This may shock even the most cynical among us

[Christy]

We'll never be perfect, of course, but can't we at least evolve so that we're better than what we are now?

Uh, no.

 

[DoWhat]

Because, dammit, we as humans shouldn't be capable of this type of behavior. It seems like a sick joke that humans can create great beauty, like Shakespeare's works and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, but also create unspeakable horrors like Auschwitz and 9/11. Isn't the point of human civilization to reduce that kind of animal behavior? We'll never be perfect, of course, but can't we at least evolve so that we're better than what we are now?

Sorry for the sermon. I was just looking to justify my faith in humanity after hearing about that story.

Let us pray.

 

[Christy]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&e=12&u=/nm/odd_zambia_cannibal_dc

Maybe he was really hungry? :shrug:

 

[Pete]

Because, dammit, we as humans shouldn't be capable of this type of behavior. It seems like a sick joke that humans can create great beauty, like Shakespeare's works and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, but also create unspeakable horrors like Auschwitz and 9/11. Isn't the point of human civilization to reduce that kind of animal behavior? We'll never be perfect, of course, but can't we at least evolve so that we're better than what we are now?

Sorry for the sermon. I was just looking to justify my faith in humanity after hearing about that story.

Could it be that persons who purposly perpetuate horrible stories like that have some degree of facination with morbidity just as those who commit the crimes? Of the BILLIONS and BILLIONS of news stories you pick a horribly morbid (and unconfirmed) one detailing the crimes of one freak out of 3 billion to use as an example of human animal behavior? Thats sick.

 

[Tonio]

Pete, I'll answer your serious question with a serious answer. I believe those horrors happen because those people's sense of self-preservation became twisted and corrupted. For whatever sick reason, they were convinced that they were acting in their best interest or in society's best interest. The monsters who engineered 9/11 weren't necromaniacs, they were fanatics who were convinced they were God's instruments.

What I'm asking is, can natural selection lead to a species of humans who place some intrinsic value on the well-being of others?

 

[justhangn]

What does "natural selection" have to do with the human animal losing the basic instinct of parenthood??

 

[Tonio]

What does "natural selection" have to do with the human animal losing the basic instinct of parenthood??

I'm suggesting that it could be possible to hold into the basic instinct of parenthood and have an instinctual value for the well-being of others, with the parental instinct being paramount. Or, we as a civilization could make the conscious decision to give the well-being of others an intrinsic value.

 

[Pete]

Pete, I'll answer your serious question with a serious answer. I believe those horrors happen because those people's sense of self-preservation became twisted and corrupted. For whatever sick reason, they were convinced that they were acting in their best interest or in society's best interest. The monsters who engineered 9/11 weren't necromaniacs, they were fanatics who were convinced they were God's instruments.

What I'm asking is, can natural selection lead to a species of humans who place some intrinsic value on the well-being of others?

What I am saying is that genetic defects are expected in a population of any size. In the case of humans there are always going to be those freaks who through a stray chromisone or a dicked up synaptic connection or totally fruitloops and do horrible morbid crap like Dalmer. There will also be retards who are so suseptible to suggestion that they are effortlessly duped into believing that a hardware clerk from Atumwa Iowa is the messiah and under his direction commit horrible acts.

Curiosity aside, I think it is a sign of morbid tendencies to seek out stories, pictures and graphic discriptions of grossly morbid acts and perpetuate them on a forum for effect.

Now to answer your question; Do you honestly think that humanity has not made significant steps towards placing intrinsic value on human life and the well being of others? Did charity exist 2,000 years ago? Did we not just 300 years ago burn women in Salem for being witches? Do we have crusades? When a catastrophe happens does not international aid pour in from everywhere?

If you search through the pepper and only pick out and use the fly shlt you will always have a bad taste in your mouth.

 

[Pete]

I'm suggesting that it could be possible to hold into the basic instinct of parenthood and have an instinctual value for the well-being of others, with the parental instinct being paramount. Or, we as a civilization could make the conscious decision to give the well-being of others an intrinsic value.

You can go ahead and speak English, I already think you are a goober for this thread so the uppity psychobabble speak won't help.

 

[Tonio]

Curiosity aside, I think it is a sign of morbid tendencies to seek out stories, pictures and graphic discriptions of grossly morbid acts and perpetuate them on a forum for effect.

Pete, I honestly wasn't trying to shock people for entertainment. I was trying to communicate how disappointed and saddened I was. I felt outraged that the woman in that story even belongs to the same species as me, because I wanted to revoke her membership and send her back to the primordial ooze where she belongs. When I heard that story, my first thought was, "My God, what the hell is wrong with the human race?" Maybe I just needed to switch stations and listen to stories about hurricane disaster relief.

 

[kwillia]

Tonio, the human race will never be perfect.

 

[happyappygirl]

"My God, what the hell is wrong with the human race?" Maybe I just needed to switch stations and listen to stories about hurricane disaster relief.

UH...and your sig line is....*rendering plant janitor*

 

[Tonio]

UH...and your sig line is....*rendering plant janitor*

Good point. That phrase popped in my head after I had been thinking about the crap I've endured from my family. Too long a story to go into here.

 

[Pete]

Pete, I honestly wasn't trying to shock people for entertainment. I was trying to communicate how disappointed and saddened I was. I felt outraged that the woman in that story even belongs to the same species as me, because I wanted to revoke her membership and send her back to the primordial ooze where she belongs. When I heard that story, my first thought was, "My God, what the hell is wrong with the human race?" Maybe I just needed to switch stations and listen to stories about hurricane disaster relief.

I am not saying that you have to isolate yourself from bad crap. It happens, but you are flawed to some level if you purposly seek out morbid instances that are so extremely rare they are not even statistics and base your opinion of humanity on them. They are freaks, their stories are freakish, and stories like that appeal to the lower intellect Jerry Springer "School bus drivers who screw sheep while covered in peanutbutter and the women who love them." crowds.

 

[Kizzy]

How do we even know if this is a true story and not something that was picked outta your azz tonio. There is no link. IMO no linkie no happened.

 

[Pete]

Good point. That phrase popped in my head after I had been thinking about the crap I've endured from my family. Too long a story to go into here.

Seek help before you turn out to be what it is that you loathe.

 

[RoseRed]

They are freaks, their stories are freakish, and stories like that appeal to the lower intellect Jerry Springer "School bus drivers who screw sheep while covered in peanutbutter and the women who love them." crowds.