While it is true that the human nature represents a compilation of feelings, thoughts and characteristics all humans share, it is equally correct that accurately defining all of the above has been the oldest and most crucial quest of the Western philosophy. Even though thinkers have provided various answers to these fundamental questions, one thing remains constant, namely that human nature primes over the sum of norms established in different cultures and societies.
Interestingly enough, instead of going hand in hand, the social norms and our way of being are conflicting quite often. In fact, it is safe to state that at one point or another in your life you will come to agree with Alexander Woolcott’s famous quote “all the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening”. In the following article we will explore the most common misconceptions about human nature people believe today.
1. The eternal fascination with the “Barbie look”
The appeal of the long, beautiful hair, blue eyes, a wasp waist and big breasts has not really emerged with Marilyn Monroe and in fact, it dates from approximately two millennia ago. The answer to this one is actually quite simply: women who boast these characteristics are perceived as younger, healthier and hence, they promote reproduction and the survival of the specie. However, ironically these things are not applicable in the modern society, where wigs, contact lens and the magic of cosmetic surgery is all it takes to reach the ideal female beauty.
2. We’re genetically programmed for polygamy
According to anthropologists, the simple fact that men are taller than women is a criterion that proves humans are essentially programmed for polygamy. Essentially, the male fitness factor plays a great role in finding more mating opportunities. Furthermore, a tall and strong man gives women a sense of financial and social security, sometimes to the point where women prefer to share the wealth of a single man than mate with a poor one. While in certain parts of the globe polygamy is still practiced, in Western society and industrialized countries this no longer applies because for modern man wealth is more consistent across the board, at least by comparison with their ancestors.
3. Couples who have at least one son are less likely to end up in divorce
In spite of the fact that the modern world promotes gender equality, apparently the men’s instinct to do anything in their power to ensure the continuation of the wealth, name and status is still lingering in the subconscious. While all the things a man has to offer can be inherited by his son, there is very little he can do to maintain his daughter’s beauty and youthfulness. It is true that this behavior is mostly noticeable in affluent families, but sociologists suggest that statistically couples who have sons are less likely to end up in divorce.
4. The middle-life crisis
Some call the middle-life crisis a myth and others are living it, or they think they do especially since they invested all their savings in a brand new car and a luxury home near the beach. This occurrence is linked to women reaching menopause. To put it simply, when the husband realizes that the reproduction cycle of his wife is close to an end, his anxiety levels will go through the roof and he will start spending a lot of cash in a subconscious attempt to attract younger women.
5. Male politicians are prone to risk everything for an affair
Granted, in the Western civilization monogamy reigned supreme, especially in times when the Roman Catholic Church held most of the power. On the other hand, that didn’t stop any wealthy man with a high status from having concubines, mistresses or female slaves for that matter. If you are curious as to why a male politician would risk it all, the answer might surprise you: some men strive for more power in order to expand their mating options.
Scorpions live mostly in the Tropical Rainforest. They largely eat insects and spiders. Their enemies are snakes and animals that are larger than them. Interestingly enough, the female kills and eats the male scorpion after mating.
Taken by Steven Winter in India’s Hemis National Park is the award winning snow leopard. The photograph won the award- Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, an event organized by the Natural History Museum. The photo was taken at night in the freezing cold and the photographer Steven Winter admitted that it was quite challenging taking a photo on those conditions. He later said that prior to his wining he had shot more than 30,000 wildlife photos. The endangered specie finally made it to the top.
Number two on the list is man and whale photo taken by Brian Skerry. This spectacular image won the best under water wildlife category in the annual Natural Museum event. The photo was captured off New Zealand’s Auckland Islands. This is the area where pure inhabitants were discovered a decade ago. Getting the perfect shot was not that easy as they had not seen a human and drastic measure had to be taken to lure one for the best shot. The photographer revealed that he had to set up his assistant as bait even though the animal is friendly.
