Sarah Morra (11) | STAFF REPORTER
From the earth we grow, naturally, we have always had basic instincts. Our understanding of natural predators, basic survival skills, and trauma responses are composite in a typical homo sapien. However, the reason behind our habits and behaviours in which we have come to develop within our civilised society are up for debate.
Some believe that our behaviours and actions may simply be accredited to our heritage and genes, hence, nature. However, others believe that our behavioural tendencies are actually influenced by our environment throughout development.
While genetics does undoubtedly play a role in the way we live and some aspects of our being. It is far more logical to come to the consensus that one’s environment assumes a larger role in one’s development. Due to the fact that we are highly influenced by the language used around us, cultural customs, traumas or meaningful life events, and political atmosphere – the composition of one’s personality and subsequently, their actions are a product of these factors… This is already common knowledge, however, what is not is whether or not certain survival skills of ours are determined by our biological nature or the environment around us.
In a capitalistic society in the United States and Canada, millions of individuals endure endless suffering of impoverishment, starvation, and homelessness. All the while the upper class continues to yearn for further engrossment of their wealth at the expense of the lower class. Now, some would argue that greed is in our nature and that we are innately corrupt which is why we have come to develop such an economy within our society.
I would like to disagree, greed, gluttony, and corruption are not in our nature. They are merely survival tactics that our so called “civilised” society has had to develop in order to keep up with the capitalist economy. Since, just as in nature, if a species is not to evolve they will fall behind and inevitably go extinct.
Therefore, one could say individuals who are active stakeholders in our capitalist economy are evolving and adapting to the necessary traits that are needed to keep them ahead. Whereas those who have neglected to exploit those around them, are falling behind in the corporate chain and will face the repercussions.
The notion that greed and corruption are natural to our beings strips this society of its humanity and allows for the flagrant disregard of actual prosperity and improvement. By shifting the blame on our corrupt nature, those in power are then cleansed of the responsibility to pull our society out of this detrimental cycle of exploiting the working class and their means of production.
Overall, it is vital that we are not blinded to what is right in front of us, and to not wash our hands of responsibility – as it is integral that we recognize that our society has orchestrated this type of dystopian style living and this is not how we were meant to evolve, it is simply not in our nature.
This article was written in April 2024.
