Human Nature: How You Live Makes a Difference

[DISCLAIMER]

In Separating the Art From the Artist: Shamone, Hee Hee, I discussed my fondness for the entertainment content of singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist Michael Jackson, dubbed the “King of Pop”, irrespective of controversial matters surrounding his personal life, as I said:

Thriller [1982] is as close to a flawless album as any I’ve ever heard! I say this as one who maintains that fallible human beings are incapable of achieving perfection. In view of this, there’s not a single track on the album that I don’t like! […]

People may judge me, my beliefs, or my behavior—not all one and the same—for continuing to appreciate art from artists who’ve been accused of disagreeable acts. Oh well, too bad! Their thoughts aren’t my thoughts! Thus, we can agree to disagree. Shamone, hee hee!

The King of Pop was a flawed man. This is true regardless of whether or not he committed acts of which he was accused. I, too, have been accused of unsavory actions. I imagine that you’ve also been alleged to have behaved in a distasteful manner at some point in your life.

“Yeah, Deric,” you may retort, “but I’ve never been accused of sexually assaulting or raping children!” That’s a red herring response. For context, one source states:

Red Herring – Ignoratio elenchi (also known as: beside the point, misdirection [form of], changing the subject, false emphasis, the Chewbacca defense, irrelevant conclusion, irrelevant thesis, clouding the issue, ignorance of refutation)

Description: Attempting to redirect the argument to another issue to which the person doing the redirecting can better respond. While it is similar to the avoiding the issue fallacy, the red herring is a deliberate diversion of attention with the intention of trying to abandon the original argument.

Logical Form:

Argument A is presented by person 1.

Person 2 introduces argument B.

Argument A is abandoned.

Example #1:

Mike: It is morally wrong to cheat on your spouse, why on earth would you have done that?

Ken: But what is morality exactly?

Mike: It’s a code of conduct shared by cultures.

Ken: But who creates this code?...

Herein, I stated, “I imagine that you’ve also been alleged to have behaved in a distasteful manner at some point in your life,” which you likely have. If you then argue that you’ve never been accused of acts allegedly exhibited by the King of Pop, then you’re using a red herring argument.

As I expressed in the aforementioned blogpost, “fallible human beings are incapable of achieving perfection.” Each and every person is flawed, according to human nature. For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines human nature:

[T]he generally innate but flexible characteristics of humankind as a whole, comprising the set of behaviors, attitudes, and dispositions that typify the human race. The concept of human nature has been rejected by several schools of modern thought, notably Marxism, feminism, and postmodernism.

Throughout my blog, I’ve mocked bad ideas attributed to Marxism, feminism, and postmodernism. If you care to know more about my perspective, then you can use the “search” feature on my blog to explore the posts I’ve written about these laughable concepts.

In short, I reject the tabula rasa, of which the APA defines “the idea that at birth the mind is like a ‘blank tablet’ (from Latin) and that all knowledge is subsequently derived from sensory experience. The notion of innate ideas is thus dismissed as a fiction.”

Concerning the field of mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), one effective dispute to the blank slate concept regards heritability of personality traits. As I stated in Psychopathy and Sociopathy: We Are All Fallible Beings:

Regarding personality, one source states, “According to twin studies, the Big Five personality traits have substantial heritable components explaining 40–60% of the variance, but identification of associated genetic variants has remained elusive.”

Some people were born with traits which influence wrongdoing. Some individuals were conditioned to engage in misconduct. Some persons apparently weren’t born or conditioned to behave in maladaptive ways, though they do so nonetheless for ostensibly unexplainable reasons.

Although there’s no one-to-one guarantee that parent X will pass on personality traits to child Y, there’s at least a strong possibility that human nature exists when 40-60% of personality is heritable. Admittedly anecdotal evidence, I stated in Nature, Nurture, and Other:

My black dad and white mom produced the little human in that picture [featured in that blog entry, as well as the current post]. Clearly, I inherited a skin tone more aligned with that of my mom than dad. Nevertheless, for those who’ve known my dad and me, I’m said to have a personality that is fundamentally a blueprint of his character.

I was raised in the care of my mom from birth until half of my fifth grade year, at which point I was then principally cared for by my dad and stepmom until half of my seventh grade year. Shortly after being returned to custody of my mom, I was placed in a children’s home.

From a nature perspective, I have shared traits of both my mom and dad. From a nurture outlook, I also developed patterns of behavior from each of my parents. Still, there are elements of my personality and ways of interfacing with the world which are unlike either of my parents.

Both physiological and psychological traits are heritable. Therefore, I maintain that human nature exists, tabula rasa is an invalid and unreliable concept, and parent X passing traits to child Y does occur by transferring genetic code of an imperfect nature—as is human nature.

