Are humans just animals?

hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

So, tell me, who’s actually managing your dental work and fixing your teeth?

ironhawk64 said:So, tell me, who’s actually managing your dental work and fixing your teeth?

Honestly? Nobody. I don't really give a damn about my health and I haven't stepped foot in a dentist's office in forever, so yeah, my teeth are pretty much a disaster zone right now.

But I gotta be real, I'm not totally catching your drift with that question. Could you maybe break down what you're actually getting at here?

I'm guessing you're trying to make some deep point about how we're all tethered to other people, but let's be clear: if a doctor fixes me up, it isn't out of some noble concern for my well-being—it's because they want to get paid.

Just two primal drives. Making babies and staying alive.
Everything else is just a maze of "intellect/self-discovery...".......

So, which biological kingdom does a human actually belong to?

1. Kingdom: Animalia
2. Phylum: Chordata
3. Class: Mammalia
4. Order: Primates
7. Family: Hominidae
8. Tribe: Hominini
9. Genus: Homo
10. Species: Homo sapiens

I mean, I’ve been sitting here staring at my screen for twenty minutes just trying to wrap my head around what rustymaker5 actually meant by that... because if you really dig into the logic they used, it feels like we’re all just circling the drain of some massive misunderstanding that nobody wants to address... and honestly, it makes me wonder if anyone is even listening anymore...

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

Maybe you should actually try reading a bit more before jumping to conclusions...😉

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

That’s really just the fundamental struggle for people who like to pretend they have a philosophical bent to their souls... 🥳

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

Yeah, and? 🤷

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

I can't say I'm exactly on board with this whole made-up concept you're pushing here, though I suppose I am somewhat curious... if you had to pick, what would be your absolute ideal way of actually getting your point across? 🙂

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

Not me, honestly, and I know plenty of people who couldn't care less about what the neighbors think... You really believe that matters? 🍿

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

Look, everyone’s entitled to their own perspective. But if everyone else started baring their souls and talking about their underlying motivations... do you actually think that would change your mind one bit? 🙂

hey everyone

glad to see there are actually people here who want to get into a real discussion

@arna

you’re saying I should hit the books more, but look—I read plenty, I just don't find much joy in academic textbooks. Honestly, wouldn't you guys prefer debating someone who hasn't been "poisoned" by everyone else's preconceived notions and theories?

my brain tends to work in bursts, so putting together coherent, structured essays is a struggle for me. I’ve always found a direct, face-to-face conversation way easier to navigate

when I used the word "animals," I was mostly just poking the bear to see how people would react. what I’m actually getting at is why we all fight so hard to deny our own nature—why we insist we've somehow evolved past our ancestors when we really haven't

a buddy of mine once tried to argue that we aren't animals because we use tools. I just told him that chimpanzees use sticks to "fish" for ants, so that logic doesn't hold much water

I wasn't talking about my neighbors or anything local when I mentioned perception of surroundings; I meant anyone who isn't part of "us"
for instance: why hasn't anyone just told me to "stop talking nonsense" yet? instead, you're all asking polite questions. what was your actual gut reaction when you first saw my post?

ah, motives...

it's not about you telling me what your motives are; it's about you digging deeper into why you react the way you do. even I spend half my time lying to myself about why I do the things I do

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

glad to see there are actually people here who want to get into a real discussion

@arna

you’re saying I should hit the books more, but look—I read plenty, I just don't find much joy in academic textbooks. Honestly, wouldn't you guys prefer debating someone who hasn't been "poisoned" by everyone else's preconceived notions and theories?

my brain tends to work in bursts, so putting together coherent, structured essays is a struggle for me. I’ve always found a direct, face-to-face conversation way easier to navigate

when I used the word "animals," I was mostly just poking the bear to see how people would react. what I’m actually getting at is why we all fight so hard to deny our own nature—why we insist we've somehow evolved past our ancestors when we really haven't

a buddy of mine once tried to argue that we aren't animals because we use tools. I just told him that chimpanzees use sticks to "fish" for ants, so that logic doesn't hold much water

I wasn't talking about my neighbors or anything local when I mentioned perception of surroundings; I meant anyone who isn't part of "us"
for instance: why hasn't anyone just told me to "stop talking nonsense" yet? instead, you're all asking polite questions. what was your actual gut reaction when you first saw my post?

ah, motives...

it's not about you telling me what your motives are; it's about you digging deeper into why you react the way you do. even I spend half my time lying to myself about why I do the things I do

1.Empire: Animalia
2.Phylum: Chordata
3.Class: Mammalia
4.Order: Primates
5.Family: Hominidae
6.Tribe: Hominini
7.Genus: Homo
8.Species: Homo Sapiens

Try explaining these basics to your friend. ☕
For crying out loud—if you take one car, polish it up, and load it with every advanced tech and feature imaginable, it’s still just a car, right?
A Lamborghini Gallardo is a car, just like a Volkswagen Beetle. A human is an animal, just like a monkey, a dog, or a cat.

