Emotions and evolution

[Random]

Originally Posted by TurkeyOnRye

Emotions are motivation.

That's as good an Evol reason as any. Frubals. But what about emotions that run contrary to the instincts to surivive and propogate the species? Emotions that lead to self-destructiveness, for example?

[Alex_G]

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

I'm not really trying to debate anything, I'm just curious. How to proponants of evoltion explain emotions. Do emotions naturally evolve in all creatures? So do 'lesser' animals have some form of emtions? To plants have some form of emotions? What evironmental condition would cause emotions to be an evolutionary advantage and thus cause them to be developed?

I'm just curious.

Animals possess emotions as a way of interpreting their enviromental stimuli in a beneficial manner. Its evolutionary development seems to be limited for the mobile creatures of the earth. They are quicker and more instinctual than having to logically work everything out. Beneficial things will invoke a happy feeling, just as bad or threatening things will envoke more negetive emotions. (just to over simplify). Same way satisfaction from sex is evolutionary beneficial. The powerfull emotion ensures that race keep going on! Aditionally maternal emotions will prove beneficial to the survival of the offspring. As for humans, who have exelled mentally with regards to other creatures, living in a social world, emotions are almost a means of communication both concious and subconcious. Facial cues like pupil diameter and expressions are usefull emotionally connected reflexes.
Additionally there may be some evolutionary background in its altruistic properties and benefits to group selection. Possible tribal origins.

[3.14]

Originally Posted by Random

That's as good an Evol reason as any. Frubals. But what about emotions that run contrary to the instincts to surivive and propogate the species? Emotions that lead to self-destructiveness, for example?

survival of the fittest, if you are bad at live kill your self before its to late, before you have a chance to propagate

[Somkid]

Most creatures don't have emotions but rather instinct such as fear. I personally have tried to get rid of most of my emotions or suppress them as have many others in my "religious" group as they cause irrational reactions and unpredictable behaviour. Although some people see love and compassion as an emotion I see it as logical but the act of compassion and the idea of love are different than the emotion.

[3.14]

getting rid of an emotion is a dangerous thing suppresing them is only temporary, if you truly wanna get rid of them you have to train your resposes to embrace the emotion but take the time to realitivate it,
like fear you can train not to show fear but that won't fix it you need to be in harmony with your fear to truly get rid of it

[TurkeyOnRye]

Originally Posted by Random

That's as good an Evol reason as any. Frubals. But what about emotions that run contrary to the instincts to surivive and propogate the species? Emotions that lead to self-destructiveness, for example?

Negative emotions are merely a way of telling us to remove ourselves from a certain situation. Unfortunately for some of us, it's the whole world that we need to get away from.

[Somkid]

Originally Posted by 3.14

getting rid of an emotion is a dangerous thing suppresing them is only temporary, if you truly wanna get rid of them you have to train your resposes to embrace the emotion but take the time to realitivate it,
like fear you can train not to show fear but that won't fix it you need to be in harmony with your fear to truly get rid of it

I don't feel it is dangerous, I used to be a very angry even potentially violent person I have learned to do away with these negative emotions and it has served me well for 23 years, when they arise I squash them right away and the feeling passes as fast as it came. I do not get excited or all "worked up" over anything because to me everything just "is" not good not bad not wonderful it just "is". I have found peace and I am content in my life, I have learned to stay on the "Middle Path" never to the left and never to the right.

[Tau]

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

I'm not really trying to debate anything, I'm just curious. How to proponants of evoltion explain emotions. Do emotions naturally evolve in all creatures? So do 'lesser' animals have some form of emtions? To plants have some form of emotions? What evironmental condition would cause emotions to be an evolutionary advantage and thus cause them to be developed? I'm just curious.

For starters to have an emotion you need a brain, plants lack brains, I am sure you are aware of this fact...

Fear is a base emotion found in all higher animals for example and the smarter the species the more complex the emotions get, dogs for example can feel attachment (love) this is because they evolved to be a social species, love bonded the pack...primates such as humans evolved attachment for exactly the same reason.

Humans especially Christian ones seem to think that they are so far removed from their animal kith and kin that they are practically alien to them, yet their dung smells just as bad, makes me laugh.

[Soldano16]

If you have a dog, the question of animal emotions seems absurd.

[Autodidact]

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

I'm not really trying to debate anything, I'm just curious. How to proponants of evoltion explain emotions.

The word you are looking for is "biologists." That's what we call proponents of evolution.

Do emotions naturally evolve in all creatures?

It's much more complicated than that--that's what biologists go to school to study. The basic idea is that emotions have functions. For example, we fall in love and feel sexual attraction to that will tend to lead us to have sex and therefore reproduce. (To grossly oversimplify.) Human beings do share many emotions and brain structures responsible for emotions with other animals, especially other mammals.

So do 'lesser' animals have some form of emtions?

The more complex the brain, the more emotions. Biologists believe that other mammals exhibit bonding and play, two very human emotions. It's all very complicated and interesting, and you might want to do some reading on the subject.

To plants have some form of emotions?

No, I don't think so.

What evironmental condition would cause emotions to be an evolutionary advantage and thus cause them to be developed?

Let's take a simple one: fear. It's an emotion. It prevents you from stepping in front of a moving car (or charging elephant) thereby enabling you to grow up and have babies who also feel fear. See how it works?