BEHAVIORAL QUALITIES 🐈 🐈

(circa. 23 August 2024)

 


 

In one of my Essays, I wrote quite a lot about Modern Human Behavior and if you read it, you will realize that I never mention types of Behavior, but rather the factors that Influence Behavior or the Role that Behavior plays in Social Groups within Society. I want to start off with a Conclusion I reached about Behavior, which I usually end with.

  

No matter how Science or other Schools of Thought tries to Define, Rationalize and Predict Behavior, it is an Individual Characteristic that makes everyone Unique.

  

WHAT IS HUMAN BEHAVIOR?

  

I asked my friend Wikipedia to give me a description for Human Behavior and got more than I bargained for, but before sharing this Description, I would like to share something that I have learned since I started writing Essays, which is beneficial to Every Intelligent Person (Everyone). When you read a Description or Definition about Something, or a Person is Describing something to you, Identify and Pay Special Attention to "Key Words". A Key Word automatically implies a collection of concepts, ideas and knowledge, that People Understand when they Communicate with each other. When a Person LISTENS to another Person and becomes aware of "Contradicting Key Words", like "Less is more"; "The Beginning of the End" or (a very difficult one to identify) "The truth is, it was all lies", it reveals the other Person's State of Being, demanding "Active Listening" from the other Person. Reading a Description or Definition is easier, because a Person can Read it again and "Highlight" certain words that are Key Words to them.

  

According to Wikipedia: "Human behavior is the potential and expressed capacity (mentally, physically, and socially) of human individuals or groups to respond to internal and external stimuli throughout their life. Behavior is driven by genetic and environmental factors that affect an individual. Behavior is also driven, in part, by thoughts and feelings, which provide insight into individual psyche, revealing such things as attitudes and values. Human behavior is shaped by psychological traits, as personality types vary from person to person, producing different actions and behavior". The Proverbial Wheel has already been Invented and there is no need to use the Information from Wikipedia as a Foundation for what I wanted to write about. If you are considering to read what Wikipedia has to share about Behavior, here is a list of Topics (Key words) that are covered:

  • Social behavior;
    • Social norms;
    • Interpersonal relationships;
    • Politics and conflict;
  • Cognitive behavior;
    • Emotion;
    • Creativity;
    • Religious behavior;
  • Studied by the Social Sciences;
  • Natural sciences;
  • Physiological behavior;
  • Economic behavior;
    • Work;
    • Leisure;
    • Consumption;
  • Ecological behavior;
  • Biological and Cultural elements;
    • Age;
    • Culture and environment;
    • Genetics; and
    • Physiology.

  

From the description by Wikipedia, I have identified my own Key Words that relates to Behavior, which will be used as the Foundation for this Essay. The Key Words I identified, were:

  

Potential: "Human potential is roughly defined as our ability to express our inner self and become the best version of ourselves. It's very closely related to intelligence, learning, cognition, and training. Learning and cognition precisely because we all carry within us something we are good at without being aware of it".

  

Capacity: "Human capacity includes both the intellectual capacity (e.g., knowledge, skills) and the will (e.g., commitment, trust, respect, competence, resilience, and persistence) to implement needed changes".

  

Stimuli: "In science, a stimulus is defined as a chemical or physical change in the environment that triggers some sort of the behavioral change in a living organism. All living organisms are able to respond to stimuli, however, their responses and the types of stimuli they are able to detect vary based on the type of organism".

  

Thought: "Perception, memory, focus, language, reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity are just a few of the cognitive processes that make up human thought. Together, these processes support people in understanding the world, making sense of information, resolving issues, and reaching decisions".

  

Feelings (not emotions): "Feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; and feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations, thoughts, or images evoking them". The term feeling is closely related to, but not the same as, emotion".

  

Psyche: "The human psyche is the totality of the human mind that helps us navigate through life. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality states that the three levels of our personalities are the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the unconscious mind".

  

Attitude: "Attitude can be defined as the way in which a person views and evaluates something or someone, a predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively toward a certain idea, object, person, or situation. Attitudes include beliefs, emotional responses and behavioral tendencies."

  

Values: "Value denotes the degree of importance of some thing or action, with the aim of determining which actions are best to do or what way is best to live, or to describe the significance of different actions".

  

Actions: "Human action is a crucial aspect of society that shapes the world we live in. Every decision made by individuals has a direct impact on their lives and those around them. Therefore, understanding human action and individual choice is essential in comprehending how society operates".

  

After listing every aspect and its description, I "Interrogated" each one to ensure that it can not be applicable to Dolphins or Gorilla's, but that each one is applicable to Modern Humans - which I will refer to as: Humans, People or Person(s) from this point forward. During this Interrogation, I also highlighted certain words in every description that was a "Key Word" to ME. This is important, because the Content of this Essay is about MY Interpretations, Assumptions and Deductions based on Research I have done, otherwise it would've consisted of Content from Different Sources that was just copied and grouped together to save you time and effort by Searching for it yourself.

  

I then did what I am good at, Analyze:

1. I listed each Main Key word and their Key Words, from the description, below them;

2. Using different Colors, I went through ALL the Key Words and Highlighted the ones that could have an "Influence" on each other;

  

  

Figure 1

3. I discovered the most amazing thing, which lead me to decide that there has to be a division between a "First-Level Influencer" and a "Secondary-Influencer" (See Figure 1)

  

  

Figure 2

4. The Behavioral Qualities with Influencers that could also apply to other Qualities, were ladled as "First-Level Influencers" and the rest as "Secondary Influencers" (as can be seen in Figure 2).

