What single quality drives human behavior the most?

[Kodos]

I vote for selfishness. :)

[Desnudo]

I would say self-interest.

[Arles]

self-preservation

[rkmsuf]

hunger

[Lathum]

pro creation

[sachmo71]

I vote love.

Hold me?

[scooper]

hunger
Beat me to it, that's usually my driving force.

[NoMyths]

Desire.

[sachmo71]

Free spooning at my house!

[Desnudo]

With your wife, or you?

[korme]

ambition

[Huckleberry]

Everything mentioned so far is based on the basic instincts of self-preservation and reproduction.

That's all there is.

Well, that and competition so I can taunt you.

[sachmo71]

With your wife, or you?

Me, hopefully.

[NoMyths]

Everything mentioned so far is based on the basic instincts of self-preservation and reproduction.

That's all there is.Not exactly. Your argument is a sociobiological one, and while desire certaintly ties into those, desire can work against both of them as well (and frequently does take people out of the world because of them).

[Klinglerware]

Hold me?

Only for a scooby snack...

[Huckleberry]

Not exactly. Your argument is a sociobiological one, and while desire certaintly ties into those, desire can work against both of them as well (and frequently does take people out of the world because of them).
Desire is too broad a word to be considered a serious answer to this question. Clearly desire is what drives every single behavior ever shown and every single act ever performed.

I desire to type this post. Soon I will desire to click on the Submit Reply button. You will then desire to read the post.

[tategter]

Desire is too broad a word to be considered a serious answer to this question. Clearly desire is what drives every single behavior ever shown and every single act ever performed.

I desire to type this post. Soon I will desire to click on the Submit Reply button. You will then desire to read the post.

I didn't desire to reply to this post. The devil made me do it.

[Raven]

sex

[cartman]

to pop bubble wrap

[Greyroofoo]

your mom

[AENeuman]

Gotta go with my man Schopenhauer's Will of sexual desire, "as a nonrational force driving the ultimately meaningless struggle for existence. Even if we were able to satisfy all of the Will's demands, we would still be unhappy; for, everything ends in disillusion and, ultimately, in death."

in other words, "might like you better if we slept together"

[NoMyths]

Desire is too broad a word to be considered a serious answer to this question. Clearly desire is what drives every single behavior ever shown and every single act ever performed.Of course it is (incredibly broad and thus shows how clearly it drives every single behavior). Any smaller category is still superceded by desire. It's why so many religions and philosophies of happiness focus on ways of eliminating desire.

[Blackadar]

Interesting that no one has said God yet...

[Ben E Lou]

self

[Arles]

Interesting that no one has said God yet...
I don't think most religious people feel that God "drives human behavior". I think the "gift" of free-will is viewed by many Christians as one of God's great gifts.

[Ben E Lou]

I don't think most religious people feel that God "drives human behavior". I think the "gift" of free-will is viewed by many Christians as one of God's great gifts.Yup.

FWIW, I get the strong impression from things he's told us that Blacky married into a family of modern-day Pharisees.

[Blackadar]

Yup.

FWIW, I get the strong impression from things he's told us that Blacky married into a family of modern-day Pharisees.

Ya, they're called Southern Baptists. :)

[wishbone]

After working at various helpdesks for 8+ years, I can say that stupidity drives all human activity.

The question to the answer of life is "what happens if I do this?". The answer varies

[Cap Ologist]

The pursuit of pleasure/happiness is the motivating force behind every human behavior.

[Blackadar]

After working at various helpdesks for 8+ years, I can say that stupidity drives all human activity.


Press any key to continue....


"Which one is the any key?"

[Mac Howard]

self esteem (usually lack of) !

Sex is merely the area where this is at it's most vulnerable :rolleyes:

[Abe Sargent]

Pride.


-Anxiety

[Flasch186]

self esteem (usually lack of) !

Sex is merely the area where this is at it's most vulnerable :rolleyes:



couldnt agree more, Self esteem effects every single thing we say, think, and do.

[Passacaglia]

You people are fools!! Don't you see that Kodos is only asking this so he and Kang can take over the world??

[Karim]

self esteem (usually lack of) !

Sex is merely the area where this is at it's most vulnerable :rolleyes: I agree. Look at anyone who's attempted suicide. The will to do anything is gone because he/she feels so badly about themselves that life itself is not worth living. Eating, friends, relationships, sex, amibtion, survival etc., are non-issues when one doesn't see any point.

[Buccaneer]

Self, as been mentioned.

[QuikSand]

Fear.

[Buccaneer]

Ya, they're called Southern Baptists. :)
Actually, that's pretty close. The Pharisees were a self-righteous, legalistic lot that would condemn anyone not following their rules. To them, it was a persona of power and authority. Jesus probably said more bad things about them than any other topic for God's ways cannot be put in a little box and placed in the hands of a few.

[Senator]

Yes. Fear.

[Buccaneer]

Wouldn't Fear be a by-product of self? I mean, if one is not self aware, would one then fear?

[JonInMiddleGA]

The desire to avoid punishment/negative consequences.

(Interesting that you posted this question, because my answer has been the subject of a couple of dozen conversations I've had in the past month or so).

[QuikSand]

Wouldn't Fear be a by-product of self? I mean, if one is not self aware, would one then fear?

I think that is expanding the argument for "self" a bit much. If anything and everything accomplished by a sentient being traces back to his self-awareeness, then the answer of "self" becomes just a pointless tautology.

I think the clearer understaindg of the argument for "self" is that it's really "self-interest" or "self-promotion," that people do things in the pursuit of happiness, comfort, pleasure, or benefit to themselves.

The contrary, essentially negativist view, is that much (even most) of what people do is done in the pursuit of avoiding negative consequences - avoiding punishment, pain, embarassment, discomfort, and strains. In a word (used rather broadly), fear.

These are admittedly two sides of the same coin... but suggest fairly different things about the human psyche.

[Desnudo]

Don't both views represent self-interest though? Either positive or negative.