Given this framing, the King of Pop was a fallible human being whose music, videos, films, and other entertainment content is of value to me. As an example, on the Thriller album was a track called “Human Nature”. I adore the song and the personal memories associated with it.

In part, the chorus states, “If they say, ‘Why?’ (“Why?”) ‘Why?’ (“Why?”) Tell ‘em that it’s human nature.” I find this a reasonable form of explanation or justification regarding matters which may be otherwise unexplainable.

After all, it’s a matter of hubris (exaggerated pride or self-confidence) to suggest that all matters related to human nature absolutely must be known. Thus, per the King of Pop, “If they say, ‘Why?” then saying that incomprehensible traits or mannerisms are human nature will suffice.

Now, consider that Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) uses Stoic philosophy, as this post is part of an ongoing series regarding a book: The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

Ancient and modern Stoic philosophers often explore concepts related to human nature. For instance, authors of The Daily Stoic quote ancient Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius who stated (page 319):

You have proof in the extent of your wanderings that you never found the art of living anywhere —not in logic, nor in wealth, fame, or in any indulgence. Nowhere. Where is it then? In doing what human nature demands. How is a person to do this? By having principles be the source of desire and action.

What principles? Those to do with good and evil, indeed in the belief that there is no good for a human being except what creates justice, self-control, courage and freedom, and nothing evil except what destroys these things.

As is now customary when I write about The Daily Stoic, I reject Stoic appeals to objective morality and moral absolutism. I posit that fallible human beings are good enough, as is, and it isn’t necessary to appraise or evaluate people on unrealistic standards. According to one source:

Nirvana Fallacy (also known as: perfect solution fallacy, perfectionist fallacy)

Description: Comparing a realistic solution with an idealized one, and discounting or even dismissing the realistic solution as a result of comparing to a “perfect world” or impossible standard, ignoring the fact that improvements are often good enough reason.

Logical Form:

X is what we have.

Y is the perfect situation.

Therefore, X is not good enough.

Example #1:

What’s the point of making drinking illegal under the age of 21?  Kids still manage to get alcohol.

I argue that it’s a matter of the Nirvana fallacy to claim that people can be righteous, evil, or otherwise. However, fallible beings can behave in ways which are good, bad, and so on. To his credit, in the cited quote, Aurelius argued for and against principles “to do with good and evil.”

If the late philosopher’s advocacy for doing good rather than evil deeds is the matter, then I maintain that this is well within the realm of human nature and the ability of fallible human beings to accomplish. Sharing their perspective, authors of The Daily Stoic state (page 319):

What’s the meaning of life? Why was I born? Most of us struggle with these questions—sometimes when we’re young, sometimes not until we’re older. Rarely do we find much in the way of direction.

But that’s simply because we miss the point. As Viktor Frankl points out in Man’s Search for Meaning, it is not our question to ask. Instead, it is we who are being asked the question. It’s our lives that are the answer.

How you live makes a difference, perhaps more so that why you exist. Personally, a virtually endless exploration about why I inherited favorable and unfavorable traits from my parents could consume my life—all without receiving meaningful answers to my practically ceaseless queries.

However, how I live, as a fallible human being who shares the experience with others of imperfect human nature, is a better use of my time. As I am, I’m good enough. Still, how I live (i.e., behave) may be good, bad, and so on. Of their view, the authors conclude (page 319):

No amount of travel or reading or clever sages can tell you what you want to know. Instead, it is you who must find the answer in your actions, in living the good life—by embodying the self-evident principles of justice, self-control, courage, freedom, and abstaining from evil.

I live a good enough life, though not “the good life.” The distinction is that I use a standard which is subjective (characteristic of or belonging to reality as perceived rather than as independent of mind). For instance, I determine what a “good life” is for myself.

This standard isn’t objective (expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations). As an example, using my subjective standard, I care little about what others maintain is a “good life” for everyone else.

Per the King of Pop, “If they say, ‘Why?” then I’ll tell everyone else that it’s my fallible human nature to set my own standards of a good enough life, and live up to those ideals. Now, regarding your flawed human nature, I invite you to consider that how you live makes a difference.

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

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Hollings, D. (2023, October 2). Morals and ethics. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/morals-and-ethics

Hollings, D. (2024, September 27). My attitude. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/my-attitude

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Hollings, D. (2024, April 22). On disputing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-disputing

Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings

Hollings, D. (2023, April 24). On truth. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-truth

Hollings, D. (2024, June 16). On virtue. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-virtue

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Hollings, D. (2024, February 27). Suffering, struggling, and battling vs. experiencing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/suffering-struggling-and-battling-vs-experiencing

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