hard thinking

[lancer Evo V]

Heh this is gonna seem pretty random, but here goes.
I just want peoples views on why humans or any other animals do things outside of just the basic functions of life. Basically what im asking is why do animals do things that aren't needed to survive, and also why do we have emotions, emotions are not required to live. Basically, animals were put on the planet to do 1 thing, reproduce, so what im wondering how organisms just oriented on reproducing evolved into us, humans who have a whole slew of other things on their agenda's besides performing their one basic function.

heh its taken me like 30 minutes to correctly word this, and its still nto correctly worded. meh whatever try to answer if you can, ill keep this idea floating around inm my head and edit this post when i figure out what i am really after.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

You need stuff to do when you are not reproduceing.

You can't screw 24/7 (well, I can but you lesser mortals can't )and if you didn't have emotions or anything to do for fun then what would we do? Just sit around with blank stares till we were ready to go again?

 

[Klostrophobic]

If you had no emotions how would you be motivated to ****?

 

[kirkis9]

Great topic!

Do animals have the amount of intelligence to eliminate hazzards and seek multiple forms of communication? (art)

Us humans have worked out many barriers for a better quality of life due to high intelligence. For example, most deadly diseases, weather hazzards, predators, adaquate shelter. wihtout these constrictions we can accomplish more. just think, could you go to school, learn, talk to friends, draw, play games, if 99% of your day was spent searching for food to feed your family or fighting off predators? perhaps not. A man would be reduced to cromagnon status (cave~man).

Hmmm, do animals have some degree of creative initiative? Just look at the monkies/elephants that paint. Or Coco the gorrilla that learned sign language, these arent the motivations for basic survival its making attempts at real communication (showing some emotion). of course these animals are domesticated beyond their genetic allowance.

Now heres a failed example: It was once said that given a group of monkeys a typewriter, and several years, writing would ensue. this could happen! if primates can make associations towards the apprehension of language, then writing would be there at some point in time.
Heres what really happened, first the chimps felt the typewriter was a threat to the clan and thrashed it to pieces. after a replacement was made, the monkies got closer and ate the keys, now learning their first step into writing shakespearn literature, typewriters aren't food.
One member of the clan dicovered that pushing on the keys produced a visual mark on the paper, incredible! cause and effect!
he however had a fasination with the "S" key and repeatedly punched it.... for hours.



kirkis

 

[Danoff]

Emotions facilitate our progress as a species. The same goes for creativity.

Human beings are problem solvers. We have a natural propensity for using tools in creative ways to make our lives easier. This is the very thing that allowed us to survive in the wild and the reason that we excelled when so many other animals could only maintain the status quo. So when you see art and music as a product of humanity, it is a result of our creative minds that developed to solve problems but in some cases solve the problem of boredom (or in actuality, solve the problem of how to entertain people to make money).

Emotions are even more basic. The idea is simple though. If you have an emotional bond with your mate and with friends, you will tend to stick around and take care of your kids (giving them a better chance of survival) and band together with a group of friends (giving you all a better chance of survival). So emotions directly assist in keeping the species alive.

 

[toyomatt84]

If the mind were to stay dormant during the time between reproduction and food gathering, it would eventually self-destruct. You can't make a brain that is expanding to do nothing more than those two things. It needs to expand and make life easier for it's owner. A dormant mind is the sign of a coma, meaning you can't do jack for yourself. So, it is mentally impossible.

 

[Danoff]

It needs to expand and make life easier for it's owner.

That would be the mind improving the chances of the owner surviving long enough to reproduce.

 

[emad]

we would be computers if we didn't think and act for ourselves

 

[lancer Evo V]

hmmm i think you missed what i was asking. Go, read again, use your brain, your lucky you have it.

 

[kirkis9]

alright, to bring about reproduction.

If there were two species, closely alike, almost identical. except for reproduction. The first group found it really rewarding and satisfying. The second group discovered that getting freaky was deadly and often tedious. Which group would last longer in terms of hundreads of years? (thank you evolution)

We are driven to sex because of our genes, a very rewarding gene at that too i guess the folks that cant stand it are going to die out, just think. If your genetic makeup didn't see sex as fun and exciting, then it would be just as disgusting as cleaning a toilet (sex would be disgusting if it wasnt for genes) . is that the truth? please correct me if im wrong. we are here because sex is a wonderful thing!

har har for reproduction! go find the nearest vagina
and if your a girl, be a team player.

kidding

 

[TurboSmoke]

Originally posted by Klostrophobic
If you had no emotions how would you be motivated to ****?

Instinct.