Humans self-destructive?

Question

Do you think that humans are ultimately self-destructive?

I don't mean individual people, but societies in general. We create differences and rifts where none exist. We always manage to find something to fear and hate.

Throughout history nothing good ever lasted and every golden age was followed by a dark one. What drives us to be so short-sighted and narrow-minded?

Answer 1

Tsk. You need to take a longer view yourself. Think about eons.

Sure, lots of humans kill other humans. But do you think it is completely random who lives and who dies? Some people who are sensitive to trouble avoid it. Some who are less strong succumb to difficulties that others manage to overcome. What kind of humans will follow if this continues for thousands of years?

Our heirs may not be any more peaceful, but they WILL be survivors. They will have to be. They will be accustomed to meeting trouble and besting it. And when the universe cannot manufacture enough trouble to keep them occupied, they will produce their own.

Then, nothing will stop them.

Answer 2

I admire the question, however,I don't have an accurate answer;only musings on what you've said.

What drives us to be so narrow-minded is our incredible clinginess to our own culture and what we've acquired from society as we were growing up. Consequently, many many of us don't like what's different and actually do create differences that lead them to feel fear and hate as you said. We're so boastful of the great achievements of modern technology and how the world has become a small village. Yet, we do not seem to want to know the slightest thing about "the other". So you might as well consider vanity a major part of the problem.
Actually, some of these differences really do exist ,however we have not reached the ultimate state of idealism (and never will) that would make us overlook trivialities and care for what's common. We pretend to,but we really don't care.

Answer 3

I do not know if humans themselves choose to be self-destructive but as a large group it can lead to destructive behavior. Animals in general strive to have self-preservation, to continue their existence. However, humans have become so advance that we don't need to hunt all day for food or work all day for food, so we use all our free time doing activities that feel 'good' or make us 'happy'. Humans have a difficult time planning for the future especially when the consequences are so far removed from the actions. It mainly comes down to humans' inability to plan logically and to avoid things that may feel good now but have horrible consequences later. It also comes from a disconnect from reality when such things are challenged, ie. Liver damage isn't all that common, it won't happen to me if I drink. As an agnostic atheist, I find that answer as incorrect. As an atheist because I only have this one life to live, makes me value more life even more, therefore I take very good care of myself, because I like life and would like to stick around. Your answer is a red-herring and a straw-man argument.

Answer 4

I think it is our stuborness and inability to look at things in a different light. We as humans tend to think that we have all the answers and that we know what to do. It's when we realize that this isn't true that all the great things in life happen because we work together. Unfortunately, as new generations come this tends to not last so the cycle begins once again. This is a very good question though. The human mind and functions are a very curious subject and one which i think can never truly be mastered.

Answer 5

no. but criminality has existed since the time of Peking man if not before and by extent warfare not thinkinga of ways to get what you want when peacefull way viable. an example of how people can transcend this can be found in the european union and greenpeace and awareness of global warming. also empathy for those who live outside of the european union and elsewhere.also a desire to acheive peace.democracy exists everywhere and an attempt get it by using the ballot box might work if it was extended so the vote could effect the planet. votre in one without loss of citizenship in another.might not worth a try.wars blinded truth of unity

Answer 6

I think they are.
A very good example of that is the Nazis Holocaust, the genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutus. Racism, the KKK clan.
i think that gangs are sort of a society and they murder and kill for no apparent reason. I think the U.S. gov't is self-destructive .. i heard and I have seen clips in youtube about the 9/11 being set up by the US government.

if you think in something smaller. such as media.. and i think that this is even bigger but "hidden". media tells you what they think is right. you buy an identity and it's not you anymore.. violent movies, music videos.. putting down women..

Puts down of homosexuality and promoting being MACHO.. everywhere in the media..

.. but that's just my opinion

Answer 7

Just give it a little thought... maybe who ever wrote this really has something.

Despite the widespread belief in the value of self-esteem in this culture, a growing body of research indicates that pursuing self-esteem has substantial costs, making it more difficult for people to perform well and to relinquish competitiveness and self-absorption to relate well to others. "The pursuit of self-esteem is ultimately self-destructive and may be costly to others as well,"

Answer 8

People are too self centered basically. We exist in a reality where we are forced to consume other life in order to survive. but humans have gotten intelligent to the point where we try and stop people from dying. eventually, we will scour the planet clean, and then bacteria and viruses are gonna win from our constant breeding of super strains.

Answer 9

Yes,because humans record history, we don't learn from it and we are likely to repeat it.

Answer 10

I can't say anything exept I'm sorry. Sorry for ourselves that live in such a world and cannot change it.
May God help us!