of instincts, natural and learned, your first description fits natural instincts, so it would seem you were looking for learned instincts in humans. If I'm correct in this assumption then yes, human do have such instincts they are just widely varied across the human race, due in most part to our being spread across the globe and being far more complicated than most animals. For example most phobias are learned instincts as well lying can also be a learned instinct such as in the case of habitual liars.

Answer 3

All living things, I think, has instincts. Maybe we as concious, sentient beings rely so much more on thinking and using logic that the need for instincts to survive becomes diminished. Take for example a new born baby. Lacking any sort of advanced conciousness of a more mature child, it would rely on base instincts such as crying for its parents or for food.

Answer 4

I think men and women dress certain ways to try to attract the opposit sex and singing or danceing could also be a form of trying to attract the other sex.Showing how smart you are to some to impress them might be a way to find a mate.Insinct.
I guess these are kinda the same as what animals do to attract each other.Some birds dance a certain way to attrack the females.The robins chest is much birghter then the females and he sticks it way out their to show how awsome his suite is that he's wareing.
The male fish colors are brighter to attract them females as well.
The Lions afro is the type of cloths he wares thats attractive to the shelion.
We do the same things too.instinct.
The lion holds his head high with his pray in his mouth as if to prove to everone how victorious he is.
I guess we have actions the same and maybe its our instinct to prove our selfs that we are fit for life.We actually have to all the time anyway.Well we don't but for those who want to live better will show they're instinct.And the weak will die.That's mother nature for you.

Answer 5

Shock is a form of instinct. If your body is traumatized, it sort of goes numb to protect you from the pain. I was in a car wreck & I never felt a thing. It was bad too. My car was ripped in half & I think that I just kind of went numb.

Answer 6

Yes Adults have instincts. We don't notice them becasue we are accustom to them or we relearn to get rid of them like the instinct to eliminate wherever. We relearn to eliminate in approprate places thru classical conditioning.

Answer 7

A general instinct of survival. Fear is associated with this instinct.

Answer 8

ABSOLUTELY!! It is a human's instinct to learn and gain knowledge by asking questions... why do you think this site is so popular?

Answer 9

yes; to spread their seed, fight/flight, clasic male "well my d!ck is bigger than yours!" behaviour, following leaders blindly, etc. most of this comes from the part of our prains we share in common with reptiles.

reflexes - are not instinct. involuntery reflex (like when you pull your hand away exremely quickly when you burn your finger) is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, not the brain. instinct lies within the brain itself

Answer 10

hmmm....try running into a wall. watch what you do at the very last split second. you really cant make yourself thrash like that without recoiling or twisting somehow instinctively to protect yourself i think.