5. It didn't come as a Surprise that "Potential", "Thought" and "Psyche" had the Most First-Level Influencers, then "Capacity" and lastly "Attitude". To me, this Outcome supported the Individual Descriptions for each Quality and it MADE SENSE;

6. I then took it a step further by listing the Qualities, and using the Qualities as Influencers on each other, came up with the following discovery:

  

  

Figure 3

7. From Figure 3, it is Obvious that "Values" and "Actions" were the 2 Qualities that were influenced the most, by Other Qualities, then "Psyche" and "Capacity".

8. Look at Figure 1 again. "Values" and "Actions" had NO First-Level Influencers, at all. Either the Key Words were mis-interpreted or maybe not applicable;

9. Values and Actions have 3 Similar Influencers: Capacity; Thought and Psyche. Values have Attitude as an extra influencer and Actions had Potential as an extra influencer.

10. In trying to "Picture it", I drew a simple Diagram in PowerPoint to see if it makes sense, and this was the result:

   

  

Figure 4

It had no affect except for 1 Very Obvious thing: Feelings are influenced by Thoughts and that is the ONLY reason for being on the Diagram. The same argument can be made for "Stimuli", because it only influences Capacity, but the fact that Values and Actions are influenced by Capacity means they are Indirectly influenced by Stimuli as well. I decided to let this "New Knowledge" mingle with Knowledge I already have, using my Memory and after a BIG "THANK YOU FOR BEING HUMAN", Intelligence caused me to experience a "low-level a-ha sensation". A few weeks ago, I did some research on the role that Intelligence plays on the Modern Human Species, i.e. Homo Sapiens Sapiens. I came to a conclusion that on the one side, Intelligence is a Cycle whereby People can Gain Knowledge, Understand or Make Sense from it and are able to Apply it, leading to the urge to gain more Knowledge, Understanding and so on. I just called it "The Cycle". On the other Side, Society had to Develop to allow and support People to Gain Knowledge, understand it and Apply it. A Developed Society remains relatively Constant and allows Social Structures to Develop between different Social Groups. At first, it seemed to me that these 2 "Environments" developed separately and there was no "Relationship" between them, but then I learned that "The Cycle's" Development lead to the development of various Science Domains, one of them being "Anthropology" where People can "Study" themselves. The knowledge gained through this and Other Sciences were, and still are, Applied to the Benefit of People and Society. People's Ability to Adapt, lead to Changes in Social Groups and Structures, while Society remains Relatively Constant, and this is also an ongoing Cycle. One of the Major Characteristics of Modern Humans is, being Social and able to adapt to changes, based on their Behavior, and Individual Behavior is the Main influencer for Social Groups, where People with similar Behavior will group together. Behavior is influenced by Traditions, Values and Social Norms that developed and are still developing. The influence of "The Cycle" on the development of Human Behavior is a Highly Debated Topic in Science with one argument being very Popular: Nature vs Nurture. Questioning whether Human Behaviour is Genetic or a Result of External Environmental factors, or a Combination of the two and to what degree. I even drew a Diagram to Understand better myself, which I would like to share with you.

  

  

Diagram 1

QUICK RECAP

  

To describe Human Behavior, 9 Key words were identified: Potential; Capacity; Stimuli; Thought; Feelings; Psyche; Attitudes; Values and Actions. From each of their descriptions, more Key Words were identified and Organized according to Behavioral Qualities they can influence. This lead to a "discovery" of "First-Level Influencers" and "Secondary Influencers". Based on the First-Level Influencers, the Main Behavioral Qualities were: Psyche; Thought; Potential; Capacity and Attitude. Using Qualities as Influencers, Values and Actions are the Main Behavioral Qualities, influenced by Capacity; Thought and Psyche. To learn more about Human Behavior, read Wikipedia. If you are curious about how Behavior makes every Person unique, read on. In Total, I have identified 45 Key words to describe Human Behavior, but I'm convinced that there are probably hundreds more. I realized that I had to limit the Scope for this Essay and even the 45 Key Words I identified, was too wide. The analysis i have done, was based on MY Knowledge, MY Interpretations and MY Assumptions, which lead to MY Discoveries, reflected in Figures 1 and 2 and Diagrams 1 and 2. Within this Scope, the Main aim will be to get you to think (question or do research) about People's Behavior and why it makes every Person Unique - even Genetically Identical Twins.

  

IT IS ABOUT BEHAVIOR

  

