Thousands of years ago, we were hunters and gatherers. We had instincts and drives that we followed almost without question. These drives/urges/instincts - whatever you want to call them, were essential to our survival.

Snap back today:

We have 24 hour grocery stories, we do not need to hunt for our food. We only need to jump in our cars and drive down to get it. For those of us who are lazier still, we can get it home delivered.

Our primordial instincts are shut down by the civilised world. Lust, desire -- you act on these impulses we get branded with 'sexual harassment' or worse. I'm not saying we should follow these without question but the point is that they served a purpose in the past, but today these drives are not only unnurtured, but there is no place for them.

Our anger, our hate, our bloodlust - neither is there a form of expression for these without strict moderation. Hunting laws, paintball guns, MMA, UFC, all are little outlets for some form of aggression which is tightly regulated and controlled. Nowadays a large portion of our society deems such behaviour as brutal, sadistic, unevolved.

Are we evolving to something else?

Is it healthy that the rational mind dictates everything?
Why would we have instincts if we were not to use them?
If God does exist, and in his infinite wisdom, makes no mistakes, why give us abilities that serve no purpose?

If we are evolving why aren't these impulses going away?
Why do we get nervous breakdowns, split personalities, schizophrenia, etc? Did out primitive ancestors have such problems? I don't think so.

Maybe the repression of all that we were and in our supposed enlightened stage, we try and strive for something better but instead we ignore one part of our psyche in favor of another. The rational over the irrational. Our instincts, emotions, drives and fears are the third dimension of an otherwise two dimensional existence. If we shut these down, we block it all out in favor of a nice orderly existence -- what happens? Is that healthy? Does it get bottled up? How do you find catharsis? Some don't and the strain is too much. They snap - they might go on a killing spree or wind up in some nicely padded room. Others might find some nicely sanctioned activities in which to express their urges.

Whilst others seem to blissfully go on through their existence without any seeming disturbance whatsoever. Are they 'new' man? These people can't surely be. You cannot eradicate several thousand years of genetic programming in a few generations of societal programming. I refuse to believe that. These people just hide it better than others.

When the rational mind takes over and starts to dictate that it knows best, I swear I think we make more mistakes. Genetic engineering, cloning, eradicating cancer, AIDS, cheat death. We know better than God we keep telling ourselves.

Are we striving for enlightenment?
Are we progressing?
Or are we going backwards?
Technology is evolving as science is guided by rational thought.
However, technological progression does not equate to progression of the spirit.

Therefore, what is happening to us as a species? I don't know. But the more I think about it, the more I think that we are not a happy race of people. And it's not just because we don't have a million dollars, our choice of cars and body. It's because something is lacking. Only that for all our technology and science and rational thought, we can't find it or pinpoint it. Language can't define it and neither can philosophy it seems. But there is a big gaping whole in the heart of society, whether people choose to see it or not. What I'm thinking is that maybe rational thought isn't the answer. Maybe it's something else. At the very least, it's not the answer in and by itself.

- The Jake

i think bob sapp can come back and mabye beat noguiera in a re match

Anyone that attempts a thread hijack revels in the fact they possess the all the smarts of a turnip.

- The Jake

hmm interesting theory, and I have to say I have thought about similar things and I agree - these impulses and instincts were put there for a reason, perhaps the reason is no longer there for us to exercise such instincts but hey - men still have nipples.

good read Jake. I think im going to get into Sadism.

Now that was some deep thinking.......... but I'm a blonde & now my head hurts................

Sudo shirt i need the Sudo shirt!!!!!

http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/fcmovie/pics/workshop/FilmCommentBrad.jpg

I was trying to find more books by Chuck Palahnuik when I found this on his homepage...

- The Jake

I knew that eventually you would make a thread out of this.

Welcome people to what Jake and me bull**** about during meaningless work days!

I think that even though in some ways we have evolved, we are by no means better than we were. In some ways our greed is making us an unhealthier and race closer to destruction.

Has there been an invention better than the wheel? Or a discovery greater than fire??

And by keeping the sick or elderly around by using medicine to keep them alive, does this help or hinder society? Sure it delays our grief, but is it worth it? Would it not be better to have quality time ahead of quantity time?? Any other creature would leave the sick, lame or old to fend for themselves in what time they had left and if they can keep up, great, if not, farewell.

The human emotion of greed is the most dangerous one we have IMO. Greed is what has led to a majority of wars, it drives people to work 70 hour weeks in jobs they dislike so they can afford more ****. It keeps families apart. It makes people want to **** that new person in their world, therefore going behind their current partners back, building a solid base of distrust and deception that future generations can follow on with.

Yes, perhaps the one good thing that could come out of a major holocaust is that the survivors woiuld have to be resourceful and only the fittest would survive...the fat, the lazy and the lame would quickly be cast aside.

I know people do not decide to be handicapped or sick, my point is that if a race horse breaks a leg...we shoot it. If a human breaks everything, we keep it alive for as long as is painfully possible, making the grieving process 10 times longer than need be.

The sooner we all realise we are indeed going to die one day, the better

This is so true man.

All things end, and in nature there's that equilibrium.

But when it comes to all things man made, we try to break that equilibrium.

New diseases and virii - black death, influenza, HIV, AIDS, SARS, ebola, etc.

This is God's way of keeping harmony with the cycle of life, death and renewal. We keep trying to subvert the natural order of things by living longer than we should, building things that will virtually never erode or die. Styrofoam immediately springs to mind...

Empires rise and fall despite all we do to try and prevent it. We all want immortality and nobody is willing to accept that it will all end. Why should we prolong a life that has lived well and stands to live a crippled or severely reduced quality of life? Maybe it is best that it should be put down humanely? Who are we to decide that we know better than God or the natural order of things??

- The Jake

Exactly...we are not immortal or will we ever be. Cryogenics are possibly the saddest idea...being frozen till a cure can be found for your disease is just ****en ridicualous

I want to live forever in an ageless state - hey have you guys seen Vanilla Sky with tom cruise? I thought that movie ****ing PWN3d!!!

Great discussion, it really makes you sit down and think about life.