Is the Human Race Insane?

[Skep B]

people die choking on gummi bears too.

we do things that have a high rate of success. bungee jumping is one of those.

I used bungee jumping as example. Is it rational to tattoo yourself name of your girl? To me its irational.

you feel like you'll be with that girl forever, wanting to express your devotion to her. and if it doesn't work out, you can get it covered.

not entirely irrational to me

[Big Bad Voodoo]

not entirely irrational to me

Point is that we do irational things. Stupid things. Crazy things. Bad idea things.

Even Einstein said that human stupidity is infinite.

We are driven by irational same as with rational.

But if we want to dig further then we must seek for German philsophers. Because they were one who argued this thread in detail. I just stated my view.

[Skep B]

Einstein also couldn't tie his shoes.

Man was good with numbers, i don't really have much interest in his outlook on humanity.

My point is that, to every person, their actions are rational.

we're all right in our own heads

[Big Bad Voodoo]

we're all right in our own heads

Crucial part. Own.

Every loonatic is perfectly normal to himself or herself.

[Frank Merton]

I think I get your point -- that we often do things that others define as insane. That is perhaps the problem -- we don't have a workable definition of insanity.

I have a friend who rants and raves at other motorbike drivers (the dominant vehicle in Vietnam) and positively hates cars and trucks and buses. Every time someone does something stupid or dangerous (not uncommon on Vietnam streets), he rants about it until the next bit of insanity happens, and then he switches to it.

Of course none of these people are in the least aware of how they set him off, and they all have reasons (usually selfish reason but still rational reasons) for the measured risk they took.

[Skep B]

Crucial part. Own.

Every loonatic is perfectly normal to himself or herself.

right, so saying that something is irrational doesn't entirely work because there's a logical progression to all thoughts.

Value systems being different I would think is the biggest issue

[Frank Merton]

Right now out my window I can see a girl doing stretching exercises leaning backward over the railing of her building. Insane!

[Skep B]

Well, yeah but you get a nice view at least

[Frank Merton]

That's what I meant.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

we don't have a workable definition of insanity.

We give our best to define it. Psychology is science.

But I think that this OP is more philosophical question.

Thread is deep. we can took any part of human life to see that we are insane. Took economy.

Progress because of progress is ideology of cancer cell. We doing ecocide on daily basis. Then we see also some direction it. Sense of it.

Edited August 18, 2013 by Melo

[khol]

great posts everyone

I think so much of our behavior can be traced back through our natural evolution.We are shaped by the enviorment we create for ourselves but you can take it back farther then that.Our very first concern was survival and what we needed to do to achieve it.Living in groups was beneficial but groups fought against other groups.If push came to shove,even within the group individuals would rise against each other if it was a matter of one surviving over the other.In a 100 million years or more this really hasn't changed.It is still about survival.I suppose it is insanity really.Not knowing if we will or we won't.It appears to be a race between us killing ourselves off by whatever means,or having enough time to evolve to a

state where we can grab hold of our present situation,work together and straighten things out

[Mike G]

Its irational and rational. We are drived by irational and rational. Lets say you decide to go bungee jumping is that rational? No. you are driven by irational.

How does that logic hold up though when you consider the reality that what is rational to one person may not be rational to another?

[A Shadow]

Of course we are insane. “Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.” -George Carlin

Mentally I think most of us are right where we are suppose to be, at least according to those who rule.

"...drive others to the brink of insanity. When someone is in this mode, they almost melt like butter and become malleable enough to reshape them as your new tool of power. You are to have this weapon at your disposal, otherwise you will never be able to conquer..."

Edited August 18, 2013 by A Shadow

[Lava_Lady]

Is the human race insane?

Read my posts and you won't have to ask that question.

Sooo.... yes?

[bassai26]

There are only two kinds of people in the world: Those who rule and those who are ruled...

[Skep B]

and then theres ones who are psychotic and go their lives doing horrible, horrible things and are never caught

[spud the mackem]

Insane ,no not me ,now where did I put my socks, Oh its ok I found them in the fridge.

[GoldenWolf]

There are only two kinds of people in the world: Those who rule and those who are ruled...

To hell with equality?

[Frank Merton]

There are only two kinds of people in the world: Those who rule and those who are ruled...

I might say there are those who rule themselves and those who don't seem to have figured out how.

[Skep B]

thatd be more in line with my thinking also

up top for same wavelength!

[Frank Merton]

and then theres ones who are psychotic and go their lives doing horrible, horrible things and are never caught

Ah but they are caught, just maybe in ways we don't see. For example, I think fear of discovery is much worse most of the time than actual discovery.

[Skep B]

I would think it'd be part of the fun.

deep down we like being scared its why haunted houses and roller coasters and dominatrixes exist.

[Frank Merton]

I would think it'd be part of the fun.

deep down we like being scared its why haunted houses and roller coasters and dominatrixes exist.

Again maybe. Each person is different so how things balance in each case will be different. There is guilt in addition to fear, and isolation, and anger.

I think the S/M complex is closely related to the honor/shame complex and the impulse we have to want to worship gods and rulers, only with a sexual component not found in the others as much (although it does appear in some cultures).

[Skep B]

i was being a bit glib w/ the S&M thing.

but i would think that if youre a serial killer, the feeling of being caught would be part of the experience, hoping that someone comes along to challenge you.

THat is if you have a certain narcisitic bend to your motivation

[Frank Merton]

I should be up-front and explain that I am coming from a karmic assumption that what goes around comes around so that even sociopaths, who don't experience guilt, still suffer, usually from discovery and punishment: if not that way, nevertheless somehow. This is not possible to prove, as a sort-of infinite regression of possible escapes can be constructed. I nevertheless assume inevitable retribution is real, not from some spiritual source, nor assuming an afterlife, but because the universe is built that way.