So science says we love hating other cultures... That's just super.

[Deleted]

Creamy Flames is obviously referring to us as a species. And it's true. We're pretty bad at across the board all inclusiveness.

We are pretty bad at everything as a species, relative to our potential. We should be striving to be the best of what we can be instead of succumbing to thoughts like "well, since most of us are, then its okay?". What gripes me is not the fact that we are, but the fact that many just accept this and think its okay/normal.(And its a fact that we are not forced to follow our "nature".)

[Deleted]

This is hardly news. We're social animals. We love to do the "Us and them" thing.

Only the us vs them doesnt necessarily have to be country vs another country or even a race vs another race. People like to gather in small "gangs" or circles of friends too and view everyone outside them as "them".

[Deleted]

Our brain releases dopamine in many, many situations. It tends to encourage certains types of behaviours, but it doesn't make people incapable of acting any other way.

[semaphore]

We are pretty bad at everything as a species, relative to our potential. We should be striving to be the best of what we can be instead of succumbing to thoughts like "well, since most of us are, then its okay?".

I don't think anyone is saying that. However, it is important to recognise we do have such tendencies. You can't deal with a problem unless you are willing to acknowledge there is one.

[Deleted]

I don't think anyone is saying that. However, it is important to recognise we do have such tendencies. You can't deal with a problem unless you are willing to acknowledge there is one.

Indeed. Hence why im saying that we should strive above them.

[Rhenaya]

there is also a reason why its so common in military and school movies the teacher/drill seargent outright states "they need to hate me, so they can bond with each other" or other similar things. human nature is sometimes odd, of course there are people above that, but in general just look around and tell me again that science "founding" is totally groundbreaking new, its well known fact for long time already.

[Pull My Finger]

Never cheered for a sports team? Never had any sort of competition? Never played a video game where other people played?

Honestly, no. I don't cheer for a sports team. I can't relate to that kind of mentality and I don't find it fitting for me. I also never could relate to this diffuse and rather fallacious sense of solidarity or togetherness just because people happen to be fans of the same bunch of ball-kickers or come from the same region. I was never suspect to the whole herd mentality, not even as a kid.

Obviously I play World Of Warcraft, but the whole "competition" thing never got to me, I certainly don't compete with anyone in anything in the game. Couldn't care less. I'd say I even look down to that kind of mindset a little.

I used to compete in Karate tournaments when I was younger, but I never "hated" my opponents. The only situations where I felt anger is when they hit me particularly bad.

What I'm pointing out is: individualistic thinking personalities sure are a minority in any population, but the sole fact that in any demographic, it does occur, defeats the usual claims of everyone being "hard-wired" to all kinds of behaviours. That idea completely ignores human ability of cognitive thinking and also acts as if everyone was intellectually completely in line.

[Deleted]

So it seem that, short of an alien invasion that gives us all a common target for our hate, we may be destined to fight from here until the Sun explodes.

How exactly is this new information? It sounds pretty straight forward to me.

And regarding an alien invasion, I'm still taking Wernher von Braun's words on it. What if they will fake an alien invasion to force us to unite?
He has said it, so I will be sceptical when it happens.

---------- Post added 2012-10-14 at 11:14 AM ----------

Not suprising.

You need only look at hooligans, zealots or fanboys. People can do/act in a terrible manner because of this "us vs. them" mentality.

However, there are at least some of us that can control and suppress these instincts.

Pff, the quality is in all of us. Even you and me. It's in our very nature.

[Deleted]

This is interesting as one can judge staff behaviour via CCTV in a workplace and see the groups forming and dispersing throughout the day where people of the same race/culture will gather (momentarily) and sort of complain about issues they encounter from the opposites in said workplace.

A sort of comradery between factions.

There is inclusivity conforming to protocol but human nature overrides that and this can be seen from a bird's eye view.

[Dezerte]

Pff, the quality is in all of us. Even you and me. It's in our very nature.

Hence why I said some of us can control or suppress them. Doesn't mean they go away, just kept in check.

[Booshman]

Honestly, no. I don't cheer for a sports team. I can't relate to that kind of mentality and I don't find it fitting for me. I also never could relate to this diffuse and rather fallacious sense of solidarity or togetherness just because people happen to be fans of the same bunch of ball-kickers or come from the same region. I was never suspect to the whole herd mentality, not even as a kid.

Obviously I play World Of Warcraft, but the whole "competition" thing never got to me, I certainly don't compete with anyone in anything in the game. Couldn't care less. I'd say I even look down to that kind of mindset a little.

I used to compete in Karate tournaments when I was younger, but I never "hated" my opponents. The only situations where I felt anger is when they hit me particularly bad.

What I'm pointing out is: individualistic thinking personalities sure are a minority in any population, but the sole fact that in any demographic, it does occur, defeats the usual claims of everyone being "hard-wired" to all kinds of behaviours. That idea completely ignores human ability of cognitive thinking and also acts as if everyone was intellectually completely in line.

Sounds pretty close to an "us vs. them" mentality. Or in this case to be specific, what the aforementioned mentality initially starts out as, which is "me vs. them". The thing is that this mentality not exactly limited to hatred and competition, it can have to do with simply thinking lowly of someone. Sounds like you've been doing it all along (in a way), and didn't even realize it.

[Silhouette of Seraphim]

I thought everyone already knew this.

[Auloria]

I've always like the old Arab proverb

me against my brother, me and my brother against my cousin, me and my cousin against my neighbor, ...


There's only one solution. We have to settle wars with college football games.

[Djuntas]

So I love hating people that still lives inn a 1800's mindset ? Last time I commented on any religues battering I was infracted so better end it here, by saying...YES I love dat hating!

[Buttfear]

We dont just start pissing on the floor whenever we feel like it, do we?

My wife says I do :/

[someotherguy]

It makes sense.

In good times, everyone is ok with each other.
In bad times, we want to cut every one's throat.

I guess it's nice there's some scientific proof for it, but just because something IS, even if there's no scientific proof for it yet, doesn't mean it ISN'T until there's proof. For example, there was Gravity before it was proven there is Gravity.

[Powerogue]

"As a whole, and at all times, the efficiency of the truly national leader consists primarily in preventing the division of the attention of a people, and always in concentrating it on a single enemy. The more uniformly the fighting will of a people is put into action, the greater will be the magnetic force of the movement."

Why do you think the US is always trying to be in a war? Keeps the overstocked army busy, and keeps the people together against a demonized opponent.

You'd be hard pressed to find a video game that doesn't have any sort of antagonist to fight. At least for children above the age of 3. We just love fighting.

[Laize]

How exactly is this new information? It sounds pretty straight forward to me.

And regarding an alien invasion, I'm still taking Wernher von Braun's words on it. What if they will fake an alien invasion to force us to unite?
He has said it, so I will be sceptical when it happens.

There's a tremendous difference between a gut feeling (what you describe) and something that scientific research backs up.