That's really interesting, as we've had others in this thread remark humans are mainly cooperative while it's other organisms that are competitive. Why do you think you reach a different conclusion? Have you had a lot of conflicts and competition in your life or seen that a lot in those of other humans?
Apart from my own experiences, mostly I have observed the activities, attitudes and mindsets of people around me in different settings. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I have had the opportunity to personally talk to people from all walks of life, where they live, because we call on people at their homes.
Some have had to endure ongoing issues with domestic problems, financial issues, health problems and many have to deal with all of them. It seems to me that the only ones who get help are those who can afford it. Money drives everything that humans do by and large. I see that as financially motivated cooperation which is totally the wrong reason to help people, or not to help them. If you love the money and not the people, then it accomplishes little good in any ongoing way.
Competing for a place in society is a daily battle for many. It isn't a level playing field, so a lot of people admit defeat and just give up trying. Birds of a feather gather in places where they don't feel out of place, and this sometimes results in some cooperation but not always because the poor sometimes steal from one another and this divides people even more. No one feels secure...very few experience peace in their lives.
The rich, even though they are still affected by these issues, at least have the resources to try to combat them....and they often cooperate to protect their assets from those who might want to steal from them.
"The love of money is the root of all evil" appears to be true in all cultures and ages. Human nature is selfish and this stifles cooperation and induces a pernicious competition.
This is always so cool whenever I think about it! In biology we usually think of ecosystems on the scale that is relevant to human interactions with the environment but technically our own bodies are ecosystems for the bacteria that call us home. Somehow, it all mostly gets along without killing us. Perhaps that life is able to be a thing at all is indicative of it being more cooperative than competitive? If life was uber competitive, would it drive itself to mutual extinction?
Appreciating the workings of our our own body, our place in our family and in our local environment, in our own nation and in the world and the wider universe, is important. It is humbling to consider how precious life is and how cooperation can make life so much more pleasant. But for many, this is never experienced.
Too many people focus on just themselves....what's good for
them, and they give little thought to others and what they may be dealing with. They don't consider how their actions and attitudes impact on others or even how their consumption of goods, produced to merely make a profit without regard for its impact on the planet, can result in choking the environment with our wants and greed.
So again "do to others as you would like them to do for you" is great advice. Imagine if everyone did that ?!
Correctly motivated cooperation would be wonderful, but the reality is that competition is driving a "dog eat dog" mentality that forces the individual to see themselves as either cogs in the machine...or drivers....those positions only granted in competition with others.
The way the world is going, real and present dangers are fated to drive us to eliminate ourselves from existence. I think we are all seeing it, and don't want to admit that it might already be too late.
Social manipulation does not allow anyone to make a real difference. Action to halt man's selfish ways, is always years away. Nothing must threaten the "cash cow".
Without God and his action plan for the future, I would see point in my life continuing with such hopelessness. If this is all there is, then I would rather not be a part of it....or subject to it.