I have 2 siblings, an older Sister (1 year 11 days older) and my older Brother (was 4 years and 7 months older) passed away in 2010, months before he should have turned 40. We grew up in the same house, raised by the same Parents (who didn't divorce), went to the same Church and same Schools, yet as adults we often ask how it is possible, that under these Similar Conditions, each one of us "turned out" differently. There were a few differences, for example: My Mother was a full-time Housewife until my Brother started University (I was 13 then); I wasn't allowed to socialize with my Brother's friends, because they were older and HIS friends; My Sister had mainly Girls as friends; I didn't have a lot of friends; My Brother was the first to go to University and studied Accounting; My Sister studied Arts and I studied I.T. Systems' Analysis and Design. My Dad TRIED to raise us according to tradition, where Sons had to mow the lawn and do Gardening and other "Manly" activities, while my Mother TRIED in-vain to raise my sister according to Tradition. The three of us swapped "Roles" during our Teenager years, with my Brother and Me being more involved in Cooking and Baking and when my Sister wasn't "Drawing Pictures", she did the mowing and Gardening - MAN, my Brother was famous for baking this ONE Totally Delicious Cake that took hours of preparation. It was quite strange, but the Children in the Street Block, where we lived, were all similar ages, going to the same Schools etc. My Parents weren't rich, because my Dad was the only Breadwinner although my Mother knitted Jerseys and other Clothes, for extra money. Most of my clothes were "Hand-me-downs" while my Sister got mostly "New Clothes". Our extended family, on both sides, were about 75% older boys and 25% older girls and I was the youngest, so I always got clothes that were worn by at least 2 older Cousins. I was 18 years old when I got my FIRST Brand New Suit, because it was required for our Matric Farewell, that I actually didn't want to attend, so I "Protested" by wearing a Normal Tie instead of a Bow-Tie like all the other boys. These are only a few examples, but I think the Major factor that made "things" different, was University. All 3 of us went to the same University, My Sister had a Bursary while my Brother and I had Student Loans and Performance Bursaries (given by the University to top Performers), which was one of the reasons why we Studied really hard. My Sister's motto was that 50% was a pass, 49% a fail and 51% was over-achievement - seriously. All-in-all, I can state that we had a generally "normal" upbringing. After University, at Family Social Events, which included the extended Families with boyfriends and girlfriends, the 3 of US (and my Sister's boyfriend at the time) would always stick together, because our Cousins (bluntly) called us the SNOBS. At one such an event, after a Cousin made the comment, the "bitch" inside me let loose and replied that between the 4 of us, we held more Degrees than the number of "Grand Children" they "Managed" to "Produce", we had 7 Degrees and 3 Higher Education Certifications (not High School Diploma's) between the 4 of us at that time. I just couldn't help myself and from the expression on my Mother's face, I shouldn't have either.

  

Let's look at the 3 Figures again and the obvious difference regarding the Values and Actions, and ask a few questions:

1. Quickly list the Quality Influencers that influences Values and Actions.

  • Values: Capacity; Thought; Psyche and Attitudes.
  • Actions: Capacity; Thought; Psyche and Potential.

  

2. Which "First-Level Influencers" are related to the Quality Influencers for Values and actions (Figure 1)?

  • Values: Actions; Determining; Importance and To Live.
  • Actions: Choice; Comprehending; Decision Made; Direct Impact and Lives.

  

3. Which Quality Influencers, influences the Influencers for Values and Actions (Figure 3)?

  • Values: Psyche; Potential and Thought.
  • Actions: Psyche; Potential and Thought.

  

4. Looking at Figure 3, which Behavior Qualities don't have ANY "First-Level Influencers"?

  • Stimuli; Feelings; Values and Actions.

  

5. Looking at Figure 2 and the Qualities that influences the Behavior Qualities, list the Top 5 Influencer Qualities.

  • Psyche; Thought; Potential; Capacity and Attitudes.

 

4. Is something missing or are there Influencers that should be considered as well?

  • Attitudes and Capacity wit their Key Words: Discriminates; Emotional Responses; Intentions; Motivations; Capacity; Changes; Intellectual; Knowledge and Skills. It makes sense when looking at the descriptions again. 
  • Attitude: "Attitude can be defined as the way in which a person views and evaluates something or someone, a predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively toward a certain idea, object, person, or situation. Attitudes include beliefs, emotional responses and behavioral tendencies."
  • Capacity: "Human capacity includes both the intellectual capacity (e.g., knowledge, skills) and the will (e.g., commitment, trust, respect, competence, resilience, and persistence) to implement needed changes".

  

Just to refresh our Memory, let's look at the other 3 descriptions again.

  • Psyche: "The human psyche is the totality of the human mind that helps us navigate through life. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality states that the three levels of our personalities are the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the unconscious mind".
  • Potential: "Human potential is roughly defined as our ability to express our inner self and become the best version of ourselves. It's very closely related to intelligence, learning, cognition, and training. Learning and cognition precisely because we all carry within us something we are good at without being aware of it".
  • Thought: "Perception, memory, focus, language, reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity are just a few of the cognitive processes that make up human thought. Together, these processes support people in understanding the world, making sense of information, resolving issues, and reaching decisions".

  

5. Are there any Qualities or Influencers that have NOT been mentioned or discussed yet?

  • Stimuli: "In science, a stimulus is defined as a chemical or physical change in the environment that triggers some sort of the behavioral change in a living organism. All living organisms are able to respond to stimuli, however, their responses and the types of stimuli they are able to detect vary based on the type of organism".  
  • Feelings (not emotions): "Feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; and feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations, thoughts, or images evoking them". The term feeling is closely related to, but not the same as, emotion".

  

6. Are there any SIMILAR factors, processes, aspects, qualities or characteristics in everyone of the Top 5 Influencers?

  • The word "Cognitive" comes to mind, but it's not mentioned directly in each description, although it is implied, look deeper. According to my friend Wikipedia: "Cognition is the "mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognition). It might be safe to state the following: There are 2 Similarities in each the descriptions of the Top 5 Quality Influencers, and they are: Mental Capability or Intelligence Related AND Abilities Related.

