Why can't we do things the right way?

[OldWiseGuy]

We have the knowledge of how to do most things properly. What in our evolutionary past (or present) causes us to be so destructive in many things that we attempt to do?

 

[Mantishand]

I would think the sin nature that is embedded in our DNA since Adam disobeyed God.

 

[Ophiolite]

We have the knowledge of how to do most things properly. What in our evolutionary past (or present) causes us to be so destructive in many things that we attempt to do?

Short termism. You don't get to take care of the long term if you aren't around. For some individuals - and consequently for some organisations - the short term dominates. Many actions are great news for the short term, but fatal in the long term.
And, if we fail to address this through cultural efforts the biological filter of natural selection will declare human level intelligence an error.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Short termism

Yes, immediate gratification. Like, economics now/forget about the future.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Short termism. You don't get to take care of the long term if you aren't around. For some individuals - and consequently for some organisations - the short term dominates. Many actions are great news for the short term, but fatal in the long term.
And, if we fail to address this through cultural efforts the biological filter of natural selection will declare human level intelligence an error.

But we have the knowledge. Why doesn't action follow, especially if problems can be solved in the short term?

 

[Jesus is my Superhero]

I forgot which author said the following but it made so much sense to me:

"History doesn't repeat itself, human nature is what repeats itself".

 

[pitabread]

Part of the issue is that doing things "properly" is not usually a black and white issue. Almost everything we do involves trade offs.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Part of the issue is that doing things "properly" is not usually a black and white issue. Almost everything we do involves trade offs.

I think most trade offs are just rationalizations.

 

[pitabread]

I think most trade offs are just rationalizations.

In my experience, trade offs are often in the form of opportunity costs.

 

[Freodin]

We have the knowledge of how to do most things properly. What in our evolutionary past (or present) causes us to be so destructive in many things that we attempt to do?

The mere fact that you are asking this question is demonstrating that the premise it is based on is flawed.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The mere fact that you are asking this question is demonstrating that the premise it is based on is flawed.

That's pretty weak defense of evolution.

 

[Freodin]

That's pretty weak defense of evolution.

It is not meant as "defense of evolution". It is simply a criticism of your post.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

It is not meant as "defense of evolution". It is simply a criticism of your post.

What is the flaw in my assertion?

 

[Freodin]

What is the flaw in my assertion?

I admit that it would be funny to keep playing that game - that every time you have to ask, you demonstrate the problem that renders your question moot. But I am not interested in witty banter... that's more the realm of old wise guys.

The problem is that you connect "evolution" with "knowing how to do some things properly". If evolution - or, in that regard, anything else, had given you this knowledge, you wouldn't need to ask such questions.

So, the premise your question is build on is "something in our evolutionary past (or present) causes us to be destructive in spite of us having the knowledge of how to do things properly."
But the second part of this premise is simply not given, and so the first one becomes irrelevant.

 

[Speedwell]

You see, OWG already has an explanation for why we often screw things up even though we know better. It's called "The Fall."

But he apparently wants to make fun of evolution by pretending that it is supposed to explain absolutely everything about human nature while denying "The Fall," which is why he is asking that bogus question.

 

[Larniavc]

We have the knowledge of how to do most things properly. What in our evolutionary past (or present) causes us to be so destructive in many things that we attempt to do?

Limited resources. Or fear of limited resources being taken. It's not peculiar to humans.

 

[Larniavc]

We have the knowledge of how to do most things properly.

I dunno man, a lot of people claim to have the 'knowledge' but it's actually just a bunch of folk wisdom that doesn't really work on in real life.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I admit that it would be funny to keep playing that game - that every time you have to ask, you demonstrate the problem that renders your question moot. But I am not interested in witty banter... that's more the realm of old wise guys.

The problem is that you connect "evolution" with "knowing how to do some things properly". If evolution - or, in that regard, anything else, had given you this knowledge, you wouldn't need to ask such questions.

So, the premise your question is build on is "something in our evolutionary past (or present) causes us to be destructive in spite of us having the knowledge of how to do things properly."
But the second part of this premise is simply not given, and so the first one becomes irrelevant.

The premise of my question is that evolutionists assert that even thoughts are a product of evolution. If evolution governs every thought and action, what went wrong?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Limited resources. Or fear of limited resources being taken. It's not peculiar to humans.

That contradicts the fact that we are very wasteful of our resources. In fact we are being buried in our own waste.

 

[Freodin]

The premise of my question is that evolutionists assert that even thoughts are a product of evolution. If evolution governs every thought and action, what went wrong?

That's not correct, and I dare say you should know that by now.

"Evolutionists" do not assert that thoughts are the product of evolution. Nor do they assert that evolution "governs" every though and action.

But even the concept behind that misrepresentation only shows your question to be based on a false premise.