The eternal struggle
The eternal struggleThe Eternal Struggle
Aggression. Bloodshed. Pain. Death. These are just some of the
unfortunate side affects which accompany the phenomenon of life. These factors
are also intertwined with the methodical process of evolution, which, although
often cruel and merciless, is nonetheless beneficial to any species of animal,
including, and perhaps especially, humans. Without violent conflict causing the
death of the weak and survival of the strong, it is highly unlikely that we, Homo Sapiens Sapiens, would have diverged from our ape-like ancestry and created
civilization. Through our technology we have nearly eradicated all threat to
ourselves from the natural world, the exceptions being disease and the unstoppable aging process. The most prominent factor in causing premature
death in humans is the actions of other humans. Greed, lust, envy, anger, and
mindless hatred have all, at one time or another, contributed to the incitement of human conflicts which have more often than not been resolved by violent action. Despite our overwhelming intellectual superiority over the other creatures of this earth, it seems that we must resort to the most primal method of physical dominance in order to overcome our enemies of the same species. Is this truly necessary? Do we really need to fight one another? I believe that the unfortunate answer to this question is yes; violent conflict is essential for humans as they are now. I base this conclusion on the instincts ingrained in every person's DNA, the integral role of violent struggle in the process of progress, and the inefficiency of other methods of resolution.
The most basic aspect of life, in any form, is the struggle to survive and pass on genes to the next generation. In a pride of lions, which is a small
community of the same species, there is only so much food to go around. When a
kill is made the strongest get are the first to serve themselves, regardless of
which lion slaughtered the prey. This results in the strong getting stronger,
whereas the weak, old, and diseased members of the pride continually find
themselves neglected the necessary nourishment until they eventually perish.
Among the males strength has more importance than being a means of self-survival; only the mightiest male has the privilege of mating with the females
in the pride. The status of pride leader is determined by contests of brawn which, although seldom lethal, are rather violent. Lions which have achieved this role have been known to go to extremes measures to ensure its continuance, such as cannibalizing newborn males cubs in order to eradicate the possibility of future rivals. Such actions could be construed as murder, but one should remember that lions function primarily on instinct. This would indicate that using violence for personal benefit is instinctual in lions. Lions, like humans, are mammals, and all mammals possess, to a lesser or greater extent, similar genetic qualities. The predispositions inherited through our genes naturally inclines humans to use violence in to achieve higher...
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