Man gets a lot by inheritance. In addition to a certain set of chromosomes, parents endow the child with the instinct of self-preservation. In humans, it manifests itself in the same way as in all other animals. When danger appears, fear appears, forcing a person to quickly make a decision that will save his life. And can parents deprive a child of the instinct of self-preservation? They can. Read all the details below.
Definition
What is the instinct of self-preservation in humans? It is the instinct that allows people to survive. When a car appears on the road, a person will turn off the trajectory of the car, and if a hurricane starts, a sane individual will hide in the nearest capital building. Someone says that everything needs to be learned, and this is true. Nature does not always endow people with the same qualities and lays the same abilities. Someone has a well-developed instinct for self-preservation, while someone has to work on its development. How often can a uniquethe ability to save one's own life? Daily. Few people think about the fact that hunger is a signal of the body that reminds us that it's time to eat. Without it, the person could die. The same goes for sleep. A person must sleep, otherwise his body will not be able to endure daily physical exertion. How else can a defensive reaction aimed at survival manifest itself?
The manifestation of instinct
What do you do to survive? Nothing? It is not true. The instinct of self-preservation in a person is an innate quality, the manifestations of which few people think about.
- Satisfying hunger. In order not to die, a person must eat daily. What would happen to a person if there was no hunger? Some individuals who have memory problems might die. And it is simply impossible to forget about what you really want.
- Warm clothes. A person protects the body from the cold before going out into the cold. In order not to burn out in the sun, people use sunscreen. Protecting his body, a person thereby saves his life.
- Treatment. You can die from the common cold. For many centuries, people have improved their knowledge of medicine in order to treat their fellow citizens and themselves. If a person gets sick, he will not lie and moan, the instinct of self-preservation will force the individual to make an appointment with a doctor.
- Armament. If war starts, all people will take up arms. The need for peace and tranquility makes a person defendyour rights and not give your life without a fight.
The difference between human and animal instincts
How do people differ from their smaller brothers? Man is distinguished from the animal by the instinct of self-preservation. But after all, animals, birds, and even insects have this instinct. What then is the difference? There are two kinds of self-preservation instinct.
- Unconscious. When a fire starts, a person will not think about what he needs to take. He will quickly run to where there will be no fire. So will the hare and the fox. Animals in the forest not only can escape the fire, they will instinctively run towards the water. The person will do the same. After a terrible natural disaster, not all people can explain why they were able to survive. Many say they don't remember where they ran or what they did.
- Conscious. Man is distinguished from the animal by the instinct of self-preservation of this particular species. In a critical situation, people may remember that it would be nice to save their loved ones, documents and grab valuables. A person can act quickly and accurately in the event of an accident, rescuing the wounded and pulling out the injured.
Lack of instinct
The instinct of self-preservation in humans is an innate quality. But for some individuals, it may be absent. Is it bad? People who are not afraid of death are very dangerous. They can, without a twinge of conscience, take the life of not only themselves, but also those around them. How is it that one nature gives instinctself-preservation and others not? All people have an instinct, it's just that some people have it weak, while others have a strong one. Society needs risk-takers. People who work as firefighters, policemen and doctors help those who need it to survive. Therefore, over time, people become more and more fearless. It's passed down genetically. And if earlier people used instinct for the benefit of society, today it is used to the detriment of themselves. If a person lacks the instinct of self-preservation, he can commit suicide or become a subversive. Such people are dangerous both for themselves and for society.
Violation of instinct
Have you met a person who is terribly afraid of something? What is the main fear of a person? Fear of death. Man is distinguished from the animal by the instinct of self-preservation. The use of this instinct leads some to insanity and phobias. People are afraid for their own lives, they see threats everywhere, so they install several locks and CCTV cameras at home. Some people worry that the elevator car may break and fall, so they try to avoid using lifting machines. Panic attacks can haunt a person from year to year. This is not a normal reaction. An exacerbated defensive reaction speaks of the psychological problems that an individual has. They must be fought, otherwise they can drive a normal person crazy. It gets worse with age, so don't put off seeing a doctor if you have more than one of the symptoms listed above.
