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What in the heck is an instinctive propensity? When people act, and do so automatically, the actions are in keeping with their sensibilities. There are certain thoughts and behaviors that are knee jerk reactions.
Instinctive propensity describes a reaction that is in keeping with a person’s sensibilities.
Definition of sensibility (from dictionary.com)
Basic sensibilities are inborn. Instinctive propensities are engaged in or acted upon automatically and bypass the reasoning process.
The ones I mention here, certainly at one time, contributed to the survival of the institution and the species. In the modern era, they only inhibit understanding.
I have explained that, though we would like for it to be otherwise, uncertainty is normal and certainty is abnormal. I have also explained that life is governed by laws of dominance and subservience. Every child is unwittingly born into an ongoing eternal power struggle.
An understanding of instinctive propensities is the next step in gaining the Fantasy Free Advantage. Here are a few.
Exaltation of the self (seeing oneself as special)
Exaltation of the species (seeing the species as special)
Exaltation of the group one is born into
Exaltation of one’s country and other groups.
Treating government as a guardian
Government and leaders as divine (incumbents re-elected, Word from the top is not often questioned..
Laws and statutes as divine. (repealing a law is almost impossible)
Expectation that leaders have the prowess to solve problems
Automatic forgiveness of powerful people of their indiscretions
To the displeasure of most, humans do have herding instincts when they participate in group behavior. Human instinctive behaviors are more complex. We can be described as multi-herd animals. With respect to group behavior in humans, the parallels are one to one, although more complex. In a pride of lions, the head male is deemed to have the prowess to provide protection to all the other lions. Americans expect the same from the President of the United States and lesser authorities.
In the days of early humanity, this made sense. It doesn’t make sense any more. There are some seven billion people in the world. It is easy enough to see that each person is unique but in no way special. Still we act if we are indeed special.
The mind deems the president to have the prowess to protect citizens and the motivation to do so.
What served humanity prior to civilization played a positive role in our evolution. This is no longer the case. Instinctive propensities, when acted on …. now constitute mal-adaptive behavior. Nowadays, instinctive propensities get in the way of and distort efforts at understanding.