Psychology NOT religion

[President_Elect_Shang]

Originally posted by QuarianRex:
Are humans xenophobic? Hell yeah! It has only been in the Last couple hundred years that we have even considered other races of man to be "human". We are the meanest, most aggressive, most bloodthirsty race on the planet. If we weren't we never would have made it this far.

I think that has more to do with religion denying the idea of other Homonids than it does with xenophobia.

Xenophobia (on a species wide level) is an instinctive evolutionary adaptation that promotes the survival of your own genepool. It ensures that you won't waste valuable resources on the preservation of someone (or something) elses genetics.

I am majoring in Psychology and what you are speaking of has more to do with the gene conservation theory. Xenophobia is not even a factor. Xenophobia is mainly a nominal fallacy and not an evolutionary trait.

However, the other trait that seems to be distinctly human (besides being ornery bastards) is our capacity to over-ride instinct. This is especially true when the motivating force behind the instinct has been tamed, in the case it would be survival. For the most part we no longer need to worry about day-to-day survival and so we afford ourselves the luxury of equality.

I won’t even touch that. Needless to say you are WAY off. Sorry don’t take it personally it’s only a thread. If you would like me to e-mail you with what’s wrong in that statement than let me know? Long story short is that it would take about a page to show you. Once again what you are speaking of has more to do with the structure and use of English than anything in psychology.

When I say equality I don't just mean among humans. Animal rights activists, greenpeace, and vegitarians are all products of our self-assured survival.

This would apply to extra-terrestrial contact as well. So long as said contact was peaceful (ie. did not threaten our survival) our species wide benevolence would continue. If, however, our survival were to be called into question we would have no difficulty in reverting to the efficient engines of destruction that two billion years of evolution has shaped us to be.

I feel faint, sorry my friend, I truly feel bad because I most whole heartedly promise I am NOT attacking you or attempting to provoke a defense response from you, but you are way, way, way off. Sounds good in English but it just don’t hold up.

Also, there ENTIRE Hominid line has only been around for about 4 to 5 million years. I believe that 2 BILLION would put you in the age of dinosaurs.

[ December 07, 2002, 01:35: Message edited by: President Elect Shang ]