  

It is difficult to explain what I realized after the last question, because it was more like a feeling than a thought, like the feeling you get after a nice long shower, not an emotion, a feeling. Look at Diagram 1 as well, Behavior is influenced by Traditions, Values and Social Norms which are influenced by "The Cycle" and are therefore Inherently Related to Intelligence. Psyche, Thought and Potential are part of an ongoing Process that shapes your Attitude and Capacity to Respond, meaning, Actions. Stimuli and Feelings are the "touchy-feely-things" as I would describe them, and they are required, where Psyche, Thought and Potential demands Active Participation. Without looking for proof that the description for Behavior makes sense, i somehow found the "Sense" by looking at the descriptions of the Qualities' Key Words, that I identified. My Source data, Key Words from each Quality's description, resulted in proving that my friend Wikipedia was correct indeed. Feeling a bit proud of my achievement, I glanced over the Behavior qualities again, then the following popped into my head, some might be familiar:

  • "Your Actions have consequences";
  • "Your Attitude sucks";
  • "I think, therefore I am";
  • "You have so much Potential"; or
  • "You've hurt my Feelings".

How many times, during my Life, have these expressions been used completely out of context? The REAL meaning for the Word has been distorted over time and became part of the Language, with everyone Understanding what is meant by it, even though it's wrong. Things need to be straightened out - NOW!

   

I LOVE IT WHEN I DO WHAT I DO WHEN I DO WHAT I WANT

  

"Human behavior is the potential and expressed capacity (mentally, physically, and socially) of human individuals or groups to respond to internal and external stimuli throughout their life. Behavior is driven by genetic and environmental factors that affect an individual. Behavior is also driven, in part, by thoughts and feelings, which provide insight into individual psyche, revealing such things as attitudes and values. Human behavior is shaped by psychological traits, as personality types vary from person to person, producing different actions and behavior".

  

Firstly, get rid of the "fluffy stuff", leaving the Core meaning intact. 

"Human behavior is the mental, physical and social capacity of human responses, driven by genetic and environmental factors, thoughts and feelings, allowing an individual's mind to experience differences in attitudes and values. It is shaped by various characteristic patterns of thoughts, with a unique set of actions associated with different psychological types."

  

Psychological Types:

A Scientific way to refer to Personality Types. In other Essays I mentioned how People prefer to be Objectively Measured, in order to be Classified or Categorized, especially if Society has accepted these Classifications and People Know what Characteristics are associated with each Classification. The fact is that People don't Know all the different Categorizations and therefore they don't know all the Characteristics associated with each, but People rely on the "General Consensus" which is basically a General Idea, shared between People, with a General Understanding. For example, Introvert vs Extravert: People generally describe Extraverts as Spontaneous, Outgoing, Lots of friends, Loud and Happy. Introverts: People generally describe Introverts as Shy, Quiet, "Thinkers", Out of the Spotlight; Small circle of Friends and Independent. I used to think that there were only 2 Personality Types: Introverts and Extraverts. Later in Life, I learned about Type A and Type B Personalities, which I still don't "get". Then came "Men are from Mars and Woman are from Venus" and everyone went nuts about it. One of my Psychologists "Tested" me and I was Categorized with 1 Dominant Personality type amongst 4 different types. The 4 Personality types were: Driver, Expressive, Amiable, and Analytical (guess which one I was). Luckily "In the Meantime" was published, then came "Who moved my Cheese" followed by "How to get what you want and want what you have". I think People would've gotten completely confused if it wasn't for Oprah and Dr Phill, until "50 Shades of Grey" got published and a "New Sexual Revolution" kicked off.

  

The fourth Psychologist I met, wanted to "Test" my Personality and I responded by telling her that if she needs to Test my Personality, it doesn't reflect well on her ability as a Therapist, that was our only Session. Another Scientist came up with an Objective Measurement to Classify People by Personality Type, using Attitudes and Functions. Attitudes were the Introverts and Extraverts, where the Functions were either Irrational or Rational. Irrational functions are: Sensation and Intuition. Rational functions are: Thinking and Feeling. Combining the Attitudes with Functions, he came up with 8 different Personality Types: Extraverted sensation; Introverted sensation; Extraverted intuition; Introverted intuition; Extraverted thinking; Introverted thinking; Extraverted feeling and Introverted feeling. As if that wasn't enough, a Mother and Daughter developed another Objective Measurement with 16 different Personality Types, which are widely accepted as: ESTJ, ENTJ, ESFJ, ENFJ, ISTJ, ISFJ, INTJ, INFJ, ESTP, ESFP, ENTP, ENFP, ISTP, ISFP, INTP and INFP (Wikipedia). It actually doesn't matter how many Types there are and what Characteristics are associated with each Type, but the Reason for being "Tested" matters to me. In South Africa it has become a Norm to undergo a series of tests when you apply for certain positions, under the pretense of "where you will be most useful", yet, it's being used to determine whether you will "fit in" or not, either getting an offer or being politely declined. For those who are reading, take this TIP from me: Whenever you have to take a test like that, read the Question and the Options from which you have to pick one, then Pick a Completely Opposite option from the one you would've picked - it confuses everyone! Another reason why I dislike Personality Tests is because I don't understand why People are so obsessed with it. Inherently, People can not change their Personality Types, but they can Pretend, if they learn how to behave like a certain Type of Personality generally behaves. I honestly don't know if it is possible or not. What I do know is that People LOVE knowing what Type of Personality you have, because then they can assume which characteristics a Person will have, thereby making it easier to Predict a Person's behavior. Some People don't want to associate with other People who has a Personality Type that they don't like, maybe because it makes the other Person Unpredictable, or maybe it's just Personal. it just "boggles" my mind, and will probably always "boggle" my mind, that even though a Person knows what Type of Personality the other Person has, they still get Angry, Frustrated or Surprised when that Person behaves "Naturally", why?

