Why? Why must humans kill each other, torcher each other. What is the purpose? Is it fun to watch someone in pain? Is it fun to take away someones loved one? Is it fun?!? Is it fun to go fishing and watch a fish with a hook in its mouth unable to breath?! Is it fun to shoot a bear and listen to her cubs cry for their mom?! WHY?! The human race makes me sick. Even though there are some people that try to make good, there are just to many bad people to even it out.
Human nature isn't always pretty. People are driven by needs, wants, instincts and so on. Combined with this, we have a large variety of emotions and can feel things such as envy/hatred/etc. Its our tendency to live in a manner to which we seek pleasure (happiness) and avoid unpleasurable things. We, as a whole, are biologically programed with certain traits.
"The phenomenon of Morality is a part of the Human Experience for one simple reason: it arises from the Mind's recognition that superior response alternatives can be pursued that would spare all of us the damage that would otherwise be wrought if we were all to follow our biological instincts. " -J. Kroeger
Thomas Hobbes ,an English philosopher, said he thought that primitive human life was "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." and that as a whole we were beastlike- which is similar to the viewpoint you expressed.
However, in direct contrast: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, another philosopher , said that "man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." and that "humans are naturally and innately good".
We have the ability to love, express emotions, share initmacy, experience happiness with those we care about. We share, we give to those who need, and many more things. There are two sides to every spectrum.
We have such potential for either-or that you cannot label the human race as a whole good nor bad. We are what we are. Complex. Unique. Strange at times, yes. Violent at times, definitely. But loving and good as well.
I believe it is because we don't know how to manage what is going on inside our mind so to ease our ever present pain we make others pain more desirable to ourselves. but I agree it is sickening...
The question should be what can YOU/I/WE do to ease suffering in this world, even if you have few resources? What choices can YOU make that are non-violent and promote peace?
Nightmarekid, people can be crazy sometimes. People shoot bears for sport, I'm not saying it's right but, hunting is human nature. Hundreds of years ago, it was for survival, now it's for fun. Also don't worry about the fish, fish don't feel any pain. It's something that has to do with their brains. I think people kill other people because there is a circumstance that drives them to do it like, love revenge, money, or fame. Someone wants to be famous, that person might think the best way to do that is to go brutally murder someone. Also, not everyone who kills is bad, what if some man(no offense to any of the guys on here) goes and beats his wife everyday when he gets home? If she kills him to get away from him, and she is charge with murder, does that make her evil? No, she felt unsafe and was trying to get away from him. If you really want to do something about it, go create a club and premote peace. You could hang up flyers with ways to deal with people without resorting to violence, and put flowers on people's graves who were the victims of violence, put wreaths on people's doors around Yule who have had someone who died because of violence. It's the little things that count, start with your immediate area. Then add a block or two radius, and just keep expanding. You could add notes with your wreaths, or flowers that you leave on people's door steps, and just sign the name of your club in a nice signature. Just keep thinking about nice things to do and hopefully other people will catch on.
Nature is not all beautiful with hearts and flowers. There is no such thing as constant peace. The cycle of life could not exist without destruction and death. Weather can be violent, animals can be violent, insects can be violent, sea life can be violent, plants have nasty thorns and poisonous substances. That's nature for you!
When it comes to war, the fight is almost always over territory or one group (flock/pack) fighting another. All animals do this. If someone strolls into your house, will you just let them? Even if they just sit on your couch, will you take it lightly? Or will you yell, threaten and maybe even strike? Territory...it's a strong carnal instinct.
You can see the glass half empty, half full, or choose to recognize that it is both. Nature is balance and humans are apart of nature. If you believe in deities, those deities reflect nature too. Every god and goddess known to man is both destructive and nurturing, even the Christian god. If you can't accept all of nature, than you can't even accept the whole of who you are.
Animals (including humans) who torture and kill without reason actually have a chemical imbalance in their brains. Psychologists have discovered that this behavior can be seen very early in life. They actually can't feel remorse or empathy. It isn't their fault. It's a natural "defect" in their biology. Of course there are some who have the opposite problem who feel too much remorse and end up letting themselves die or committing suicide (animals have been known to "give up"). Most people have a good balance, but there are some with less or more. Psychologists are trying to find a way to test this effectively and economically so that criminals can be tested and treated instead of being locked up in jail.
In men, some have too much testosterone, and this can cause violence out of their control (blind rage). Psychologists are also trying to push that this be tested in criminals, because hormonal therapy has shown good results in helping these people.
Then you can't ignore post tramatic stress disorder, postpartum depression, borderline personality disorder, and many other psychological disorders that tend to be left unnoticed until something tragic or violent occurs.
If you really want to help, you should look into criminal/forensic psychology. That's what I am a student of. I have had a fascination to understand the very thing that 'sickens' you since I was a child. I want to help people like that. It isn't very nice to call them "bad". Be thankful you were born with a balanced biology.
