Story Built To Survive

[Persell]

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Feel the rush of adrenaline, the flow of the blood through the veins as the heart pounds faster in attempt to keep up with the rest, fighting for life at the moment of death. How we grab onto whatever we can find hoping so desperately it will only hold from the weight of our conscience heavy upon our soul. Fear is all we know in this life, fear to take the last breath, the will to survive. We were built this way, intricate lines of carbon code tell us how to survive. As much as we deny it we are no different from the wolf that kills to survive, as hunger takes its toll the will weakens as the savage gains control. Are we naught but animals, over complicated arrangements of carbon matter? Are we more? Is there reason for us to fight for our lives? Or is it only because we were built to survive. Veins tangled with blood cells rushing with strife, its main purpose is to keep us alive. Ancient scripture guide the souls to the light. Is this our true calling? Or are we just build to survive. As we embrace death’s kiss does he tally our lives’ or are we just build to survive?


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[The Dark Wizard]

That was neat. We aren't different from a wolf in my opinion. But humanity's urge to survive has been seen time and time again and it is a beautiful thing. (Ive seen stories on the news where people did ridiculous things to survive a fire for example.)

 

[Pineapple]

I will say that we are built to survive and live, but much like duct tape, this tool is used for so much more now.


We have progressed to the point where it is nearly illogical to fear for your safety, and when you no longer need to try and survive, well, look at us. We are just like a pet cat or dog. They don’t go hunting for food, they don’t need to, so they spend all their time keeping themselves occupied, but mostly sleeping. That’s where we are, machines of survival that have been repurposed.

 

[Miz]

I think the best way to look at this is that all things are a mixture of both our survival and our human spirit/intelligence. While we are driven by our desire and will to survive (fear being the most powerful and primal emotions out there), its our mechanism for survival that separate us from the animal kingdom, and make us truly human.


Humans are guided by emotions, even though we are possibly one of the few creatures that can comprehend logic. Emotions guide us in a situation of crisis or in the day to day. Things like relationships with others, and a desire to be a part of a group are all seen as a mechanism for survival. After all, being in a group allows for you to have a much greater chance of survival. Though our ways of trying to be accepted into groups, things like Art and Science, is clearly unique and what derives from our human side and intelligence.


I think what confuses people though, is that Humans don't think just on the micro level, we think of our survival on multiple levels. In reality its more proper to assume we think on the levels of Group survival, similar to Wolves, or even Ants (which social structure most mimics our own). There is your individual group, yet there is also your friends and family, your community and your nation. All of these relationships and groups are founded in our emotions to one another. The fact that humans have the ability to self-sacrifice for another being or a cause beyond themselves is proof that we think on a much higher level than we give ourselves credit for. Yet once again even though that is caused by our will to survive, it is shaped differently by our humanity.


I could go on but I would feel like I was rambling then.

 

[Lord of Chaos]

While every organism seeks to survive (barring disorders and similar irregularities) , personal survival is not the only trait evolution favors. After all, if a gene causes one organism bearing it to die at the benefit of preserving a dozen more, it will become more common over time. While humans are extremely similar to every other species in this regard, there is one incredibly important trait that makes humanity far better suited for long-term survival: our brains.


While miz touched on it, he actually understated the long-term importance of sentience for survival. In a million years, earth could well be struck by another asteroid or a solar flare or any of a billion possible disasters that destroys all life on it. A wolf could never fight this, it would die. As would rabbits, birds, fish and every known species but one: humans. Given an infinite timeline, the only way a species could survive is if it can react quickly to every possible occurrence and if it could spread to every corner of the cosmos. A wolf cannot built a space station any more than a bird could cure a plague. In the end, it is not humanity's basic survival instinct that will preserve it for all time; rather it is our brains. Perhaps the ultimate irony in nature is that one of the frailest predators on the planet will be the only one to live forever.

 

[Persell]

[QUOTE="Angel-of-Dusk]

Does this video game benefit your survival?


Does fast food benefit your survival?


Does music benefit your survival?


Does jerking it benefit your survival?


Does debate benefit your survival?

[/QUOTE]
One might argue depression could cause you to kill yourself, thus not surviving. And some of these things could help you be less depressed. ect etc.


- I appreciate the feedback. I wasn't expecting that much. As humans we spend most of our time differentiating ourselves from the animals, and we are different for all the reasons Miz and the others have spoken of. What I am doing is raising the question, "How different are we really from that wolf?" Our society is filled with "Sex, Drugs, and rock 'n' roll." Why do people have so much sex? Because evolution has given us the urge to reproduce. I think us Human's take for granted that despite our superiority and ability to reason, we are still animals.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

One might argue depression could cause you to kill yourself, thus not surviving. And some of these things could help you be less depressed. ect etc.
- I appreciate the feedback. I wasn't expecting that much. As humans we spend most of our time differentiating ourselves from the animals, and we are different for all the reasons Miz and the others have spoken of. What I am doing is raising the question, "How different are we really from that wolf?" Our society is filled with "Sex, Drugs, and rock 'n' roll." Why do people have so much sex? Because evolution has given us the urge to reproduce. I think us Human's take for granted that despite our superiority and ability to reason, we are still animals.

I don't think it has to do with the urge to reproduce anymore. Humans of different sexualities enjoy the companionship of the same sex cannot reproduce. It is more of a need or lust for pleasure. In my opinion when your having sex the last thing you are thinking about is "reproducing"

 

[Persell]

Well, yes thats exactly the thing. We like sex, not for reproduction, but the reason we like it is because its the evolutionary way to get a species to reproduce. Having the strong urge for sex will cause more reproduction. its natural selection at work.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

Well, yes thats exactly the thing. We like sex, not for reproduction, but the reason we like it is because its the evolutionary way to get a species to reproduce. Having the strong urge for sex will cause more reproduction. its natural selection at work.

I suppose you have a point.

 

[Persell]

I'm not here to argue that humans are completely subjective to instinct and animal tendencies. However that doesn't mean we don't still have them even though we are intellectually superior and capable of multiple levels of emotion and comprehension. We are still inexplicably animal.