  

Psyche:

"The totality of the Human Mind that helps us navigate through life. The Conscious Mind, the Subconscious Mind, and the Unconscious Mind".

  1. The Conscious Mind: Simply put, the Conscious Mind is the thoughts and feelings that a person is aware of having at any one time.
  2. The Subconscious Mind contains all of the stored information of everything you have ever experienced. This "part" of the Mind is accessed by Hypnosis, or rather, Hypnosis TRIES to access this part of the Mind directly. For those who have never been for Hypno-Therapy or who have never Hypnotized, a Person under Hypnosis is Completely aware of their Surroundings and their Actions, not like the shows where People do all kinds of stupid things while Hypnotized, only allowing the Hypnotist, or Hypno-Therapist, access to areas they can control. You don't fall asleep, unless you are tired, and you are almost Hyper-aware of the sounds around you, making it very difficult to "switch off". It is more difficult to hypnotize a Person than what is generally believed, believe me.
  3. The Unconscious Mind is "A reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that are outside of our conscious awareness. The unconscious contains contents that are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict" (S. Freud). The article is quite comprehensive and worth reading if you want to know more about the Unconscious Mind, but what I LOVE about it, is that this part of your mind is responsible for the Freudian Slip (slip of the tongue or Parapraxis). The first time that I heard the expression "Freudian Slip", was from my older Brother Martin when I was in my Twenties. We were just talking, when he said something and immediately said "Oooops..., Freudian Slip", and continued talking. From that point on, it became more of a joke between us than what it really meant. I actually don't know anyone who knows what a Freudian Slip is, really, but now you do.

  

The fact is that all 3 "Minds" influence a Person's Behavior, whether they like it or not. While the Conscious Mind "Controls" most of a Person's Behavior, the Subconscious and Unconscious Mind is "responsible" for Unpredictable Behaviour, with some Scientists referring to it as "Acting on Instinct". There are serious debates in the Scientific World regarding Human Instinct, with some Scientists arguing that Instinct is an Animal characteristic and not applicable to Human Behavior, while others argue that Instinct in Humans is a Genetically Determined Pattern, adding fuel to the fire, with regards to the "Nature vs Nurture" debate. At its core, Instinct can be described as a way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is not learned (and can not be acquired either), using a Person's "need" for SLEEP or getting Hungry as examples. On the opposite side, Scientists argue that the behavior, thinking or feeling has to be similar and applicable to an entire Species, to qualify as Instinct and Humans' need for Sleep or Hunger is not similar for the entire Human Species, therefore Humans don't "Act on Instinct". Psychiatrists stepped in to try and diffuse the debate, instead they made it worse, with two Theories: (1) People are ruled by 2 Primary Forces: The Life Instinct (basic Survival, Pleasure and Reproduction) and The Death Instinct (Aggression and Destruction towards Others OR Self-Harm); (2) The Fight-or-Flight Response: It is a Natural Response by a Person's Body and/or Mind when faced with a Potential Threat, Physical or Psychological, prompting a Person to either Actively Respond and Defend themselves (Fight) or NOT (Flight). According to Psychiatrists, People are born with the 2 Primary forces and the Fight-or-flight Response, but they are "Active Participants" in both Theories and have the Ability to Acquire Skills to Change or Influence their Behavior, implying that it is not JUST Instinct. Nature vs Nurture, again!

  

It is important to remember that there is a difference between a Person's BRAIN and MIND, the one can be changed and the other one not - hehehehe. It has been proven, Scientifically, that there is no Correlation between the Size of a Human's Brain and a Person's Level of Intelligence, or I.Q. The Human Brain is just an Amazing piece of Engineering, according to me. I can't even begin to imagine how many things are Controlled by the BRAIN at any point in time, breathing, hearing, seeing, heart beating, feeling cold or warm and on and on and on AND then I have to "Change my Behavior", because someone doesn't like it, REALLY??? My BRAIN is too busy keeping me alive, and my MIND doesn't give a damn about someone else not liking the way I behave, and in any case, I am too old to actually care about it, really. I also support both sides of both Theories, because I believe (unable to prove) that People are born with a Unique mix of Genetics that were Changed by Previous Generations, arguing FOR the "Nature" side, BUT (unless you were born in a Cave under a Rock) every Person's Environment is different when they are born. Environment is not just a Country, City, Street or House where you were raised, but also the physical, social, and economic situation, conditions, and factors which interactively determine the state, condition, and quality of living, directly or indirectly. Even though I was raised in the same house and by the same parents as my siblings, there are huge differences when it comes to the Environment we were born into and grew up in, influencing our Individual Behavioral Development. It has even been Scientifically proven that Genetic Identical Twins have Different Behavioral Patterns, arguing FOR the "Nurture" side. Just to note that I can write a lot about Homosexuality at this point, but I am not going to. Useless information, but did you know? Scientists have "discovered" that People, who grew up in families with an Odd Number of Siblings (e.g. 3, 5, 7 etc.) where 2 or more Siblings have the same Gender, those Siblings with the same Gender, are more likely to be Homosexual than families with an Even Number of Siblings (e.g. 2, 4, 6 etc.)? I might not have a very strong Life Instinct, but at least my Death instinct is "Normal". I am also a Flighter, in any threatening situation, physically or psychologically, Run and/or Hide.

