Repressing your instincts

[psychedelicist]

I'm sure it's been talked about to death about how represing your sexual instincts can be very bad for you (catholic priest paedophiles, etc.).

But what about your territorial instincts? The instinct to fight for your territory or what you want to be your territory. Every other animal on the planet does so- ant colonies will kill each other if they come too near each other, even though there's more than enough food for them all, they still think more territory=better chances of survival.

But in human behavior this is often repressed as well. Outside rivaling gangs (which are seen as immature and pointless killings by everyone else), and the occasional husband who kills his wife's boyfriend when he finds out, we have largely repressed the terretorial instinct.

And just like repressing sexual behavior can lead to things like pedophiles and rapists, might repressing territorial instincts not lead to things like sadists and masochists? Is it a good idea to repress territorial instincts but not sexual instincts? Where do we draw the line between our animal nature and what we should do as humans?

 

[McCracAttack]

Indulging in sexual desire usually results in sex. Indulging in territorial instincts usually results in violence. I've tried both and I have to say I'm a sex kinda guy.

 

[charityagape]

Interesting question. Maybe not related, but I think it is, if you think being a vegitarian is a moral imparitive or if you're a PETA advocate and you think people shouldn't eat meat, but its okay for other carnivores to eat meat. Isn't that repressing a natural instinct?

 

[Koz]

I think repressing instincts to protect what is yours is called being a wussy. You shouldn't let yourself be walked all over.

 

[gwenmead]

I'm not so sure that we've repressed our territorial instincts. If we have, then it makes little sense to me why we have things like cities (with boundaries), counties, states, nations, and the like. We defend and protect our borders fiercely, through both peaceful means (like the Border Patrol) and through war. Americans in particular are very territorially protective, as indicated by things like fights for property and personal rights. The right to unlawful search and seizure, for instance, could be called an extension of territoriality, since it's designed to prevent someone from invading your space. Next time you drive down the street, too, see how many homes and schools have fences. Or how many buildings downtown have security checkpoints.

I would say that a good amount of our territorial instinct is acted upon passively, but it's there nonetheless.

 

[sonofgodjose]

I think repressing instincts to protect what is yours is called being a wussy. You shouldn't let yourself be walked all over.

Did you say wussy? LoL

 

[MoonlessNight]

I think "repressing" is a very bad term for how you should deal with instincts.

After you turn a vice into a virtue, there is nothing left to supress. Of course, no one really gets all the way, but I really think that when you create a habit to not do something that you might normally be inclined to do (such as have sex) over time your desire to do that will decrease. Repressing would suggest that you are futily trying to bury a desire that is continually building, and as such will eventually be expressed. So to use the term "repression" is either begging the question or admitting defeat from the start in my opinion.

 

[Helo]

Most of our behavior is based off of our old instincts. We're too proud to admit it, but in reality were just a little more advanced animals with the same drives, instincts, and desires as the animals.

Why do you think we have all these psychological problems? Because we're living in a world we arent meant to live in, we're too advanced and our brains havent caught up with our immaginations.

And Im tellin' you right now its only going to get worse as the decades march by.

 

[MQTA]

And Im tellin' you right now its only going to get worse as the decades march by.

Nice look to the future. Seems like things get better and better, people wise up, grow up, become more peaceful as their senses grow. You're either part of the solution, or part of the precipitate.

 

[Spinrad]

I'm sure it's been talked about to death about how represing your sexual instincts can be very bad for you (catholic priest paedophiles, etc.).

But what about your territorial instincts? The instinct to fight for your territory or what you want to be your territory. Every other animal on the planet does so- ant colonies will kill each other if they come too near each other, even though there's more than enough food for them all, they still think more territory=better chances of survival.

But in human behavior this is often repressed as well. Outside rivaling gangs (which are seen as immature and pointless killings by everyone else), and the occasional husband who kills his wife's boyfriend when he finds out, we have largely repressed the terretorial instinct.

And just like repressing sexual behavior can lead to things like pedophiles and rapists, might repressing territorial instincts not lead to things like sadists and masochists? Is it a good idea to repress territorial instincts but not sexual instincts? Where do we draw the line between our animal nature and what we should do as humans?

