1. Natural Mimes
Humans are what's called a mimetic species. What that means is we like to make things that look like other things. We use our incredible imaginations to create stories, characters, and objects that resemble the real world. Just look at our most popular stories. These tales of wizards and knights actually mimic real-life characters, face similar struggles, and develop meaningful relationships.
They chase their dreams just like we do, except that their world comes with a twist. Their world has some impossible spin like magic or dragons that grabs our attention because we as humans like to wonder how these fun ideas could change our lives. Oh, but that's not all. The journal Perspectives on Psychological Science explains that humans have a desire for simulation. We use fiction to temporarily immerse ourselves in other worlds, and that's why these worlds resemble our own. They're familiar enough to relate to but different enough to engage our imaginations.
2. Rejecting the Unfamiliar
We like things that stem from the real world, but when it gets too weird, we start pulling away. That's one big reason why humans struggle so much with abstraction. It's confusing, it's unrecognizable. We have a hard time connecting to it because it doesn't remind us of the real world in any way.
You see, humans need that familiarity in order to feel interested, to project ourselves into that new environment. If it's too bizarre or abstract, well, most people will just stop caring or reject it completely.
3. Emotional Volatility
Everyone's experienced a moment of uncontrollable emotion. Maybe a sad story drove you to tears, or a bitter disappointment set off your temper. People are capable of more emotions than any other living thing on the planet. Many animals feel happy; many animals feel sad, but we feel hundreds of emotions everywhere in between.
That's why Robert Plutchik, a professor at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine, pioneered the wheel of emotions way back in nineteen eighty. Plutchik lays out eight different emotional pathways, each one capturing a specific avenue of human emotion, showing how something subtle can develop into something more extreme or complex.
Let's try an example. Imagine someone keeps texting during a movie. You're trying to watch the movie, but obviously, you can't focus. Every two seconds, their phone keeps dinging with new messages. Chances are you're starting to feel a negative emotion called annoyance. But what happens if that person keeps texting? You're going to get more and more annoyed, right?
Eventually, annoyance turns into anger. When you're angry, you can't focus on the movie at all anymore, and all you can think about is that irritating person. So your anger motivates you to take action. You lean over and ask them to stop texting, but they brush you off and keep pulling out their phone. Now, obviously, this doesn't do anything to relieve your anger.
An experience like this will push you over the edge into one of Plutchik's emotional extremes, and just like that, anger transforms into all-encompassing rage. That makes you do something you'll later regret. You stand up, yell across the theater, and ruin the movie for everyone. It seemed like a good idea at the moment, but you end up feeling embarrassed after your rage goes away.
That's how flaring emotions work. They overwhelm us with one incredible feeling, and those few moments, logic and reason fade into the background. Now, sometimes that's good. Some extremes motivate us to do amazing things, but other extremes get us in trouble and send us down the wrong path. Emotional extremes can be both a blessing and a curse, but one thing is for sure: they're a fundamental part of human nature.
4. Change is Possible
Do people really change? The popular answer is usually no. People never really leave their traits and bad habits behind, but that's not actually true. Your personality, much like the structure of your brain, can change over time. It's a very slow process, and it takes a lot of work, but new environments, lessons, and experiences can alter the shape of your personality.
So don't give up on yourself if you're stuck in a rut or if you don't like something about your personality. Change is a fundamental part of human nature, so if you care enough about something, there's always room for improvement.
5. Existing in Harmony
The human body wants to feel balanced. There's actually a word for this: it's called homeostasis. Homeostasis is the physical and chemical process of equalizing your body. It's the reason why your temperature sits at an even 98.6 degrees. When you're cold, your body shivers to warm you up. When you're hot, your body sweats to cool you down because it always wants to find that state of equilibrium.
Human nature is no different. We lean toward extremes, but our minds function best in moderation. You can't, for example, spend all day socializing, working, or hitting the gym. Those extremes are just not good for you. You need to take care of yourself physically, socially, and psychologically. Just like your body finds homeostasis, you should always look for balance in your life.
6. Unfair Comparisons
Humans like to compare themselves to other humans, but when we make comparisons, it's not always fair. In fact, most of us compare ourselves to people we know we're better than. Not because we actually want to learn something but because we want to feel better about ourselves.
