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HUMINT: The “Why?” Gene Do you believe the root cause of human behavior is the result of an individual’s genetics or is behavior a product of an environment? Is there a gene that makes us ask, “why?” or is curiosity about interacting with our environment and having access to good answers? In determining the success or failure of an individual in their environment, we now know the “nature versus nurture” debate is bunk. The question is misleading. It implies the influence of nature can be isolated and subsequently separated from the influences of nurture. The entire purpose of the “nature versus nurture” debate is to optimize our successes while mitigating our failures. Unfortunately, when the foundation of any debate makes false presumption it is irreparably flawed. The results of argumentation will be flawed as well. These days, it is commonly accepted that “nature and nurture” interact symbiotically to determine success or failure. In other words, a successful individual is an elemental expression within their own competitive ecosystem. As a result, mankind constantly experiments with his or her “natural ecosystems” and creates new “nurture ecosystems.” The universally accepted “natural ecosystem” for human beings has become an appropriately sized house or apartment with; potable water, electricity and air conditioning. At this time however, there is no universally accepted “nurture ecosystem”. HUMINT: Market dynamics, government policy and familial habits (in order of maximum influence to minimum) all influence our unique “nurture ecosystems”. By observation; great market dynamics can artificially sustain bad government policies and bad familial habits, but this process is a vector. In other words, this observation reveals a trajectory. The influence of a system within an ecosystem of nurturing systems appears to a function of its size. Markets are demonstrably bigger systems than governments and governments are demonstrably bigger systems than families. Looking at it from the other direction; great familial habits cannot sustain bad government policy and bad market dynamics. Under the thumb of bad markets and bad governments, families tend to demonstrate their unwillingness to live. Individuals either emigrate or stop reproducing. Nevertheless, each system within an ecosystem has a stake in the success or failure of the other. Likewise, a dysfunctional “nurturing ecosystem” may attempt to manipulate or crash a neighboring ecosystem. Why hasn’t humanity adopted a “universally nurturing ecosystem”? Certain individuals have tried. The fact is we don’t know if there is a “universally nurturing ecosystem”. Through false faith, humanity may just believe it exists. The cross cultural pursuit of such a system is so common; it may just be a universal dream. Unfortunately, every conscious attempt to manufacture (“universally nurturing ecosystem”) utopian empires resulted in the opposite. What we do know is that perfection is inherently unattainable. Sociopaths tend to promise utopia, while claiming that they are uniquely capable of delivering it to the masses. It makes little difference if they believe they can deliver utopia or not. The acquisition of power is their primary objective. When they have power but can’t deliver utopia, they invariably blame others; their own followers and outsiders. Sociopaths are never sincere when they ask the question “why?” they are failing because they are incapable of blaming themselves. It should be a common objective of every free society to prevent sociopaths from attaining power over markets and governments. Through the lens of history, we are all witnesses to the deadly social experiments of sociopaths. Hitler, Stalin, Pol-Pot, and Khomeini are just a few examples. These days, free citizens around the world must guard their freedoms against sociopaths in power more than they ever had to in the past. Globalization represents an unprecedented opening of our planet’s cultural floodgates. I believe Globalization is a predominantly positive trend that will continue to improve the quality of life for billions of people. Globalization is the free market expansion of success and it will strongly influence governments and families around the world. Presumably the world will achieve social equilibrium one day. Until that day, cultures will confront each other; some will merge and some will die. Among neighboring ecosystems, “nurturing ecosystems” are also merging and dying. Instead of defining “universally nurturing ecosystems”, which may be an unattainable goal anyway, humanity will instead continue its experiments with universal values. It is a fact that a relatively simple set of individual values, if allowed to propagate throughout society, is capable of sustaining a comprehensive “nurturing ecosystem” while maintaining benign cultural identities. Individual liberty, freedom of [religion assembly press speech] are values that demonstratively develop healthy families, governments and markets. The common denominator across all cultures, regardless of the way their markets, governments or families nurture individuals, is the question “why?” Every “nurturing ecosystem” approaches critical questions differently. Some answer honestly. Some answer “why?” with a lie. Other systems try avoiding the question by not answering “why?” at all. But the question is always there. It’s as if there is an irrepressible “why?” gene embedded in our DNA. The success or failure of societies around the world has everything to do with whether or not they nurture the question “why?” or if they repress it. The question “why?” cannot be surgically removed from society. “Why?” cannot be ethnically cleansed. “Why?” is an inquisitive force that cannot and will not remain suppressed. The fact that individual members of all cultures universally ask “why?” makes the behavior a natural phenomenon blessed by God. If we’re all genetically predisposed to ask “why?” it is in our spiritual, market, national, family and individual interests to nurture our “why?” gene. Those that don’t will continue to fall behind those that do. Labels: dna, environment, gene, genetics, nature, nurture, questions, therapy, why |
