Do we humans love War?

[Fallbreeze]

Natural selection is a constant competition. Humans have essentially "won" evolution, by becoming the most powerful species, which means that we must be the most competitive of all. Lacking credible threats from bumblebees and worms, we must continue to struggle with each other for dominance, which manifests itself in everything from social occasions to battlefields.

So civil war will be a constant until we evolve further and become aphysical beings, or we find some aliens who we can kill.

I agree with most of that, but I'm curious. Must we compete with each other for dominance, or would competition with ourselves for self betterment work?

[Wildor]

I agree with most of that, but I'm curious. Must we compete with each other for dominance, or would competition with ourselves for self betterment work?

Aren't those the proverbial two faces of the same coin?

[Fallbreeze]

Aren't those the proverbial two faces of the same coin?

Not necessarily. Competition between others can just be fueled by the thought that you're better than everyone around you. Competition for self betterment in yourself needs some knowledge that you're not the better, but at least want to be better than you are in your own mind and heart. One's ego, the other is soul.

[Wildor]

Not necessarily. Competition between others can just be fueled by the thought that you're better than everyone around you. Competition for self betterment in yourself needs some knowledge that you're not the better, but at least want to be better than you are in your own mind and heart. One's ego, the other is soul.

Alright, I see your point.


But folks, it seems I must clarify something else. When I talk about "we humans", I mean the human race as a whole, and wanted to direct the debate that way. To see us as a collection of individuals, while not wrong in itself, can only diffuse the issue debated here. In my opinion anyway.

[KOOPS95]

Adrenaline.

When just about any animal senses danger, adrenaline, a physical hormone, is released into their body. Their hearts beat faster, their muscles tense, and they essentially get ready for a fight. Studies also show that when adrenaline levels spike, so do endorphin levels.

We humans love adrenaline, because it bring happiness in the form of endorphins.

[Eutopeus]

Wow,this thread triggered my interest by ?'ing something that had gone through my mind last night.The succes of this game being related to a feeling for war.
I can't help but to respond on the post by Axer NZ about winning evolution.I personally believe we are on the bottom of the "food,inteligence chain" compaired to Virus,Fungus and multitudes of other "alien like" to us forms of higher inteligence.These life forms have wars without Evony.(speller broke)

[Kingale]

As Humans I see peace as something unatainable. I believe that we will always circle through War and Peace. And I believe that Peace is only born out of fear of others. This is ofcourse an opinion based on humans as a whole. Death and Rebirth is a natural process, done through out our time on earth and even with Stars in space. As we get closer to world peace, people will find conflicts to push and bring back war. I believe that later on in our existants war in the physical sense will become non-existant or minimal, but by that time, war in the other sense will be more hurtful/harming (making people lose jobs corperation destroy things like that).

[Alusair]

Humans are the only species that competes just becuase we can. Whenever animals fight, its always related to the instinct to survive. Most fights between humans, whether an arguement or a full scale war, asrise from either greed, insults, or from trivial differnces in culture, religion, politics, etc.

I disagree. I've seen plenty of animals (particularly dogs) that fight simply because they don't like one another.

While our position as the sentient race of Earth gives us the luxury of making up more colorful reasons to fight one another (such as your examples), they come from the basic instinctive drive to dominate foreign things while reproducing one's own.

[FoxyBunny]

It's all about power. Power brings security for you and those near you. Power provides adequate living resources. Power assures territory. Human beings seek power to assure survival. It's a biological drive, and it filters down in so many ways. Women naturally are attracted to powerful men, probably as a way to ensure their offspring will be provided for. Children assert authority over other children to ensure they get the best attention, food, position, etc.

Other posters have called it dominance, but it boils down the same. It's not just this abstract, obscure drive we humans have. There is a sound biological reason for these urges. Humans will always have conflict.

It would be nice if humans could find ways to handle conflict without resorting to physical violence and war, but there is an intelligence issue at play as well. (Here goes....yes, flame me if you will....) I believe that wars are started for the same reason that domestic abuse tends to occur and most fistfights begin. When a human cannot win a conflict with his brain, he resorts to his fists. When a better weapon is handy, he'll use that as well. Yes, I said "he" because men are more driven to this sort of behaviour than women. But in essence, it all comes from two guys fighting for the same thing, and one is going to win because he's smarter, so the other fires up the weaponry.

[Kingale]

It would be nice if humans could find ways to handle conflict without resorting to physical violence and war, but there is an intelligence issue at play as well. (Here goes....yes, flame me if you will....) I believe that wars are started for the same reason that domestic abuse tends to occur and most fistfights begin. When a human cannot win a conflict with his brain, he resorts to his fists. When a better weapon is handy, he'll use that as well. Yes, I said "he" because men are more driven to this sort of behaviour than women. But in essence, it all comes from two guys fighting for the same thing, and one is going to win because he's smarter, so the other fires up the weaponry.

I resent that statement!! lol. I myself wont believe any study that supports that idea. I just think that that statement all boils down to the mental side. Such as beating down the statement that "women don't do this" through out your life time through TV Mums friends ect. This mental beat down shapes people away from the use of fists or towards it (for men). The same goes with men brought up in a society of gentlemen. They grow up just to be that way and thats what they become. I mean I've seen some very physical woman in my life *cough* Mum *cough* And it always breeds down to upbringing.

I disagree. I've seen plenty of animals (particularly dogs) that fight simply because they don't like one another.

While our position as the sentient race of Earth gives us the luxury of making up more colorful reasons to fight one another (such as your examples), they come from the basic instinctive drive to dominate foreign things while reproducing one's own.

I agree. Also dogs (wolfs) provide a great analogy for humans in my opinion. I mean if you think about it the lead dog (leading country) is only the pack leader because the members of the pack (rest of humans) are to afraid to try take his position. When it is weakened or aged It will be pounced on and war will begin again.