  

I will just touch the Topic later, but it is also important to remember that there is a difference between a Person's MIND and MEMORY, therefor it is 100% accurate to state that there is a difference between BRAIN, MEMORY and MIND. The Brain and Memory can be Physically Identified, while the Mind can not. A Person's Head hosts their Brain, eyes, ears, mouth, nose etc. So the next time when someone tells you to use your Head, feel free to ask "Which part?".

  

Capacity: 

"Human capacity includes both the Intellectual Capacity (e.g., knowledge, skills) and the Will (e.g., commitment, trust, respect, competence, resilience, and persistence) to implement needed changes".

  

I'm skipping Thought and Potential, for now, because I want you to think about Capacity when we get to them. The Term "Intellectual Capacity" is actually an Oxymoron, because there is no Limit attached to Humans' Intellect yet, Capacity implies that a Limit exists and it can be reached, fill up. In this sense, these two Concepts Contradict each other, ergo "Oxymoron". People live with the perception that there is a limit on how much they can learn, both Knowledge and Skills, but Society is to blame for this. Remember "The Cycle" and People's obsession with being Measured and Classified? Science has developed an Objective Measurement for Human Intelligence, the I.Q. Test. Based on a Person's Score (I.Q.), a Label is attached to Intelligence, ranging from "Extremely Low" to "Very Superior" (it used to be "Idiot" and "Genius") and Society as a Whole is used as a Baseline to Plot a Person's I.Q. on a Graph (Normal curve). A "Normal" Society will have 50% of the Population with I.Q.'s between 90 and 109, that is the "Average", 25% of the Population will be Below 90 and 25% of the Population will be above 110. I just found out that I have a New Label attached to my I.Q. another piece of useless information, but did you know? South Africa's Average I.Q. is - WAIT FOR IT - 72 (Borderline), compared to the U.S. Average of 98 and YES, Men have, on average, Higher I.Q.'s than Woman, sorry. It has also been proven that the Intelligence Level of a Society can be Directly Linked to its Economy and Technological Development, e.g. an Industrial Powerhouse like The U.S. with the Strongest Economy in the World and the Highest RATE of NEW Developments in the World, has, on Average, a Society with a Higher Level of Intelligence than a Developing Country, Emerging Economy or Third World Country like South Africa. The average Level of Intelligence (I.Q.) of the Country's Population is also INCLUDED as an Objective Measurement to determine the Overall Development of a Country.

  

Human Will refers to the Human Capacity to Actively Decide what to do, instead of Reacting Automatically to an Event or Situation. Human Will (Power) is used by Scientist who argue against the Human Instinct debate, stating that Animals React Automatically because of Instinct and Humans have a Choice. Some People, unfortunately, act like Animals and only React Automatically or "Go with the Flow". Society can also be blamed for influencing Human Will, because Society allowed the Development of Hierarchical Structures and Systems where the Population can choose Representatives to Govern them, i.e. Politics. People choose other People within Society, via Elections, to represent them and to make decisions on their behalf, to the Benefit of Society - in Theory. The Fact is, Democracy doesn't exist, because the Outcome of Elections is based on the Majority of Votes, leaving the Minority with no representation in the Decision-making Process. Those People who are part of the Minority don't have the means to exercise their Will and are therefore "Forced" to just "Go with the Flow", Reacting Automatically to the Events taking place in their Environment. Human Will implies Commitment, Trust, Respect, Competence, Resilience and Persistence, BUT there is a Limit to all of these. If you look back at the Diagram of Society and keep in mind that Society remains relatively Constant while Social Structures and Groups Develop, then it is obvious to ask what the impact will be when Human Will has reached its Limit. Think about it for a minute and try to think of an example of when it did happen. Rewind to 16 June 1976, The Soweto Uprising and its Aftermath. Government imposed a Policy on Black Schools to use Afrikaans as the Medium of Instruction, with most Black School Children not even being able to Understand Afrikaans. In February of 1976, Students started to Object via "Official Routes" with no Success. The Situation escalated because Students' Objections had no effect, leading to the Organizing of a Peaceful Protest on 16 June 1976, the rest is History. This is just an example based on a Small Social Group within Society. I had to ask my friend Google very nicely, and a few times, to give me a better example, which he finally did. The Civil War in Sudan is a Perfect example, because it is a War within a Divided Society, where two Groups are fighting each other for Control over Resources and Government. It is the Worst Displacement and Largest Hunger Crisis in the World Today, read about it if you want to.

