I just read an interesting article by Jeanna Bryner about a study with mice that shows that humans naturally crave violence.
In the study, mice would purposely hit a target that would cause an intruder mouse to come into their cage. The mice would do this so that they could fight.
Additionally, experimentation with the brain-chemistry of the mice showed that mice received pleasure from violence in the same way they do from food and sex. When the scientists used chemicals to block dopamine from the part of the brain that gets pleasure from food and sex, the mice would not press the target as much.
The findings do not surprise me. A propensity towards violence played a helpful role throughout the evolution of our species. Violence helps creatures defend themselves.
This may seem discouraging to those of us who want to prevent violence and reduce violent crime. However, I think we can remember that humans have many primitive desires and many self-destructive impulses.
Humans will choose to avoid violence when they can see that the drawbacks outweigh the immediate pleasure. We also get immediate pleasure from getting high off drugs like heroine, but most people do not do that because they realize that the drawbacks outweigh the immediate pleasure.
Also, we can find healthy outlets for our desire for violence such as sports.
What do you think?
Monday, March 3rd 2008 at 9:11 am
yeah, well i suppose men who baet up their wives gain plaesure coz it is an outlet for their anger etc, and i suppose robbers see violence as a necessity in order to commit crime, but i think humans indulge the personal person at the expense of protecting/caring for others. thus people are selfish these days – it’s all about me. So, i’ll hurt you coz i don’t care abt u – all i care abt is me. Wht kind of society is tht? Life in Africa was founded upon ubuntu – which takes the communal interest seriously so its not all abt u as an individual – i think ths can hve the advantage of people considering others before they do something.
Saturday, January 26th 2008 at 3:49 pm
Normally, I dont advocate violence, but some dumb ass people, just need a good smack in the mouth.
Tuesday, January 22nd 2008 at 8:28 pm
i constantly see things like this that attempt to define the obvious and I wonder why people have to see it in writing to understand or be enlightened. obviously people like to fight. its competition at its purest form. As another topic tho, white people like to fight when they drink compared to other races.