Look, nobody’s disputing the biological side of things. That part is solid. But even those scientific categories? They’re just stuff humans cooked up to make sense of the chaos.

The real kicker is that a dog doesn't actually know it's a dog, and it sure as hell wouldn't care if I decided to label it a breed of poodle or something else.

We basically became "self-aware" and then immediately started overcomplicating everything. Honestly, the whole concept trips me out.
I'm trying to wrap my head around the idea that I'm just another animal in the food chain—just trying to keep life simple. Whether I'm actually pulling that off is debatable, much like whether anyone can actually apply what they learn in a textbook to the real world.

So yeah, that’s why I’m here bugging you guys.

edit: Oh, and he’d probably tell you: "Don't go labeling me as some kind of homo."

mellownomad30 said:Look, nobody’s disputing the biological side of things. That part is solid. But even those scientific categories? They’re just stuff humans cooked up to make sense of the chaos.

The real kicker is that a dog doesn't actually know it's a dog, and it sure as hell wouldn't care if I decided to label it a breed of poodle or something else.

We basically became "self-aware" and then immediately started overcomplicating everything. Honestly, the whole concept trips me out.
I'm trying to wrap my head around the idea that I'm just another animal in the food chain—just trying to keep life simple. Whether I'm actually pulling that off is debatable, much like whether anyone can actually apply what they learn in a textbook to the real world.

So yeah, that’s why I’m here bugging you guys.

edit: Oh, and he’d probably tell you: "Don't go labeling me as some kind of homo."

Humans are just highly advanced animals—that's really all there is to it. There’s no need to get overly fascinated by the whole concept. The gap between us and other animals is massive—think of it like the difference between playing Crysis and playing Tetris. As for your friend, he's still just a Homo sapiens, no matter how much hair he might lose. 😁
Tell him exactly that.

Honestly, I’m just stuck on this whole "progress" thing. Progress toward what, exactly?

If I had to boil my entire worldview down to one single sentence, it’d probably be something like🙂why the hell did we even climb down from the trees in the first place?🙂

At the end of the day, a human being is basically just an animal—pure and simple. We’ve got those same raw, primal drives you see in any creature out there. We're Materialist by nature, we're mortal... it's all part of the deal. I mean, unless you're leaning hard into some religious concept, that's pretty much the baseline.
Plus, humans are also incredibly driven when it comes to this whole "Self" thing. It's kind of funny, really—it trips us up sometimes. But honestly? Without that ego-driven push, we'd never actually reach any kind of greatness.

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

🤷 I have to say, looking at what you wrote, I find myself wondering about your motives for giving someone the chance to prove they are "better" than you in this debate.

I'm guessing you don't have kids, based on that part you bolded.

Biologically, man is an animal.
Physically, man is matter.
Mechanically, we are machines.
Computationally, we are computers.
Chemically, we are molecules.
Philosophically, we are (just) consciousness.
Religiously, we are God's creation.
And so on...
These are all imprecise, reductionist generalities.

You stated your opinion: that people prioritize perception, that showing your true self hurts your standing in the pack, that kindness is a fiction... and then, in a very human way, you reflect on yourself and society, conducting a "social experiment"...
None of that is characteristic of animals. How does everything you just listed actually support your conclusion that man is an animal?

@Harold Doyle3

Seriously, man, thanks for throwing all that Materialist stuff at me and giving me a bit of a headache. I appreciate it.

So, I’m gonna try to actually make sense of my own scattered thoughts for once.

Look, I get it. You're right—I am totally contradicting myself here.

But honestly? I'm just trying to tap into that raw, animalistic simplicity.
I’d be a lot happier if I didn't spend every waking second questioning everything, but since I can't stop, maybe if I vent to someone else, they'll tell me I'm just overthinking it.