  

It is easy to ignore and most People don't even realize that it's part of Capacity's description: "To Implement Needed Changes", 4 simple words with so much meaning. I know I am repeating myself by stating that Society remains relatively constant while Social Structures and Groups develop, but what I haven't stated yet is, Society allows Social Structures and Groups to develop within Limits, at Acceptable Rates of Development. The Effect of development slowing down or increasing rapidly, is the same within Society. No one wants to be in a situation where Society has Collapsed or Broken down into complete disrepair, not even the International Community would accept this. The question is: Who decides which Changes are Needed, or is it rather a Demand, and if so, from whom or where? I can only think about the End of Apartheid in South Africa as an example, because I have written about it in another Essay. Economic Sanctions targeted the South African Government because of its Apartheid Policies, with the Goal to force the Government to end Apartheid and its related Policies, while hoping that the Population (Society) will demand Government to Change (which didn't happen). To make a long story short, South Africa adopted a New Constitution, with New Laws, a New Government and a Complete turn-around in Majority vs Minority within Society. Changes had to be made and Government had to Enforce Changes within Society at a very high rate. Society could have easily collapsed while the International Community was holding its breath, expecting Civil Unrest or even War, which luckily didn't happen. Processes like "The Truth and Reconciliation Commission" were put in place to prevent Society from Completely collapsing and it (luckily) worked. None of this would have been Possible WITHOUT Knowledge, Skills and Society's Will to Change. To Change Behavior, requires Intelligence which implies the Ability to Apply Knowledge Gained (The Cycle). South Africa didn't have an example to work from, because it was an International "First" and EVERYTHING was Unpredictable, thereby setting an example, with Knowledge Gained and Applied, that could be shared with the International Community. There was enough Capacity and a Combined Will to Succeed, which resulted in a Peaceful Transition, in general.

  

What this all comes down to is that, a Change in Behavior should not be expected to succeed by enforcing the necessary changes only, there must be an Intellectual Capacity and a Combined Will to succeed as well, or Society will Collapse. Just to clarify, the intended meaning of Society's Collapse is that the Social Structures and Groups within Society will break down, leaving Society, as a Whole, in shatters. Changes in Behavior should start from the lowest level, which includes Changes in Traditions, Values and Social Norms through The Cycle. Society needs to allow development to take place as the Social Groups and Structures develop, whether the development is enforced by Government, or by choice.

  

Potential: 

"An Ability to express our inner self and become the best version of ourselves. It's very closely related to Intelligence, Learning, Cognition, and Training. Learning and Cognition precisely because we all carry within us something we are good at without being aware of it".

What is Cognition? "Cognition is the Mental action or process of Acquiring Knowledge and Understanding through thought, experience, and the senses" (Wikipedia). Here we are faced with a Paradox, because Intelligence is Applied Knowledge that was Gained, in essence and Cognition is the Understanding of Gained Knowledge, leaving us with 2 Truths - Paradox.

  

Potential is an easy Concept to grasp, therefore it doesn't require a lot of explaining, as long as one keeps in mind that it influences Behavior. The first thing that hits you is the fact that Potential is an Ability, thereby implying that it has Genetic characteristics - Nature. Luckily we know that Abilities can be acquired and/or developed through Knowledge and Practice. Intelligence and Cognition are both abilities, therefore they share the same characteristics as Potential, leaving us with Learning, Training, Thought, Experience and Senses. Another Paradox: "Experience is the process of getting knowledge or a skill that is obtained from doing, seeing, or feeling things, or something that happens which has an effect on you". I'm not even going to try, but I can safely assume that Experience is something that can be acquired and/or developed, which makes me happy. Everyone knows what "Senses" are, how they work and what they do, so there is no need to explain that. Thought will be explored later on, down to 2.

  

The most wonderful aspect about Intelligence is, the Ability to gain New Knowledge, Understanding it and Applying it to the benefit of Society, but there is something I left out on purpose and that is: When Society accepted and adapted to the applied knowledge, there is no need to go through the same Cycle again, because the applied knowledge becomes "Common Knowledge" within Society. I have stated in another Essay that when a Person is born, more knowledge is available than when the previous generation was born and the Person's Children will have more knowledge available to them, than what the Parents had, when they were born. A Person's generation has absorbed knowledge, that might have been "New" 100 years ago, into its "fabric" and it's passed on through the generations without the need for a reason, to be accepted. For example, The Earth is a "ball" and not flat. For the applied knowledge to become part of Society's "fabric", it needs to be Learned first and sometimes People need to be Trained by someone. When People Learn or Study, they do not concern themselves with the "Source Knowledge", instead they focus on the Applied Knowledge until it eventually becomes "Common Knowledge".

  

So where does Behavior fit into all of this, you might wonder by now. Well, by now you should be able to know already, or you haven't been paying enough attention. Hint, hint... Nudge, nudge... Nature vs Nurture... Think about it, because the answer is at the end.

  

Attitude: 

"Attitude can be defined as the way in which a person views and evaluates something or someone, a predisposition or a tendency to respond positively or negatively toward a certain idea, object, person, or situation. Attitudes include beliefs, emotional responses and behavioral tendencies."

Imagine the following scenario: You and a close friend, go to a Gallery and look at the same painting. Your friend immediately tells you that the painting is "Ugly". How will you respond? The "Average Person" will respond by asking "Why?" the friend thinks the painting is "Ugly". now imagine the Opposite: Your friend immediately tells you that the painting is "Absolutely Beautiful", how will you respond then? In both scenarios, it depends on what You think about the painting. The "Average Person", who agrees with the friend's Opinion, is most likely NOT going to ask "Why?", unless the Painter is You. For reasons I don't know, Society accepts Positive reactions or responses without the need for a justification, but Negative reactions or responses, "demands" a justification. The TRUTH is, Positive reactions or responses HAS to be justified, while Negative reactions or responses DON'T.

