Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Discuss morality and ethics in this message board.
Featured Article: Philosophical Analysis of Abortion, The Right to Life, and Murder
User avatar
Elder
Premium Member
Posts: 702
Joined: June 4th, 2015, 12:06 pm
Favorite Philosopher: Sandor Szathmari
Location: Canada

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Elder »

Spiral Out wrote:
Elder wrote:Another fragile and bruised ego, obsessing with my motivation, mental state and secret 'agenda', instead of my arguments!
Where are your arguments?
Look up. (Posts 1-19)

Then look down.

:roll:
I don't debate with the evaders, the hopelessly 'confused' or the too lazy to think -- life is too short!
Alias
Posts: 3119
Joined: November 26th, 2011, 8:10 pm
Favorite Philosopher: Terry Pratchett

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Alias »

There goes another topic.
Those who can induce you to believe absurdities can induce you to commit atrocities. - Voltaire
User avatar
Alec Smart
Posts: 671
Joined: June 28th, 2015, 12:28 pm

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Alec Smart »

Elder wrote: Then look down.

:roll:
I wonder how you would cope if they took all the little yellow faces away, they're probably the only things that don't disappoint you.
Smart by name and Alec by nature.
User avatar
Elder
Premium Member
Posts: 702
Joined: June 4th, 2015, 12:06 pm
Favorite Philosopher: Sandor Szathmari
Location: Canada

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Elder »

Alias wrote:There goes another topic.
And a very important topic.

If it weren't for those fragile egos, we could have gone somewhere.

Oh, well, time for a break.
I don't debate with the evaders, the hopelessly 'confused' or the too lazy to think -- life is too short!
User avatar
Alec Smart
Posts: 671
Joined: June 28th, 2015, 12:28 pm

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Alec Smart »

Elder wrote:
Alias wrote:There goes another topic.
And a very important topic.

Time for a break.
Class dismissed. Everybody back here tomorrow for another very important topic. And if the thieving little bastard who hid my little yellow faces doesn't have them back on my desk first thing in the morning the whole class will get detention. Now get out of my sight, the lot of you, before I threaten to move to pastures new.
Smart by name and Alec by nature.
Jan Sand
Posts: 658
Joined: September 10th, 2017, 11:57 am

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Jan Sand »

I have spent my rather long life being fascinated with the opportunity to be aware of as much as possible and to try to understand everything available to understand. I have great limitations in many directions but I accept that even a century of life is a terribly short time to make sense of my understandings. Even as a child I never felt the need to compete and competitive games and sports never had any attraction to me since, no matter my efforts, there would always be someone better at it than me and it was pleasing to see someone who could do things so wonderfully. I am fundamentally an artist and have attempted to involve myself into the many ways that that field explores because it so deeply requires experimentation in the external world as well as in the action of the mind to accept and delight in the efforts that, at extraordinary times, suddenly reveal patterns that coalesce into comprehension. We are each individuals that see the world somewhat differently than anybody else and to be delighted with all the differences of value and comprehension is, to me, the value of this time alive.

Throughout history almost all of human social life formed itself into hierarchies. Not only governments, but cultures and sub-organizations like businesses, social clubs, the military and even the religions patterned themselves into hierarchies. And hierarchies are essentially competitive in a most peculiar human way. One would think a hierarchy would place at its head the most competent and energetic person with a firm view of the ideals of the group. This does occur but it seems to me that there are other factors involved. Probably more often than not, the leader of a group becomes the least compassionate and the most socially ferocious to the point of psychopathy. And this is extremely true today when leaders use those whom they lead as objects to control and direct with little feeling for individual worth. The huge movement to substitute automatic machinery and robots for human participation in many areas no doubt tremendously increases efficiency and cuts costs but socially it slices huge numbers of people away from the inherent necessity for participation in society and very oddly deprives a market for goods because no funds are distributed for purchasing what is produced. Industry has always treated workers more or less as production machinery and thus negated in principle the function of any organization for production to integrate properly to the benefit of all society. Much criticism of this system is indicated as greed but the system itself demands that behavior and a good entrepreneur must conform or fail.

There is no doubt that current society is headed for ultimate disaster, appointing totally callous leaders armed with world destroying weapons and heedless of the most necessary regard for fellow humans or the welfare of the planet. I have no ready solutions but something must change or nobody will survive.
User avatar
Scribbler60
Posts: 177
Joined: December 17th, 2015, 11:48 am

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Scribbler60 »

Jan Sand wrote:There is no doubt that current society is headed for ultimate disaster, appointing totally callous leaders armed with world destroying weapons and heedless of the most necessary regard for fellow humans or the welfare of the planet. I have no ready solutions but something must change or nobody will survive.
I think your pessimism is misplaced.

Yes, the human race - and every other species, for that matter - is in danger of annihilation, whether it be through nuclear weapons and trump's thin skin, or climate change, or asteroid impact or other calamity, but fact is that people have been warning that the end is near for thousands of years.

Even the most cursory glance through, say, Youtube, will show countless videos warning of impending doom. The impact of the mythical Nibiru - promised for Sept 23, 2017 - is a big one for Youtubers.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, we're still here.

Yes, trump is making a mess of things, but he's 71 and won't be president forever. Yes, climate change is a very real danger, but it doesn't have to be lethal to humanity. Yes, we might be struck by an asteroid, but we're more likely to nudge it out of harm's way. Yes, humanity might suffer a massive pandemic but the race won't be entirely wiped out.

