Are we generally good?

Question

I read an article this afternoon (attached at the bottom,) that basically addresses one of the first human relatives (the Neanderthal) that could have been murdered. Blunt force trauma to the head resulted in a unique fracture in the skull that could only be the result of being hit with an object by another Neanderthal. The article also discusses that the location of the site makes it likely that the other bones found were thrown in - making it one of the first cases of mass murder in human history.

Knowing that our monkey relatives (the chimp) display war like behavior, and that our bonobo relatives display love and peace like behavior, which do you think we show most predisposition towards?

I'd also like to throw out, do you think we are innately bad or good, and is there a possibility that we are genetically programmed for one or the other?

http://www.history.com/news/was-this-the-first-murder-victim-in-history?cmpid=Social_FBPAGE_HISTORY_20150528_185839203&linkId=14574468

Answer

Nope. I think we're huge a-holes by nature. Then again, most apex predators are, and we are apex predators, so it's not that shocking.

I would like to clarify that chimps are apes, not monkeys. Monkeys have tails, apes don't.

Answer

I imagine people to be naturally destructive. Look at a child for instance. You have to teach children to behave well.

A kid wants a toy? They go over and snatch it away, sometimes (often) resorting to physical violence to get said toy or goody. You have to teach a child that violence isn't the answer. Earlier ancestors wouldn't have had the luxury to teach something like that. They were focused on survival. Which means every family or person for themselves which often would mean violence.

We're not endangered and have a lot of resources so we can afford to not fight for survival.

So yes people are rather destructive. They look out for their own good first when it comes to loving. (Children being an extension if they have them)

Answer

We're the most destructive, aggressive and selfish species that's ever walked the earth. We are generally bad, which comes with high intelligence.

Answer

All in all, I think there are bad people who do good things, and good people who do bad things, along with the good/good and bad/bad at the end of both spectrums.

But considering that humans have only been on the earth for a very short amount of time (really just a blip compared to how old the earth and universe is), we've done some serious damage to our home and each other.

It's sad :/

Answer

I think the way our modern society is structured has messed up our instincts and made us more selfish and vain but our actual nature comes out sometimes. Like the other day that massive group of people lifted a double decker bus off a guy who'd been crushed under it, no questions asked, they just did it. We're probably naturally supposed to live in smaller societies of up to a hundred or so people where everyone looks out for each other and works together for the benefit of everyone so in those past settings I definitely feel like we're generally good to each other. It's really sad that we're losing our older communities and now focusing on the few people in our immediate family only whereas in the past everyone was more close knit. My dad is Chaoui from the mountains in north Africa and when he was a kid it was still pretty traditional but already starting to modernise because of external interference. The kids were free to wander because everyone looked out for each other's kids so it was safe, everyone worked for the benefit of the community and shared food etc. My mum grew up in a small Welsh community where nobody locked their doors, everyone knew everyone and if someone was sick everyone looked after them and brought food over for them until they were better. Today it's nothing like that in her town and it's really sad.

Answer

I think that we are instinctively selfish. We will be good or bad to reach our goal but we aren't made of just one. Most can adapt and attachments can sway you away from that primitive need but deep down most still think about No. 1

Answer

No. We all suck. We are all disgusting creatures. We have all done some shit that we probably shouldn't have done because we're all selfish bastards. But that's simply because we have the natural survival of the fittest instinct. So as much as we fight it, we will ultimately only care for our own survival in the end. Does that make us bad ? No. Destroying the earth for our really stupid, swlfish reasons does. ✌️

Answer

I believe that we came along . Humans are very violent and destructive . I believe that we wanted to be the biggest, strongest living thing on our planet . Therefore , I believe we killed off all of the Neanderthals to become the only thing of our species and making us dominant. Some people do not agree, but that is my belief .

Answer

I think so. Evolution has made us so, we succeed when we cooperate.

Are we generally good?

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