Which will win out, our intelligence or our instincts?

Question

Stephen Hawking once said that our “instincts are getting in the way of our intelligence”. Our intelligence comes from our evolution from all other life. Humans are the only species on the planet with the power of thought. Other species are intelligence but we have logic and reason and a capacity to learn. Which in turn gave us the advantage we needed to evolve and survive.

Our more basic instincts, however, is our aggressive nature, territoriality and our willingness to blindly follow leaders. Which is also related to our evolution from every other species. Most people just move along with whatever their leaders tell them, and listen to their more basic emotions. When will we be able to embrace what it really means to be human and alive? To be conscious and aware of our surroundings, not by religion but by science.

But our instincts will be our downfall.

Answer 1

Instinct has kept us alive for much longer than intelligence.

Answer 2

I think instinct can be just as useful to our lives. Others species do not over breed if their living space is already too small and they do not destroy their ecosystem. There is a hierarchy, but it is not judged by who has the best car or most money, it is based on the strongest to weakest to ensure survival. The weaker of the species are expected to catch up and be productive members of the group, not carried through life. Animals eat when they are hungry, sleep when they are tired and mate when they feel the desire; we often deny ourselves food, sleep and companionship for various reasons. By no stretch of the imagination am I saying we should all run around acting like a pack of wolves. Maybe through the use of our intelligence, we could take the good traits of instinct and start to understand what it really means to be human and alive.

Answer 3

If we have time to think, intelligence wins. But for some reason, whenever I'm on the side of the road and a truck is coming, I have a sudden urge to run across the road. So if that ever takes over, instincts will win - for a few seconds.

Answer 4

Instincts.

Answer 5

our intelligence...i have already learned how to control my instincts and let them out when in danger...and there are many millions of much more intelligent people than me in the world...

Answer 6

My mind-set to education matches my dogs's personality and infrequently geared in the route of their perfect characteristics. definite, I altered my approaches in accordance with which dogs i'm education on the time. My labs do dock diving - yet no longer my Shih-Tzu. So definite, i stumble on activities depending on the breed and follow by ability of with education for that pastime. yet all of mine have the necessary obedience education. i'm also searching into search for and Rescue education for my youthful lab because he's more suitable energetic and is rather the "sniffer" - he makes use of his nostril to locate issues a lot more suitable than my older lab does. so it particularly is a good celebration of educating in accordance mutually with his trait. As for stressful circumstances....i'm at present in competition Obedience education with a 12 month previous lab. have you ever seen an energetic, prey pushed, curious 12 month previous lab? he's doing okay and purely this week i have self belief that he and that i have over come a great impediment in our education - he actual stayed in his sit down / stay at the same time as smaller dogs and excited ones pranced all round him and that i become at the different end of the room. That become made me so proud!

Answer 7

I would have said instincts, but what you repeated about Stephen hawkins made me stop and think...I have enormous respect for him.