Not all wildlife stories are good to write home about. Some are desperation to highlight the ever rising conflict between humans and nature. This picture won in the category of One Earth Award that attempts to show the plight of wild animals at the hands of humans desperate to make a dollar. The photo shows a black colobus monkey whose fur is being singed in readiness for an illegal bush-meat sale in Gabon. The fur is singed out so that the creature can be sold naked but whole. Whereas, the image may be disturbing, it tells of a story of wildlife that in a few years will not be in existence.
David Maitland the UK- based photographer seems to know how to take award winning photographs. At number seven on the top ten wildlife photographers is this image that was ultimately named deadlock that won the Animal Behavior award in the same event organized by Natural History Museum. The image was taken deep in the night somewhere in the Belizean rain forest. The photographer said that he had to watch from 3.am and could not come to a conclusive conclusion on who won the fight. He had to call it a day due to exhaustion and to date does not know if the frog or the snake won the fight.
This is truly an amazing story of three hunters. At number five is a story of three chimpanzees that are unable to make a decision on how to share a hunt led by the group leader holding the trophy. Captured by Cyril Ruoso in the thick forests in Tanzania Gombe National Park, is the award winning photo in Mammals category. It is rare for chimpanzees to get such a rare catch given that their hunt usually targets smaller monkeys.
With it’s ability to change colours in accordance with the environment, temperature and the light around it, the Chameleon has become the generic term for quick changes of moods and colour. How we wish we could also easily change from red to white or green or blue as and when we feel like it!
Butterflies have always been graceful and beautiful, but the Monarch Butterfly is extra special. It’s magnificent colours are a warning against predators and enemies since the wings are poisonous.
Usually these salmon are blue and silver in colour, but just before the spawning season they turn into green and red colours. Beautiful in any colour, they are found mainly in the Northern Pacific ocean and in the rivers discharging into it.
These fish can be red, orange, yellow or black in colour and often have white bands or patches covering them. Even though they look great, beware of them since they are generally covered in slime. They live among the anemone in the sea and the slime protects them from the sting of the anemone.
With feet which range from a pale turquoise to a deep aquamarine, these birds are generally clumsy on land but are great seabirds. The brighter the colour of their feet, the greater the attraction for the female birds!
The red alder tree grows in such areas that are practically barren or have burnt down in the past. They grow rapidly and can create lush forests in a very short period of time. These trees are usually grown in those soils that need certain compounds to get healthier.
These trees are particularly common in those countries that have harsh climates- that is, the summers are too hot and the winters are too chilly. However, the green ash is susceptible to pest invasion which is why it is slowly dying out in countries like Michigan wherein the emerald ash borer tends to feed on it.
The leaves of the white ash are white in color, hence the name. As far as appearance is concerned, it could be identical to the green ash which is why it becomes difficult to distinguish between the two. The tree is nothing if not beautiful- imagine coming across a white tree!
The leaves of the quaking aspen are wide but overall, they are quite small. The petioles are very flat which is why it looks like the tree is trembling even when it is not all that windy. Contrary to popular belief, root sprouts usually give rise to quaking aspens and not seeds.
This tree isn’t as pretty as the rest on this, especially when compared to the white or green ash. Unlike other trees, it likes the shade and can flourish very well without too much sunlight. The bark and branches of the American Beech are quite hard and strong.
This natural calamity took place in October, 1979 and took over 99 lives. On this day, the air pressure at sea level was as low as 870 mbars. It destroyed 8 ships and broke a massive freighter in half. This was the largest cyclone ever recorded.
Lake Nyos is about 682 feet deep and has a magma chamber which releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the water which soon turns into carbonic acid. The lake erupted in 1986 and a gigantic carbon dioxide cloud was released into the air. It entered several clusters of villages and killed bout 1,800 people.
This earthquake took place in 1960 in Chile and over 6,000 people lost their lives. Many others were saved because the authorities prepared them for the natural calamity. Unfortunately, about half of the houses in the country were thrown into the air.
