About Human nature, inherent intentions…
Opinion from the Internet about instinctive reactions, intentions:
I don’t believe that Human beings are inherently selfish, egotistic for a moment.
There are a great many reports, especially from the first world war, of people spontaneously throwing themselves on explosives to save those around them. Such reactions are too instantaneous to be premeditated.
And I have an example myself. Some years ago I was out walking along the footpath with my wife and granddaughter when a car lost control and swerved towards us. Instaneously I thrust them to the wall and covered them with my body. This was a completely unpremeditated act: a reflex, not a decision. It took me totally by surprise. And I needed no special education in order to perform it. The car missed me by a whisker.
So no, I have no time for this kind of unsupported argument.
I understand what you are saying. I also know that what I usually write seems very black and white.
On the other hand the act you described about yourself was an instinctive act of survival reflex, you protecting your loved ones who you consider as your own parts. Thus it is not altruistic according to the true meaning of the word, serving, protecting others unconditionally without any self-serving reason, condition.
I can’t comment on the war sacrifices your mentioned obviously.
We are programmed to protect, save and send ourselves at all cost, and this “self” usually - in good cases - includes our loved ones. This is instinctive. Unfortunately in our times even this is not a given, when people don’t even want families in their own.
And when it comes to conscious decisions the self-serving, self-justifying overlay becomes even stronger. Then we not only protect ourselves, but intentionally gain, succeed at the expense of others whether we are conscious about it or not.
Most of the time we are unconscious since the intentions behind it actions are hidden, most of the time we ourselves are unaware of our intentions unless we purposefully try to find, detect them.
But again, as I try to explain each and every time, this is neither evil, nor sinful, we are born like that, evolution have us such a program for a reason. Only in contrast of this original program can we develop, learn true, unconditional love, true service of others, true altruism in order to become similar to Nature’s system consciously.
Otherwise we would be just like any other animals, integrated into Nature blindly, unaware of its cause and effect processes, evolution, purpose. The need to acquire the “Nature-like” selfless, altruistic qualities above and against the original selfish, egotistic software gives us our Human advantage.