While sometimes current events and recency bias make for bitter newsreading, I have faith (funny word for a post-theist) in humanity's ability to manage such things.

We always have in the past. We're likely to do so as well in the future.
User avatar
Sy Borg
Site Admin
Posts: 14992
Joined: December 16th, 2013, 9:05 pm

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Sy Borg »

I suggest that the pessimism is not so much misplaced as too generally applied. For a fair percentage of humans and other species, disaster is indeed looming. However, disaster to the many is a mere inconvenience, perhaps at times even a bit of a challenge, for the Trumps, Kochs, Rothschildren and Buffets etc of this world. Those under the corporate umbrella will most likely be safe with their protective technology and independent power supplies.

Around 60,000 years ago an ice age is believed to have killed off all but one group of around 10,000 humans. The strong and lucky survived, and today's strong have much better protections than prehistoric humans, and no doubt contingencies should public utilities fail.
Jan Sand
Posts: 658
Joined: September 10th, 2017, 11:57 am

Re: Human nature - Cooperative or Competitive?

Post by Jan Sand »

Humans have been around for around two million years. The dinosaurs managed to live around 160 million years. One event destroyed almost everything that didn't fly and, since a mere three million years seems to be required to develop intelligence, I imagine it might have been possible there were a few bright dinosaurs who looked into the sky and scoffed at the idea that that strange bright light that suddenly appeared in the sky that ultimately created the Gulf of Mexico could ever threaten a biological line that lasted 160 million years. Perhaps humans will start to pay attention to the global warming and do something that will quickly change in society so that they realize that even today there are parts of India where the summer temperatures will kill anybody stepping into the sunlight. In twenty years the whole tropic zone will be deadly. Almost all corals are dying, the acid condition of the oceans is killing off much sea life and the fishing is so efficient that many larger species are disappearing and the others are also vanishing in large numbers. The ice at the poles and on Greenland is not only melting but that melt is accelerating. When that becomes almost total in a few decades the bulk of civilization's larger cities will be submerged. When the Gulf stream which warms northern cities stops, northern countries will freeze and it already shows signs of stopping. The past is no evidence of the future and the world has been very lucky that the many close calls of nuclear disaster have not already irradiated and sterilized the planet. A few tens of the thousands of nuclear weapons now existing will kill off most life on this planet and the spread of nuclear technology pretty much guarantees that disaster will occur. No doubt there are lots of bright people concerned but the forces of economics and the huge number of exceedingly stupid and powerful people in control indicate that humanity has very small chances of surviving. Those chances depend on a quick awakening to reality which simply isn't happening. I do not relish the approaching horror but I am soon 92 years old and have small prospects of seeing the worst. Humans have had a decent time to develop a society of reason and compassion but society today with its current series of wars that kills off millions of people pointlessly clearly indicates humanity and much else of life have very small chances of surviving. I am very, very sorry.
Post Reply

Return to “Ethics and Morality”

2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
by John K Danenbarger
January 2023

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023

The Unfakeable Code®

The Unfakeable Code®
by Tony Jeton Selimi
April 2023

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
by Alan Watts
May 2023

Killing Abel

Killing Abel
by Michael Tieman
June 2023

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead
by E. Alan Fleischauer
July 2023

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough
by Mark Unger
August 2023

Predictably Irrational

Predictably Irrational
by Dan Ariely
September 2023

Artwords

Artwords
by Beatriz M. Robles
November 2023

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope
by Dr. Randy Ross
December 2023

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes
by Ali Master
February 2024

2022 Philosophy Books of the Month

Emotional Intelligence At Work

Emotional Intelligence At Work
by Richard M Contino & Penelope J Holt
January 2022

Free Will, Do You Have It?

Free Will, Do You Have It?
by Albertus Kral
February 2022

My Enemy in Vietnam

My Enemy in Vietnam
by Billy Springer
March 2022

2X2 on the Ark

2X2 on the Ark
by Mary J Giuffra, PhD
April 2022

The Maestro Monologue

The Maestro Monologue
by Rob White
May 2022

What Makes America Great

What Makes America Great
by Bob Dowell
June 2022

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!
by Jerry Durr
July 2022

Living in Color

Living in Color
by Mike Murphy
August 2022 (tentative)

The Not So Great American Novel

The Not So Great American Novel
by James E Doucette
September 2022

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches
by John N. (Jake) Ferris
October 2022

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
November 2022

The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity

The Smartest Person in the Room
by Christian Espinosa
December 2022

2021 Philosophy Books of the Month

The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God's Plan

The Biblical Clock
by Daniel Friedmann
March 2021

Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe

Wilderness Cry
by Dr. Hilary L Hunt M.D.
April 2021

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute
by Jeff Meyer
May 2021

Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power

Surviving the Business of Healthcare
by Barbara Galutia Regis M.S. PA-C
June 2021

Winning the War on Cancer: The Epic Journey Towards a Natural Cure

Winning the War on Cancer
by Sylvie Beljanski
July 2021

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
by Dr Frank L Douglas
August 2021

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts
by Mark L. Wdowiak
September 2021

The Preppers Medical Handbook

The Preppers Medical Handbook
by Dr. William W Forgey M.D.
October 2021

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress: A Practical Guide

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress
by Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, MD
November 2021

Dream For Peace: An Ambassador Memoir

Dream For Peace
by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
December 2021