Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Rage against the dying of the light (#473)

Survival. The most fundamental instinct within the human species. I sense it is the same for other species as well however I am not including other species in my conversation this morning. Again, I have said that human nature is comprised of two main instincts, compassion and curiosity. I have also stated that there is a third instinct I cannot fold nicely into either compassion or curiosity, that being the survival instinct. Although I consider survival a sub-category of both, it is still it's own distinct instinct. From the womb to the grave, the evidence of striving or fighting to any extent to remain alive is verifiable. Life is a desirable and even necessary experience. How humanity came to be involved in life is still unknown, however that we are tells me that life is precious and important in some overall concept. The realization that we are an entity all unto ourselves is incredible. Certainly we are controlled in areas of our actual living experience but as an individual we are only ourselves. This is a power or gift that is exceptional. What is it within us that has ingrained this instinct to survive as a hereditary event that has been passed on through to us over all of life's span? Knowing myself and how I react to threats to my life gives me the insight to understand that the survival instinct is the genesis of our ability to reason and analyze. Which leads me to my conclusion that compassion and curiosity are the two pillars of natural instincts within us born from our instinct to survive.

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