I know this sounds a bit pointless, but what’s even the point of having an opinion if you don't have anyone to bounce it off of?

My life looks fine on paper—got a healthy, thriving son and a wife, we've got a solid marriage going.
I don't exactly live by the rules I talk about, but deep down, it feels like I'm constantly fighting against my own internal programming.

That's why I'm out here looking for some kind of validation. Am I actually wired differently than everyone else, or is everybody else just staying quiet about the same thing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEuIGT4RGUE

That video was heavy, man. Really hit home.

I'm just holding out hope for that day when I can finally look at the world and say: I'M NOT AFRAID ANYMORE.

Honestly, I’m starting to think I might be losing my mind a little bit...

Why would I be talking out of my ass?

But honestly, when I was watching that, I actually felt this weird rush of excitement. I don't get why I sometimes get so worked up over stuff that shouldn't even matter—like some random song, a video game, or a movie. It feels like it’s more about how it’s packaged and presented rather than what’s actually going on inside the content itself.

Actually, maybe I am talking out of my ass just a little bit.☕

mellownomad30 said:hey everyone

first off, just a heads up—this is strictly my own take on things. I’m trying to kick off a discussion from a more philosophical angle, even though most people here just tend to shove their personal biases down everyone's throats. honestly, that's fine by me; your bias is basically what builds your whole philosophy anyway.

I haven't actually sat down and read any books by the "real" heavy-hitter philosophers. I skimmed some stuff on "moral relativism"—can't even remember the author because it was pretty twisted and didn't really click with me.

but man, it's wild how most "philosophical" debates just end up being people recycling quotes or rephrasing a handful of guys who've been dead for centuries.

hardly anyone actually pushes the topic further than just applying some stale, pre-packaged versions of ethics or morality.

having lurked on this forum for a few years now, whenever I drop in, it feels less like a community and more like some weird social experiment that I happen to be watching from the sidelines.

the bottom line I've landed on is this: humans are just animals.

let me break that down and get ahead of the inevitable backlash: people are fundamentally selfish. everything is about "me" first.

I tried testing this out with a little mental exercise:

look at my basic needs—what am I actually looking for? food, drink, sex, warmth, affection (fill in the blanks as you see fit)—it's always easier to grab those things if I use other people to get them. so, I start layering on all these manufactured moral and ethical codes...
I try to squeeze out as much benefit for myself as possible while staying within the lines of that "morality," essentially masking my true self.

it sounds blunt, and look, writing isn't exactly my forte, but I'm convinced everyone operates on this exact same frequency. kindness and solidarity? they're just convenient fictions we made up; they aren't baked into our DNA.

everyone wants to be the alpha in the pack because it serves the individual interest. you can see it in action: anyone jumping into an argument with me is just trying to prove they're superior.
I'm sure someone's gonna chime in saying, "No way, I just want to find myself and be a good person." But seriously, think about the actual motives there. Why would you do that? If you show people your "true" face, you're just lowering your status in the pack.

In my book, almost every decision a person makes starts with one question: how is everyone else going to perceive this?

anyway, those are my thoughts. I got there just by observing myself and how I carry myself around others.

maybe take a harder look at your own motives?

Are you just looking to act on animalistic impulses?
Goodness doesn't exist as a physical thing or an inherent quality; it's just a concept, and a pretty manipulative one at that.
Prosperity can lead to action, but it doesn't create "good" or "evil" people. Those categories don't exist.
Survival of the pack is the only imperative in the animal kingdom. And animals aren't good or evil. They don't have anyone telling them to "be good" or "you're being wonderful."
Solidarity is just a rule of the pack, purely because staying alive as a group is the priority.
Human laws, the ones written in thick books, can't match
the raw effectiveness of the laws that animals instinctively recognize and follow.
There's plenty more to say, but questioning your convictions can work wonders—especially when it comes to how we view animals.

mellownomad30 said:Why would I be talking out of my ass?

But honestly, when I was watching that, I actually felt this weird rush of excitement. I don't get why I sometimes get so worked up over stuff that shouldn't even matter—like some random song, a video game, or a movie. It feels like it’s more about how it’s packaged and presented rather than what’s actually going on inside the content itself.

Actually, maybe I am talking out of my ass just a little bit.☕

That’s just called having "emotions." They stem from the reptilian part of your brain, basically. Emotions are just the primal, animalistic side of our nature. So, really, it's just proof that humans are animals at heart.