Repressing sexuality is harmful, agreed, but the key is not to let anyone bang on whatever they like. It's to teach people to see sexuality as a positive mutual agreement between consenting parties. Same for territoriality. The question is not whether we should be suppressing, but why we don't design a method for true equanamity of available resources so that no one needs to feel cheated or in danger.

 

[belladonic-haze]

I'm sure it's been talked about to death about how represing your sexual instincts can be very bad for you (catholic priest paedophiles, etc.).

But what about your territorial instincts? The instinct to fight for your territory or what you want to be your territory. Every other animal on the planet does so- ant colonies will kill each other if they come too near each other, even though there's more than enough food for them all, they still think more territory=better chances of survival.

But in human behavior this is often repressed as well. Outside rivaling gangs (which are seen as immature and pointless killings by everyone else), and the occasional husband who kills his wife's boyfriend when he finds out, we have largely repressed the terretorial instinct.

And just like repressing sexual behavior can lead to things like pedophiles and rapists, might repressing territorial instincts not lead to things like sadists and masochists? Is it a good idea to repress territorial instincts but not sexual instincts? Where do we draw the line between our animal nature and what we should do as humans?

Correction, rape isn't about sex or sexual frustration, it is about power and the need to humiliate the victim.

 

[Spinrad]

Correction, rape isn't about sex or sexual frustration, it is about power and the need to humiliate the victim.

Not to start a dissagreement about something I very much agree with, but I think, like any other activity involving the expression of emotion through sexuality, it does have a strong sexual component. By which I mean while the base problem that begins a rape cycle is almost certainly not sexual in nature, as it gains it's "pschic momentum" it definately takes a sexual route. I can think of millionjs of ways to subjugate and humiliate a person, and rape is only one of them. Again, I don't want to make it sound like I dissagree completely, but I have a difficult time reasonaing that rape is not at least fueled by sexuality.

 

[belladonic-haze]

Not to start a dissagreement about something I very much agree with, but I think, like any other activity involving the expression of emotion through sexuality, it does have a strong sexual component. By which I mean while the base problem that begins a rape cycle is almost certainly not sexual in nature, as it gains it's "pschic momentum" it definately takes a sexual route. I can think of millionjs of ways to subjugate and humiliate a person, and rape is only one of them. Again, I don't want to make it sound like I dissagree completely, but I have a difficult time reasonaing that rape is not at least fueled by sexuality.

Well, I am just want people to know that it is not sexual....Sex is used as a tool to humiliate the victim. Here are some myths and facts you might like to read:

Myths and Facts about Rape

There are numerous myths about sexual violence and its victims. These myths are dangerous to everyone because they allow us to believe we are safe. Everyone is a potential victim of sexual violence, anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

MYTH: Rape won't happen to me or to anyone I know.

FACT: One in every ten women will be a victim of a rape in her lifetime. One in every three to four girls and one in every six to ten boys will be sexually abused by the age of eighteen. A rape occurs every five minutes in the United States, according to the FBI.

MYTH: The motive for rape is sexual. Rape is the result of either uncontrollable sexual urges or a lack of sexual opportunities.

FACT: The motive for rape is the need to feel powerful and in control. Forcing someone to engage in sexual intercourse against her or his will is an act of violence and aggression. Sex is the weapon used to humiliate and control the victim. In studies of convicted rapists the majority, whether married or single, had consenting sexual partners. Rapists are not driven by uncontrollable sexual urges, but by an inability to release feelings of anger and helplessness.

MYTH: Victims of rape ask for it. They provoke an attack by their behavior, attitudes, or dress.

FACT: No one asks to be the victim of a violent, life-threatening act. No one is responsible for someone else's violent behavior. Blaming the victim is based on the myth that rape is nothing more than sex. The fact is that infants and the elderly, males and females, are all victims of sexual violence. Most victims fear for their lives; they believe they will be killed or severely injured. The fact is anyone can be a victim of sexual violence.

MYTH: Most rapes are committed by strangers in the dark of night in out-of-the-way places.

FACT: Over 80% of rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. People are at greater risk because they do not recognize familiar people or people from the same social, economic, racial, or cultural backgrounds as possible rapists. The majority of assaults occur in the home of the victim or the offender, or someone the victim or offender knows. Over 50% of assaults occur during the day.

MYTH: Women falsely accuse men of rape.