  

NO, I haven't lost it completely, just think about it for a moment. Does Attitude fall into Nature or Nurture? Beliefs, Emotional Responses and Tendencies gives it away - Nurture. No one is born with a set of beliefs, as far as I know. Emotional Responses are "Learned" from a Person's Parents, Caregivers or Social Group, according to Freud. Tendencies are repeated habits or actions, which implies that it is "Learned" by a Person. People are more Intelligent than what they think, because they learn from a very young age that "Beauty" and Positive reactions or responses, is easier to accept by Society, but Who decides What is beautiful or not? Blame Society, because Society accepted the development of things like: Beauty Pageants; Competitions; Reputations; Critics' Opinions about Movies, Books, Art and more, relying on another Person's Opinion because Society "Empowered" that Person with "Authority", thereby making their Opinion about anything, acceptable. Technological development allowed Social Media to develop and People are able to "Like" or "Follow", as examples, other People based on their own Opinion. If you are or have been on Social Media, without you even thinking about it, you're Attitude influences you to "Click" on that "Like" or "Follow" button, based purely on your predisposition and tendencies towards what you see on your Computer. Another piece of useless information, but did you know? If Facebook was a Country, its "Population" would be bigger than China's, almost 2 Billion "Users" AND The I.T. Domain is the only other domain that refers to their clients as "Users", the other domain being Drug Users.

  

Let's go back to the Gallery with your friend, looking at the same painting, your friend tells you that the painting is "beautiful", no matter what you think, you ask your friend "Why?". How do you EXPECT your friend to respond? Allow me to throw in something you probably didn't even consider, how did you and your friend become "Close Friends"? The "Average Person" associates with People who they have similarities with, because it makes the other Person's Behavior easier to Predict. It is therefore most likely that you and your friend have similar Attitudes, ergo you both will share the same Opinion about the painting and neither of you would ask the other one "Why?". Everyone knows what is meant by "Your attitude sucks!", unless you were born in a cave under a rock. In a Literal sense, Attitude can not "suck", because "suck" involves Active Participation from a Person and Attitude is a Behavioral Quality not an Activity.

  

The fact is, when you are born, you don't have an Attitude, it develops as you grow UP (not older). Your Attitude is shaped by People who you consider to be "Role models" and you "Learn" from them. Society "fills the gaps" and your Attitude adapts to be Socially Acceptable. Your Attitude influences your Behavior and you become part of a Social Group with similar Behavior patterns, because it is easy, Cascading up to Society as a Whole and without you even realizing it, YOU influence The Cycle that leads to New Developments to benefit Society. Think about this: If Society didn't have an "Appetite" for Social Media, would Facebook exist?

  

Thought: 

"Perception, memory, focus, language, reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity are just a few of the cognitive processes that make up human thought. Together, these processes support people in understanding the world, making sense of information, resolving issues, and reaching decisions".

This is probably the most important quality in Human Behavior, making our Species Unique, setting Humans apart from other Intelligent Species. I asked my friend Google "How fast is a Thought" without expecting a proper response, instead he gave me this: "Neuroscientists have estimated that the Human brain can process Information at a speed of up to 120 meters per second" that is equal to 432 Km/h, meaning that if it was possible to travel at the speed of thought, I could travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town in 4 Thoughts - Awesome!

  

The question that needs to be answered is "How does Thought influence Human Behavior?" The definition doesn't state whether Thought is an Ability or not, nor Genetic, but it's Obviously a Mental Activity, thereby implying Intelligence. To be considered as a quality for Human Behavior, it must meet one criteria: Is it unique for every Individual? People agree with one another by stating that they "Think" the same as someone else, but do they really? Looking at the definition again, the only thing that People have in common is Language and even that is specific to only a Group of People. Since my aim with this Essay is to get you to think, think about this: Have you ever looked up to the sky, thinking if someone else sees exactly what you see? How certain are you that the "Blue" color you see is the same "Blue" someone else sees? How do you even know it is "Blue"?

  

Many years ago, I saw a Movie about a Girl who was abducted as an infant and raised in a "house" environment, but everything that People accept as "Normal", was different. For example: A wall was called "Grass"; Blue was called "Yellow" and so on. The Girl was only "Rescued" by luck and was "Integrated" with her "Real family", but the consequences were worse than dire. I can't remember the name of the Movie, but whoever made it deserved a Special Award, because they included every aspect of life and how she Understood it. People love using "Thought" in their casual conversation too. for example: "Think before you speak"; "Have you thought about it?"; "What do you think?" but the BEST one is "I can see what you think". I can state with 100% accuracy that the biggest mistakes I made during my life, was done without a Moment's Thought.

  

Have you been thinking about the question of Potential's influence on Behavior in the mean time, or not? The first clue lies within the fact that Potential is an Ability. The second clue lies within "the best version of ourselves". Sealing the deal is "Cognition". Ask yourself this: "What is the goal of Human Behavior?" The plain and simple truth is "To fit in". To belong to a Social Group and conform to Social Structures within a relatively constant Society with Social Classes and Hierarchical Structures. I can go on and on, but ultimately, the Survival of the Human Species depends on every Individual's Unique Behavior. Potential is a Mental process whereby people strive to become the best they can, "Putting their best foot forward" for Society to "Accept" them into a Social Group where they can associate with People who are "Similar" to them, without having to think about it.

  

One thing you probably didn't think about while you were reading is, every Topic in this Essay is related to the Human Mind. You can't see it, touch it or feel it, yet it is so Vital that you won't be able to LIVE without it!

  



FIN








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