Social comparisons are supposed to be a tool for motivation, but instead, we use them to boost our own egos. So if you find yourself making comparisons on social media, hey, don't worry, you're not the only one.
7. Humiliation Begins Inward
We've all felt embarrassed before. Maybe you said something stupid or tripped over your own feet. After it happens, your face gets red, your stomach turns, and you feel like the whole room is staring at you. But after a few minutes, it goes away, and you and your friends can look back and laugh.
Humiliation, on the other hand, is something deeper and more powerful. It sticks around long after it happens, and it changes the way you interact with the world. Maybe you've seen someone humiliate another person and make them feel terrible about themselves. Well, the truth is, humiliation creates humiliation. When someone goes out of their way to attack another person, it's because they feel shame toward themselves, and that emotional pain makes them lash out. It's painful and destructive, but it's how the human brain defends itself.
8. Humans Are Empathic
Humans may be animals, but that doesn't mean we're naturally aggressive or selfish. We're not designed to hurt or sabotage other people. It's actually the opposite. A study from the Journal of Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience researched whether or not humans are naturally empathetic. Is it in our nature to sympathize with other people, or are we only looking out for ourselves?
It turns out humans are empathetic by nature. Our brains are programmed to protect other people, but under one condition: it has to be someone we know or care about. Most people distance themselves from strangers, but if it's someone we're connected to, the human brain springs into action.
9. Living in Circles
We identify patterns in everything. We build them into our houses, and we see them in the trees. But humans don't just find patterns; we live inside them. By nature, humans are cyclical, which means we tend to do the same things over and over.
You've probably heard the phrase "history always repeats itself," and it's true. Humans come up with the same ideas, try the same strategies, and make the same mistakes over and over again.
10. No Control Makes Us Crazy
When you don't have control over your life, how does it make you feel? Probably confused, frustrated, and a little bit frantic. People like to brag about how relaxed or laid-back they are, but control is a part of human nature. We want to know what's going on in our lives. We want to feel like we're in the driver's seat because when we're not, it messes with our heads.
It motivates us to do crazy things. It makes us overthink, overcompensate, and overreact just to regain a little bit of control in our lives. So don't be afraid to step back and ask yourself, "Why am I doing this? Do I actually believe it, or am I just looking for some sense of control?"
11. The Law of Possession
Possession comes naturally to us. We own things for all kinds of reasons, from companionship to envy. But one, in particular, stands out above the rest. We want to own things because we like to stand out. We want things that are exclusive to us, things that separate us from the rest of the world.
It might be a shirt, a phone, or a random trinket sitting on your shelf, but those items make you unique, and that uniqueness, well, it makes you special.
12. Fear is Universal
Everyone is scared of something, whether it's spiders, failure, or public speaking. Fear is a universal struggle. It's ingrained within our nature to be afraid of things. In fact, we have a whole section of our nervous system dedicated to our fears.
But fear and avoidance are very different things. That's why some people live like they're not scared of anything, even though they have fears just like everybody else. Fear makes you human, but it doesn't have to hold you back.
Human Nature Aspect | Description |
---|---|
Natural Mimes | Humans mimic real life through imagination, creating familiar yet fantastical worlds. |
Rejecting the Unfamiliar | Humans need familiarity to feel interested and connected to new ideas. |
Emotional Volatility | Humans experience a wide range of emotions that can lead to extremes. |
Change is Possible | Humans can change their personality traits and habits over time with effort. |
Existing in Harmony | Humans seek balance and homeostasis in life for optimal functioning. |
Unfair Comparisons | Social comparisons often serve to boost self-esteem rather than motivate. |
Humiliation Begins Inward | Humiliation stems from internal shame and affects interpersonal interactions. |
Humans Are Empathic | Humans are naturally empathetic, especially toward those they know. |
Living in Circles | Humans live in cyclical patterns, repeating ideas and mistakes. |
No Control Makes Us Crazy | Humans seek control over their lives, and lack of control causes distress. |
The Law of Possession | Humans own things to express uniqueness and stand out from others. |
Fear is Universal | Fear is a universal emotion, but it doesn't have to dictate actions. |