Because Europe is not used to hot summers, heat wave in 2003 killed about 14,802 people. The harsh temperature triggered off a number of forest fires in Portugal because of which 2,000 people were killed. Germany saw over 250 deaths, 140 people died in Spain and over 1,400 in the Netherlands.
This cyclone lasted for an entire day and it was massive enough to throw the weather off balance. Birmingham and West Virginia were covered with 16 inches and 3.5 feet of snow respectively. Over 250 people froze to death and trees fell all over the place because of extremely strong winds.
Regular vultures are revolting looking with their large bodies and black feathers. However, the King Vulture is very colorful- half of it is black and the rest is white. Its head is streaked with colors like purple, red, yellow and orange.
The Japanese Spider Crab is gigantic and can weigh up to 20 kilograms. Not only that, but it can reach a height of 13 feet and live more than a 100 years! If you want to have nightmares for the rest of your life, you should look for this creature’s photograph.
These scorpions are quite different from the kinds we are used to. They can spray chemicals like formic acid and octanoic acid as well as acetic acid! They are black with massive whips and you will find yourself running for your life if you happen to see one.
These fish like to swim upside-down. According to studies, they do this because they want to consume those particles that are too light to sink to the bottom of the ocean. While most fish have darker upper bodies and lighter bottoms, these catfish are upside down in that respect too!
This moth looks like a mosquito but has two needle-like structures that protrude out of its head. They like to suck on blood and are extremely ugly and usually yellow in color. If you happen to see a Vampire Moth drinking your blood, do not panic- you will not contract any disease. You will be alarmed because it is not too normal too look at but that’s not as important.
Gelada Baboons have massive manes and flat faces that look severe no matter what. They are native to Ethiopia and their diet consists of grass and leaves. While they quite peaceful most of the times, they will eat you alive with their sharp and terrifying teeth if you happen to irritate them.
The American Bison was left behind after the extinction of the Ice Age and can weigh about one ton. Humans tried their best to kill the species off but the Government intervened which is why a few are still around in zoos and national parks. They are dangerous only if you show signs of hurting their offspring or if you enter their territory.
A gorilla can weigh about and more than 200 kilograms and is extremely strong. They are quite peaceful and may even smile at you if you are lucky but if you try to hurt its family or threaten it in anyway, the gorilla will attack you without thinking. They have huge arms and their canines are sharp and knife-like and because they can run faster than any human on the planet, an irritated gorilla can kill you within a few seconds.
These birds are the largest in the world and are native to New Guinea and Australia. These vegetarians eat only fruit but if you manage to irritate them, the Cassowary will kick you with it dagger-like claw and disembowel you in no time.
All the species of rhinos are native to Asia and Africa. Because they are big, strong and have horrible tempers, they can be very dangerous. Even though a rhino’s horn is made of hair, it can enter an enemy and watch it bleed to death.
Most insects find it difficult to move over terrain that is too rocky or too uneven. However, these creatures can move quite easily and like they have no care in the world no matter how difficult the surface of the land.
Cockroaches are nocturnal, which means that they come out only during the night. If you shine a light at them, they will run away. So, instead of wasting money on insect-repellent sprays and the like, you can just take your torch and follow them till they reach the exit and slam the door as hard as you can.
Cockroaches like to live in darkness and in groups. If you see a single roach in the wilderness, you can be sure that it will be followed by its relatives and friends. They are probably sensitive to the light which is why the live like they do and run from the light as mentioned in the above point.
Cockroaches will eat whatever they can find and are not too fussy as long as their tummies are full. This includes other insects, maybe their own friends and plants and waste products lying about. It would be pretty easy to open a restaurant for cockroaches, don’t you think?
While crickets and mosquitoes are annoying in their own special way, cockroaches really take the cake. They like to chirp and hiss as they move around or come in contact with anything solid. If you put these sounds together, you will find that these tiny insects are more irritating than birds that are known to sit around and coo.
