On "Human Nature"

Continuing on from my previous recent blogs, I want to begin to ruminate around what is called, "human nature."

To my way of thinking, there is really very little that can be clearly stated about human nature, that can be separated from our Indoctrination and Programming. No matter what Culture we spring from, we have been programmed to be what we are as humans--our, "Nature."

While it might be argued, with some justification, that, at minimum, many roles are shaped by our physical bodies. It can, also, be argued, however, that most such differences are simply the result of programming, and do not apply to all men or all women. Many of us can recall that, in the past, women were only allowed to serve in the Armed Services in traditional women's roles. Over the years, more activities have been opened up to women in the Services. A news story this week reports that the U.S. Military is changing certain requirements of more military roles to allow women to participate in them as well.

I am reminded of a story told by an anthropologist, (I think it was Margaret Mead.) She wrote of two different close-by tribes she had studied in the tropics. In one tribe it was the men's job to climb trees to harvest coconuts; the women took over working with the nuts after they were on the ground. In the nearby tribe, climbing coconut trees to harvest the nuts was women's work, and no man of the tribe would ever venture to climb one of the trees. I am not totally sure of this, but I think it was the men's job in that group to work with the harvested nuts.

One of the wonderful benefits of reading about anthropological studies back then, (the '60s) was to give perspective on our own Cultural idiosyncrasies. I think that those books did a good deal to prepare people to be open to change in the Western World, particularly in understanding that all Cultures have assigned particular, usually exclusive, roles to their members. This information made it possible for women to begin to question the roles they had been assigned.

Until recently, it was argued that the roles played by males and females in the creation of new humans was set in stone. I write, "until recently," because in 2008, we were informed by the news media that a man was going to give birth to a baby. However, Good Morning America reported on this as follows: "Thomas Beatie, the transgender man who made headlines as the so-called "pregnant man," gave birth Sunday to a healthy baby girl, ABC News has learned....reports that Beatie had had a Caesarean section are false." So, in actuality, this individual was born a female, and had taken "hormones and [was] living outwardly as a man".... Nevertheless, "He" had chosen to retain his female organs; he has, subsequently, born another child. (In any case, pretty mind blowing.)

Still, I have maintained for some time that perversity/contrariness is one of human's redeeming features. The story about Mr/Ms Beatie could not be more illustrative of this, at times "bizarre," aspect of human nature. For me, however, perversity in human nature is epitomized by the fact that, when the, "experts" think they have, "human nature" figured out, humans change.

I have recently watched a video report of a study done regarding, "Mind Sex," which, contrary to what you might be imagining, has to do with actual differences between most men, and most women, which they, (individuals doing the study) have concluded has to do with the amount of the hormone testosterone present in the mother's womb prior to birth--in what amounts, at particular times--which subsequently results in various male or female personal non-physical attributes.

These more recent studies show an open mindedness that is refreshing. The reason the more traditional, "experts" believe/d they could define the nature of humans is the degree to which most humans can be programmed to restrict themselves and perform in certain predetermined ways. In the middle of the last Century, Anthropologists Reports could have disabused those experts in many ways, if they were to have read the Reports. In any case, for various reasons, over the last half-century Western Society has changed in many ways as to what is thought of as, "human nature." Nonetheless, it is still a case of, "having to be drug, kicking and screaming" for most individuals into changing their beliefs about what is, or is not, "human nature."

I have written before that, "nothing is impossible." In regard to what is physically possible, if one has the time and inclination currently, by watching YouTube videos and America's Got Talent, as two examples, one can get a taste of just how far what the human body is capable of currently, has been expanded. For example, when I was younger, in sports, the Globe Trotters basketball players were the most amazing, that I can recall, of superior athletic ability. Currently, the kids dancing in the Hood, and those practicing, "Extreme Sports" would have, in the past, been considered, "super humans."

These current videos present proof-positive that humans' physical abilities are limitless; their non-physical abilities, while not documented in such videos, are also limitless.

So, encouraging experimenting with perversity, (living outside the box) I end this blog.

Shirley Gallup