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RE: Humans are scum
May 22, 2016 at 3:40 pm
(This post was last modified: May 22, 2016 at 3:50 pm by RozKek.)
(May 22, 2016 at 1:22 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: (May 22, 2016 at 1:19 pm)RozKek Wrote: Do you assume that all human beings are that way? Do you assume that everyone is that "stereotypical, dumb" human?
I assume that everyone could equally be a medieval peasant reveling while a woman is burned alive.
While at the same time there are thousands of people donating to sick children, being a charity father, thousands of people demanding an execution for pedophiles and rapists whether it's too cruel or not of a punishment because of what they've done. If you're going to focus only on the negative side, while a huge portion is positive, then fine, get depressed about it for no reason.
You're speaking of the medieval times, my bet is that many many of those who were watching didn't act out against it out of fear of being killed, I can assure you nowadays in a well developed and well mannered country (which represents how people have changed) if a woman or man was burned infront of people, everyone would act out against it.
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RE: Humans are scum
May 22, 2016 at 3:52 pm
Don't mistake groups for individuals. A person being part of a group will act differently than when you catch them on their own.
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RE: Humans are scum
May 22, 2016 at 4:21 pm
(May 22, 2016 at 2:47 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote: (May 22, 2016 at 2:09 pm)Cato Wrote: The programming you refer to is uniquely human and progress compared to our more primitive selves. The fact that some of us still display barbaric traits is not sufficient reason to denigrate the entire species.
Chimps are also naturally violent. The 'programming', as you call it, is the improvement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPznMbNcfO8
Cato, I was just about to go look for an example of exactly that phenomenon, when I read far enough to see you had already done so. Kudos.
Every time I see the things being complained about by the OP, all I can think is "damnit, we're still just chimps". We must use our evolved big brains to distinguish ourselves from them! And we are, as Pinker and others have pointed out. But our instincts still rule us, far too often.
The question is whether or not our more-chimplike hierarchical thinkers, our violence-against-what-is-feared types, will continue to try to rule all others... and whether or not success at this point in history will leave our planet a radioactive cinder.
The mistake represented in the OP's thinking is essentially that as things have been, so shall they always be. Another mistake he may be making is ascribing more human behavior to genetics than is warranted.
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RE: Humans are scum
May 23, 2016 at 8:02 am
(May 22, 2016 at 1:22 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: (May 22, 2016 at 1:19 pm)RozKek Wrote: Do you assume that all human beings are that way? Do you assume that everyone is that "stereotypical, dumb" human?
I assume that everyone could equally be a medieval peasant reveling while a woman is burned alive.
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RE: Humans are scum
May 23, 2016 at 8:17 am
(May 22, 2016 at 12:44 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: Humans are disgusting; they have the minds to do better, but they can't do better. We can and often -do-...do better(hehe, i said do do). We have a spotty record, I think, would be more accurate.
Quote:They're damned to make things worse for themselves,
-and driven, compulsively, sometimes deleteriously to make things better
Quote:to make the wrong choices time and again.
The road to perdition is paved with good intent.
Quote:They love torture,
Also; kittens. I know...seems paradoxical doesn't it?
Quote:they'd rather skin someone alive than have a conversation,
-and we would rather be skinned alive than have -some- conversations.
Quote:their mouths water at the idea of violence.
-and also; chocolate cupcakes
Quote:Humans are horrid things - they saw people in half for fun, they burn people for fun. Every facet of this species is vile. They don't want to solve problems, they want to celebrate ignorance while the world burns.
Our capacity for evil might only be matched only by our capacity for decency? Just think about kittens and cupcakes...and remember, don't panic!
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Humans are scum
May 23, 2016 at 11:44 am
(May 22, 2016 at 12:44 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: Humans are disgusting; they have the minds to do better, but they can't do better. They're damned to make things worse for themselves, to make the wrong choices time and again. They love torture, they'd rather skin someone alive than have a conversation, their mouths water at the idea of violence. Humans are horrid things - they saw people in half for fun, they burn people for fun. Every facet of this species is vile. They don't want to solve problems, they want to celebrate ignorance while the world burns.
I have never done any of these things. I don't ever plan on doing it either. Who exactly are you talking about?
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RE: Humans are scum
May 23, 2016 at 12:46 pm
Careful ApeNotKillApe, when your perception is so one-sided it can be easy to spiral down into depression.
Negative thoughts are good indicators.
For me it tends to be the early warning alarm.
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RE: Humans are scum
May 23, 2016 at 9:07 pm
(May 23, 2016 at 11:44 am)KUSA Wrote: (May 22, 2016 at 12:44 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: Humans are disgusting; they have the minds to do better, but they can't do better. They're damned to make things worse for themselves, to make the wrong choices time and again. They love torture, they'd rather skin someone alive than have a conversation, their mouths water at the idea of violence. Humans are horrid things - they saw people in half for fun, they burn people for fun. Every facet of this species is vile. They don't want to solve problems, they want to celebrate ignorance while the world burns.
I have never done any of these things. I don't ever plan on doing it either. Who exactly are you talking about?
So rotting meat bag is not so rotten or meaty! I knew it!
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RE: Humans are scum
May 23, 2016 at 9:15 pm
(This post was last modified: May 23, 2016 at 9:18 pm by Seraphina.)
(May 22, 2016 at 12:44 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: Humans are disgusting; they have the minds to do better, but they can't do better. They're damned to make things worse for themselves, to make the wrong choices time and again. They love torture, they'd rather skin someone alive than have a conversation, their mouths water at the idea of violence. Humans are horrid things - they saw people in half for fun, they burn people for fun. Every facet of this species is vile. They don't want to solve problems, they want to celebrate ignorance while the world burns.
Humans can be greedy, selfish and violent for no good reason - there's no doubt about that. That sort of behavior exists all over the animal kingdom and I don't think we human animals are much more special than other animals other than language and metacognition.
I don't agree though that humans would rather skin someone alive or saw people in half for fun - at least not me. That sounds quite disgusting. Are you speaking about your own proclivities here? Are you saying humans are inherently geared to that type of behavior - sawing and burning and that type of stuff? I don't believe that either - if that were true you would see children doing that.
(May 22, 2016 at 1:09 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: (May 22, 2016 at 12:55 pm)Cato Wrote: Yeah, but we're making progress. I can't recall the last time I witnessed our species of primate throwing our own feces in order to exhibit displeasure. Had to be careful how I worded that as I believe there are still cow chip throwing contests.
Chimps throw feces. Humans pull out each others fingernails and cut out their eyes.
Sadly, I've met a few prison correctional officers who can attest that people do throw their own feces. It's called "gassing".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassing_(prison_slang)
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RE: Humans are scum
May 23, 2016 at 10:38 pm
I think "scum" is an appropriate term. On an individual basis, there are those people who are of obvious low quality, relatively speaking, that we find them abhorrent. There are those who seem, relatively, to be noble and good.
But as a species, we are right up there with bacteria in a petri dish: we will expand, control, subsume, until we've eliminated all that's natural in the world, and then, most likely, we will move on to Mars and beyond. The individual sparks of brilliance will probably not stop us from thriving, from reproducing, and from expanding until those descended from us will have very little of the human in them.
No, I'm not against scum, or against this evolution of the species. But "scum" draws a pretty good literal analogy imo.
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