FACT: The FBI has stated that false reports of rape are no higher than false reports for other crimes. Such accusations account for only 2% of reported rapes. Rape is the most underreported of all crimes. Some data suggests that 80%-90% of rapes are never reported to the police.

 

[ChristianCenturion]

Correction, rape isn't about sex or sexual frustration, it is about power and the need to humiliate the victim.

Um, correction... the claim that sexual violence has zero sexual content in its makeup is only made by those in denial and wish to remove any connection with it and sex.
Reducing an issue that has a complexity down to only one thing would be called over-generalizing.

Sure there is an issue of control - right along with many other possible issues such as aggression, self-esteem, anti-social tendencies, dominance, sexual frustration, depression, invasion, fantasy, sadism, selfishness, etc. the listing of possible sub-issues is quite long.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/svfacts.htm
http://www.police.qld.gov.au/pr/program/p_safety/rape/rasa.shtml

You would be more in keeping with most professional evaluations if you would have said the PRIMARY or PROBABLE component is believed to be power or control.

As to the OP, there is right and wrong behavior and desires in this world. Repressing the bad and developing the good is part of growth.

 

[belladonic-haze]

Um, correction... the claim that sexual violence has zero sexual content in its makeup is only made by those in denial and wish to remove any connection with it and sex.
Reducing an issue that has a complexity down to only one thing would be called over-generalizing.

Sure there is an issue of control - right along with many other possible issues such as aggression, self-esteem, anti-social tendencies, dominance, sexual frustration, depression, invasion, fantasy, sadism, selfishness, etc. the listing of possible sub-issues is quite long.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/svfacts.htm
http://www.police.qld.gov.au/pr/program/p_safety/rape/rasa.shtml

You would be more in keeping with most professional evaluations if you would have said the PRIMARY or PROBABLE component is believed to be power or control.

As to the OP, there is right and wrong behavior and desires in this world. Repressing the bad and developing the good is part of growth.

Well, whatever...as long as males stop abusing women or other males, I don't care what it is...it just has to stop.

 

[Spinrad]

Well, whatever...as long as males stop abusing women or other males, I don't care what it is...it just has to stop.

And women. Women are quite abussive in their own ways. How about we just go ahead and say as long as people starting treating people with decency and stop expecting, demanding and outright taking things from each other. That covers pretty much all interpersonal crime, I think.

 

[Spinrad]

Um, correction... the claim that sexual violence has zero sexual content in its makeup is only made by those in denial and wish to remove any connection with it and sex.
Reducing an issue that has a complexity down to only one thing would be called over-generalizing.

Sure there is an issue of control - right along with many other possible issues such as aggression, self-esteem, anti-social tendencies, dominance, sexual frustration, depression, invasion, fantasy, sadism, selfishness, etc. the listing of possible sub-issues is quite long.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/svfacts.htm
http://www.police.qld.gov.au/pr/program/p_safety/rape/rasa.shtml

You would be more in keeping with most professional evaluations if you would have said the PRIMARY or PROBABLE component is believed to be power or control.

As to the OP, there is right and wrong behavior and desires in this world. Repressing the bad and developing the good is part of growth.

I already said this.

 

[levi501]

Yah with regards to rape, I find "it's about power not sex" quite annoying.
Obviously some type of sexual frustration can be a strong component when we see that places that legalize prostitution notice a decline in sex crimes.

 

[belladonic-haze]

Yah with regards to rape, I find "it's about power not sex" quite annoying.
Obviously some type of sexual frustration can be a strong component when we see that places that legalize prostitution notice a decline in sex crimes.

You know what I find annoying? That if a woman is raped and the world thinks it is about sex the victim can become the accused because she acted in such a way that it is not strange that she was raped...yada yada yada....and then the rapist gets away with it.......... THAT annoys me. And it happens every day......the victim becomes the accused.

And people who visit prostitutes are not rapists to be. That is the most silly thing I have ever heard......

 

[Helo]

Yah with regards to rape, I find "it's about power not sex" quite annoying.
Obviously some type of sexual frustration can be a strong component when we see that places that legalize prostitution notice a decline in sex crimes.

Thats because prostitutes will WILLINGLY do the things rapists want them to do as long as you pay them enough.

Rape is a power crime, its done to break, to dominate, to humiliate, thats more sexually exciting than the sex itself.