Zaid Maher Mr.

Saad English II May 11, 2011 Humanities Struggle for Survival

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Life is a struggle of which is called survival. Conflicts of fear plague the mind, Instinct gives humanity strength, and ambition drives one to prosper and live. It is a harsh existence to inhabit a hostile world filled with innumerable threats and countless ways of death. Humans are guided by certain elements of the mind. They attempt to avoid death at every turn and it is in their nature to survive. These three factors may explain why humans attempt to survive: Fear of death, instinctual habits, and ambition to pave a path for themselves in life. The will to survive is an instinct. It has pervaded the thoughts of human beings since their creation. Humans fight wars to ensure survival of either an ideal or individual aspect. They are willing to kill, steal, or betray almost anyone or anything to survive one more minute. The more we exploit nature, the more our options are reduced, until we have only one: to fight for survival, said famous politician Morris K. Udall. Humanity would use every option during a conflict but the underlying motive is to survive. What else is done or said is irrelevant compared to this prospect. There have been numerous examples of how far a human being may go. Many have become cannibals and began to consume the flesh of their fellows. Some have sacrificed others just to live another moment. The history of the human race is plagued by these events that cause some to find them disgusting. But many are not distant from committing the same action in certain conditions. Survival is what drives humanity to prosper and build, but it is also what causes humans to sometimes betray their core tenants. Certain actions will be committed if it can guarantee the safety of the individual self.

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Humans will kill, torture, and destroy to survive because fear drives them to commit these acts. Although Humanity lacks sheer courage and strength, they possess an emotion called fear. Whether it is the fear of death, loss, or pain, humans will attempt to escape situations that can harm the individual. Fear can drive humans to the edge of their sanity and cause them lose all semblance. In this state one will attempt to flee or fight back harder. Thus the term is fight or flight. Negative emotions and somatic and psychological symptoms activate fear networks, namely, catastrophic cognitions (e.g., concern that racing thoughts indicate impending insanity, that palpitations indicate a heart attack), metaphoric associations (e.g., the combination of dizziness and fear recalling sexual abuse suffered as a child). (Hinton, 2009, p. 265) This quote proves that the human mind is unstable when exposed to fear. Should a human allow terror to grip his or her heart, they would fight or run just to ensure their own survival. Humans are born with genetic traits that allow one to respond to threats. An example is the human brains hypothalamus. When faced with stress the hypothalamus releases adrenaline into the blood stream. Reaction times are quicker and strength is increased two fold. Humans are genetically hardwired to resist vigorously so that the individual may live and continue to exist. There is an instance of a toddler the age of two who survived for a week after his mother died of disease. The child ate anything edible within reach including cat food. This story is an excellent example of survival instincts. There are a large amount of reflexes and instinctual actions that are performed by newborns and full grown adults. They have been suppressed and hidden away but instincts always give humans the strength to fight. They rise to surface of the mind to assist the being in any way possible. It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change, said Charles Darwin. Humanity responds to

Maher 3 the threat with whatever they can muster. It is a defense mechanism as old as the human race itself. Humans are aggressive and ambitious beings. Whatever must be done to attain an advantage over others will be committed by a human. It is the ambitious nature of humanity that allows it to progress. Ambition allows humanity to never submit to death without struggle. Should a human not possess such a trait then one being will be taken advantage of and manipulated to either cause harm to themselves or become vulnerable to further aggression. Persistence accompanies the trait of ambition which provides the major drive for accomplishment. Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in, said Bill Bradley a famous politician. This quote provides evidence of how critical ambition is to humanity. Without ambition a human would falter and be pounced upon akin to prey. Survival shows how humanity is willing to establish its presence upon the earth. A human cannot afford to die without someone, be it whoever he or she may be, remembering them. Humans learn and adapt quickly. Whatever lessons or experience teaches, it is quickly assimilated by others. Survival on the earth is a challenge. Humans are competent enough to pave their own path through a hostile world. Life is a struggle; One which humanity must be at a constant vigilance. At such moments, you realize that you and the other are, in fact, one. Its a big realization. Survival is the second law of life. The first is that we are all one, said Joseph Campbell. Humanity fights and will struggle forevermore if need be. Fear of death, an instinct for survival, and human ambition are keys to a humans continuing existence. Humanity struggles with innumerable threats from within and without including fear. Though the dangers are terrible to behold, humanity instinctively lowers its

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shoulder and drives forward knowing that the path ahead is fraught with perils. With ambition in the heart one cannot easily surrender to the unknown and the menacing. Humanity will keep on going through one danger and on to another. Without these three factors humanity surely fall to the horrors provided by the earth.