An arguement my partner and I had recently got me thinking about instincts and how much we are guided by them. We have all sorts of impulses and urges. People always think of love and and sex when they think instincts, and certainly they are examples.  Fear can completely cripple people. Lust can ruin lives. And anyone who has loved knows it's power. But I've been considering what else may be instincts. Consider:

loyalty - Some people are natural leaders. Others aren't. But have you ever felt loyalty to
someone? Not a lover... A boss or a friend that you'd just stick up for or follow more so than others. People follow individuals who may not always show good leadership or good decision making. Look at the great leaders of history, from Hitler to Napolean to Ghandi to Martin Luther King, Jr. Certainly some deserved loyalty, but others not so much. I don't think that loyalty is always, or perhaps even usually, based on skill or logic.

trust/mistrust - Some people just seem more or less trustworty. On first meeting someone, you have an instant trust or distrust of them. Whether we instinctually trust people, or have a natural distrust, there must be some underlying instinct that guides us, whether based on mannerisms, looks, or pheromes and such.

retribution - When we or our loved ones are wronged, we don't want to just right the wrong. We want "justice" to be done. But if we're honest with ourselves, we want the perpetrator to pay. If we were guided simply by logic though, we would be more interested in simply righting the wrong, or trying to prevent it from happening again or to others. Evolutionarly, this prevents invidiuals from being able to go against the societal norms.

fairness - It's been shown that chimps are less likely to accept a trading offer if they see that others get a better deal, or if a higher offer had been made and recended. We share that deep desire for fairness, and won't accept trades or whatever if we feel we're being taken advantage of, even if we would still benefit from the trade.

patriotism - Many feel a patriotism for our nation. However, patriotism extends to not just geographic regions, but all our affiliations, such as schools, places of work, churchs, clubs, and even places we frequent. We feel closer to those we share common bonds with, whether expressed through nationalism or prejudism. Looking at evolution, this would provide strong links to family and clan, while allowing links to a broader community of people.

wanderlust/boredom - Wanderlust and bordom aren't quite the same thing, but they're close. One is the desire to do something new and different, the other to do anything. Nonetheless, either or both can be strong motivators. I myself can and do spend much of my life in one place (righthand cushion on the couch in front of the tv), but others not only need more active pursuits or for the unknown.

Next time you "feel" something, whether it's an emotion, impulse, or conviction that's not based on logic, consider that perhaps it's thousands or even millions of generations of your ancestors guiding you.

Tags: emotions, evolution, instinct