Thoughts on Survival

In every school yard around the world, the cry of "Fight! Fight!" draws every kid within hearing distance to the scene of the knock-down drag-out.

The biggest traffic jams, outside of rush hour, are usually caused by gawkers trying to get a glimpse of a tragedy.

Wrestling and boxing matches are constantly sold out to thousands of bloodthirsty fans (in the case of wrestling, the fans all know it's scripted, but they also know the violent action gets their blood boiling).

Is there something wrong with us? Is it just base human nature, to be attracted to violent situations, or is it, as so many contemporary gurus claim, an urge that has been programmed in us by TV, movies, books and music?

I'd have to say yes, all of the above! I have no doubt that the attraction for violence is innate but neither do I doubt that it is an instinct that can be either nurtured or tamed by family and social pressures, and balanced by other natural urges.

I remember one particular time when I was standing in that circle around a school yard fight. I was cheering loudly for the kid I knew to be nicer -- more deserving (in my mind) of a win. He lost -- and the eyes of the victor immediately found me (he who had been loudly rooting for his opponent). Suddenly the blood-quickening thrill of violence had lost its appeal and that other base instinct -- the most primal -- my survival instinct kicked in. I ran!

There is a definite balancing act going on between our attraction to violence or danger and our survival instinct -- and for each of us the balance is quite different. Some of us appear to have more of a need for the adrenaline surge that dangerous situations provide -- those who choose careers as policemen, firemen, soldiers and commodity traders are paramount among this group while others (the majority?) have more docile life choices. But even among many of us in the docile group, its not unusual to find potentially dangerous hobbies (e.g., mountain climbing, parachuting, race car driving, etc.) and very few of us can resist the lure of at least voyeuristically participating in violent situations via TV, movies, books and attendance at full-contact sporting events.

Some argue that there is really no "survival instinct;" that this is a term that was made up to compensate for our fear of dying -- our selfish desire to hold on to life at all costs; they may have a point -- even if it is just a semantic gambit. Whether you call it a survival instinct or a fear of death or a fear of pain it's just as real and, in every case, it provides a necessary, life-saving balance between our inherent "need for speed" and our desire to stay healthy and continue on this extraordinary journey called life.

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