Why do we assume it is human nature?

Question

Why do people assume that common reactions must be human nature? There are many influences that affect how people act that are arbitrary, yet people assume that because it is common, it is natural.

Human nature seems to imply that we are unable to affect it, it is used as a validation for actions and attitudes that are actually choices. I kind of take issue with that....

I'm tired, I hope that this was comprehendable haha. Any ideas on this issue?

I do agree with the fact that we have instincts and reactions that come from that, but there are reactions that are a product of societal norms (abritrary conditions) that are referred to as human nature.

For example, women are predisposed to staying home with children. That's my personal opinion, obviously, but it is what I believe. I do believe that we have some maternal instincts, but I do not believe that it has to follow the pattern that has been created by society.

Answer 1

Brilliant.

Indeed the phrase human nature has become more of an excuse than fate. We are all the time trying to pass off our decisions and failures to such excuses rather than take or fix responsibility for the choices made. Just because a majority of people make the same choice, it doesn't become human nature, it still remains a wrong choice made by a number of people and just because a majority of people have chosen, it does not become any right choice nor the consequences of the wrong choice can diminish in any way.

Answer 2

Unfortunatly I can only answer this question with an answer you probably won't like. But here goes anyway. Humans, while very intelligent, are still an animal. We have the same needs, air, water, food, and we do have instincts, and therefore human nature. If you feel your life is being threatened you act defensively. If you are a woman chances are you are going to want to have children at some point in time in your life, reguarless of how hard you may deny it, odds are you will feel the need to procreate. The reason that common things are labled as human nature is sometimes an excuse, but there are things that if you look back in history have stood the test of time. Women being the homemaker, and man being the protective provider. Even now a days when women claim so much independence, it is in our nature to want to stay home with our children when they are young. Unfortunatly with the cost of todays living being as high as it is, most families cannot survive on one income alone. But I do also believe in a bit of change, I think the longer and longer women drop the baby off at a sitters and go to work just like the man, our instincts may change. Heck they already have over the whole abortion debate. Now a young girls instinct when she gets pregnant is to destroy it because she is too young. And while that may sound like an excuse, it is becoming the norm. And it will effect us in the long run. And that is the one of the big differences between human and animal, is that our insticts may change over time, but they do still exist.

Answer 3

I didn't really fully fathom your message, but from what I DID understand you seem to imply that there isn't a universal human reaction to anything. People will always act differently.

That is true, people react based on their own intuition, which is developed via past experiences and/or emotions. However, there are things that you can GENERALIZE about. For instance, if someone random on the street - anywhere in the world, saw a murder taking place, they would think it's horrific.

I hope that was comprehendable, hehe

Answer 4

Human Nature is an abstract, it is created out of our sub consciousness, it is not real, it is only used to have a conversation with. However, human nature would be common sense, like walking into the street when there are cars racing by. Although the mentally challenged verbally opposes this thanks to scientists and researchers bringing this up to disprove a point...damn hypocrites, it is only what our brain acts upon and how it will react upon your actions. Though our brain may react upon instincts to get off the streets, the mind can overcome it, like when we want to suicide, we step into the streets and await our doom, there is no human nature that is right or wrong, because we can control the fact that we can control our common sense to become unreacted upon.

Answer 5

Partially, I agreed to what you have written however I like to bring again that a Greek philosopher had studied the human
behavior patterns and thinking to determine the future course of man with its simplification like the horoscopes. Thus resulting the norms of the society in general. However, Japanese cultures differ because in buying a simple product ,most of them follow like a season. A man is either nurtured or born with the traits and when come to sexual intercourse , a man seeks a woman or a woman seeks for a man. Strict rules apply.

Answer 6

really anything people do is human nature because its what people do by nature. i mean logically you could say all 6 billion peole on this planet have there own human nature but maybe someone should put just what it is into context. its like this there is no definition of the word planet there are many large bodies in our universe u would think they would qualify far more than pluto but they dont add more to the nine planets do they.
anyone could call what we are doing now human nature. and what we are doing is trying to cope with agravation and this comes from the fear of the unknown something that ties to everything we call human nature.

Answer 7

I am tired too...I've been trying to sleep for over an hour now [but can't], so I got up to answer some questions...I had to read your question two times to try to understand it more fully...I know what it's like to ask or answer questions while falling asleep [my mind gets jumbled]. In response to your question...an experience of mine to common reactions is as follows: when our father died, I cried instantaneously but when our 20 year old son died I went into shock. Two different reactions to two deaths in my family.
After my father died, my mother started putting photos up of him, but I didn't like it [don't know why]...but right after our son died I put many pictures up of our son. When my dad died, I wanted to move out of our home, but when our son died I did not want to move away from our home [even though our daughter wanted to move away]...are these common reactions/human nature to you?

Answer 8

If i do not have a bay i will adopt one