Animalistic Instinct: Just Because It Seems Right Doesn't Mean It Is

[DISCLAIMER]

When providing psychoeducational lessons regarding care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I often find it useful to define terms. This is because specific concepts are frequently misunderstood. For example, consider morals and ethics.

In a blogpost entitled Doing Right or Wrong, as They See It, I stated:

That which is “right” is defined as being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper. “Wrong” is an injurious, unfair, or unjust act: action or conduct inflicting harm without due provocation or just cause.

As well, “good” is defined as being of a favorable character or tendency, as “righteous” is defined as morally right or justifiable. Alternatively, “bad” is defined as failing to reach an acceptable standard, as “evil” is defined as morally or ethically reprehensible.

A moral is a person’s standard of behavior or belief concerning what is and isn’t acceptable for the individual and other people. As such, morals generally relate to what’s considered good, bad, right, wrong, or otherwise acceptable or unacceptable.

An ethic is a set of moral principles, especially those relating to or affirming a specified group, field, or form of conduct. Whereas morals relate to what is thought of as pleasing or displeasing behaviors and beliefs, ethics – based on morals – are the social rules by which we pledge to live.

I argue that although many people advocate the existence of objective morality, I see more evidence supporting the subjectivity of this concept than not. You’re welcome to disagree, and in so doing you support my stance. Now, I invite you to consider what I stated in Logical Relation:

[A] feeling relates to either: 1. Emotion (i.e., joy, fear, anger, sorrow, disgust, surprise, etc.) or 2. Bodily sensation (e.g., tighten or stiffened jaw). If the word “feel” (or any derivative thereof) can be replaced with “hunch,” “thought,” or “belief” (or any derivative thereof), it’s not a feeling.

Given this perspective, it’s improper to say “I feel this isn’t right.” Quite often, when providing lessons on mental health care, I encounter people who misappropriate the term “feeling” for the word “seem” (to appear to the observation or understanding: to give the impression of being).

Noteworthy, an impression is an especially marked and often favorable influence or effect on feeling, sense, or mind. Therefore, it’s proper to state “it seems as though this isn’t right.” Presuming you understand this distinction, I can now discuss a book that I’ve been reading.

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

It wouldn’t be unusual for people to have checked out of reading a blogpost once I began defining terms. Thus, for you who have apparently stuck around, I applaud you and invite you to consider the words of ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus who stated (page 117):

From the very beginning, make it your practice to say to every harsh impression, ‘you are an impression and not at all what you appear to be.’ Next, examine and test it by the rules you possess, the first and greatest of which is this—whether it belongs to the things in our control or not in our control, and if the latter, be prepared to respond, ‘It is nothing to me.’

Given Epictetus’s framework, suppose that something doesn’t seem right to you. Is this element something over which you have control? If not, then what’s it to you? Why bother yourself with it? Regarding this outlook, authors of The Daily Stoic state (page 117):

In an overly quantified world of policies and processes, some are swinging back in the other direction. Bold leaders will “trust their gut.” A spiritual guru will say that it’s important to “let your body guide you.” A friend trying to help us with a difficult decision might ask, “What feels right here?”

Presuming you understand the distinction I’ve provided concerning hutches, thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and sensations, then I suspect you understand better than to pay any mind to “what feels right.” There’s no such thing! About this view, authors of The Daily Stoic add (page 117):

These approaches to decision making contradict voluminous case studies in which people’s instincts have led them right into trouble. Our senses are wrong all the time!

As animals subjected to the slow force of evolution, we have developed all sorts of heuristics, biases, and emotional responses that might have worked well on the savannah but are totally counterproductive in today’s world.

For clarity, sense is a meaning conveyed or intended, as well as a specialized function or mechanism (such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch) by which an animal receives and responds to external or internal stimuli. While some may disagree, humans are a form of animal.

Fallible human beings maintain animalistic (having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal) instinct (a largely inheritable and unalterable tendency of an organism to make a complex and specific response to environmental stimuli without involving reason).

These animalistic instincts don’t serve well our interests and goals, especially regarding the care of one’s own mental health. Addressing an antidote to this form of irrational instinct (i.e., what may seem right or wrong), authors of The Daily Stoic conclude (page 117):

Part of Stoicism is cultivating the awareness that allows you to step back and analyze your own senses, question their accuracy, and proceed only with the positive and constructive ones.

Sure, it’s tempting to throw discipline and order to the wind and go with what feels right—but if our many youthful regrets are any indication, what feels right right now doesn’t always stand up well over time. Hold your senses suspect. Again, trust, but always verify.

Regarding animalistic instinct, just because it seems right doesn’t mean it is. Or, to misappropriate a term, as do authors of The Daily Stoic, “what feels right right now doesn’t always stand up well over time.” Thus, you can behave as the higher form of animal that you are.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit, fair use

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