Instinct suppression
People love to tickle their nerves. Today, this way of recreation is very popular. Do you think that a person has a self-preservation instinct if he seeks to jump with a parachute or climb a rock without insurance? There is, but the individual suppresses it by an effort of will. If the instinct of self-preservation is normal, then it can be silenced for a while. For example, a person might read testimonials from people who have successfully skydived. Comments, which say that these 3-5 seconds of free flight were the best in life, excite the blood very much. A person wants to get his dose of adrenaline, so he gets on the plane with pleasure.
But the suppression of the instinct of self-preservation does not always play into people's hands. If a person has fallen into depression and cannot get out of it, he may decide to commit suicide. Self-infliction of pain does not seem like such a big deal compared to depression, which has not receded for several years. Due to the fact that instinct can be pushed into the background, people decide to get tattoos or deliberately mutilate their bodies.
Childish instinct
With rare exceptions, all children are born with the same instinct for self-preservation. So why does the situation change with age? Overprotection or a dysfunctional family can play a role in the development of a child's psyche. In the first case, the child will not be afraid of absolutely anything, and in the second case, he will grow up too downtrodden. But this will only become apparent later. It was described above how the instinct of self-preservation manifests itself in an adult, while in children and infants the reaction to the world around them is slightly different. They scream at everything. What could be the reasons for the incessant sobs?
- Loss of mom. If the child does not see the mother, he starts to cry. Mom is the person without whom the baby cannot exist.
- Strangers. A crowd of unfamiliar people is a potential danger. Therefore, the child may cry so that his mother takes him away from the strange crowd for him.
- Loud sounds. Music, noise, or TV interfere with your child's sleep. The instinct of self-preservation tells the baby that loud noises are a danger.
- Satisfaction of natural needs. If the baby wants to eat or drink, he will call adults. Without this, he will not survive, so at the slightest need he raises a strong cry.
Things to confuse instinct with
A person can sometimes be bad at understanding their feelings. Violation of the instinct of self-preservation helps to confuse the situation even more. Therefore, people do not always understand what is truly dangerous for them.
- Stupidity. A person may suffer due to an overestimation of his own strengths or due to a lack of information. For example, not knowing that a shark can be found on the high seas, an individual will swim without fear. A predator can take a person by surprise, and the instinct of self-preservation can no longer help. Overestimation of one's own strengths may consist in conquering a steep mountain. An unprepared person can go to storm the mountains, but onin the middle of the way to understand that there are no more forces. There will be little choice, if you don’t have enough strength to climb, you will have to fall.
- Fear. A person can panic for nothing. For example, a girl will be afraid to walk around the city center at night just because her grandmother told that after the war it was impossible to go outside at night.
How to develop the instinct of self-preservation
If a child had a calm childhood, and his mother did not give him the opportunity to climb trees or run through puddles, then a teenager can grow up "hothouse". He will know only by hearsay about the dangers that lie in wait for him. The instinct of self-preservation is a basic instinct, but sometimes you have to develop it by making your own efforts. How can this be done? Start playing sports, but not extreme, but something like martial arts. Thanks to sports, excess energy will come out, but he alth will remain. Try to find yourself a safe hobby. It can be music, art or dance. For a person with excess energy and love for adrenaline, public speaking and communication with high-ranking persons can be salvation.
How to suppress the instinct of self-preservation
It's hard to say who lives easier: a person who loves risk, or a person who is terribly afraid of danger. Probably hard for both one and the other. But how to be able to find a fine line and overcome fear in yourself? Take up extreme sports. Try to master a motorcycle or ride a race car, skydive or fly onparagliding. It is not necessary to completely eradicate fear, you should learn to control your feelings and, if necessary, push the instinct of self-preservation aside. You can tickle your nerves from time to time by watching horror movies or reading horror stories. But do not flirt, remember that the line between the two extremes is very thin.
Can I solve problems myself?
One of the examples of human self-preservation instinct is the fear of heights. A person cannot look down from the 100th floor without fear. And this is quite normal. But there are people who cannot walk on the bridge, which is suspended 10 meters above the river. Such fear is stupid and unnatural. Fear, which does not prevent you from living and protects you from committing various stupid things, is the instinct of self-preservation. But what if it is developed too strongly or too weakly? If you have been trying to improve the situation for several years, but all your attempts have been unsuccessful, then consult a doctor. A specialist will be able to help you and get rid of panic attacks and other nonsense that your parents or teachers have hammered into your head.
