“Aren't we taught anyway not to be greedy? Aren't we taught to suppress that greed and not to steal, so that we might be offered freedom as opposed to imprisonment? Even taking it one step back from stealing, we are taught that if we are kind to someone, and suppress those feelings that might be viewed as "unkind," that our neighbors will be grateful to us for having exhibited such kindness? When someone wrongs us, we, naturally, feel the need to wrong them back, perhaps in a magnitude greater than that with which they wronged us. Doesn't society suppress that, so that, once again, we might avoid imprisonment?”
--As humans are social animals, we are quite able to take advantage of each other to boost our own gene’s survival. While one can choose to murder, one can also decide to form friendship, and do deals. I’ll groom your back, and you’ll groom mine. When a child is instructed by his/her mother not to exhibit certain negative behaviours, this is to boost the survival of the individual, more likely to form friendships (that may bring more gifts, or join you in battle) as a result. Coming back to our original point, take Christianity for example, and Jesus said never covert your neighbour’s wife and even thinking about it is a sin. But that, the intent to control our thoughts and suppress something that is basic and natural have often disastrous effects, in the form of repression. Biologically speaking, if you see a beautiful woman, and you deem her genes suitable to yours, you’d desire to reproduce with her, which is normal. The conscience then has to decide whether the risk is worth the consequences. But trying to eliminate these thoughts at all is, I’d argue, unnatural and unproductive.
04-Jun-2011 17:49:01
