Why are humans able to override their instinct to reproduce?

[Narz]

I was thinking about this the other day, when I had the thought, for the first time in my life, that maybe I won't have children. It surprised me because I'd never considered it as a possibility before.

It certainly makes sense that, in a time of crisis, a human would delay reproduction to a later time but why would it be that some humans seem to have little to no desire to reproduce under at all (I've met quite a few). You'd think billions of years of evolution (hundreds of thousands of human evolution) would instill in us a more insistent desire to make sure we have offspring.

I've thought of a few theories myself. Some of them that might sound a bit hokey and rely on untested ideals I can't seem to articulate very well such as "collective consciousness" and the idea that within a species, perhaps there is a drive even stronger than the individual drive that propels us to maintain the species as a whole (in which case less reproduction would be a good thing). I was reminded of such sort of fish I read about, when about to be in a fight with another fish, the non-dominant one will basically weed himself out, refusing to fight and simply letting himself go off and die rather than try to be sneaky and find a way to mate (or get food, forgot what the goal of the fighting was).

Anyway, just something I was curious about and thought might make for interesting thread discussion.

 

[azzaman333]

Why are humans able to override their instinct to reproduce?

Human stupidity has no limits.

 

[Elta]

For the same reason we override so many other drives - Dat big ole dome piece.




I suppose.

 

[amadeus]

Free will. We're not animals, after all.

 

[azzaman333]

Free will. We're not animals, after all.

Actually, we are animals..

 

[Atlas14]

Well he have the capacity for abstract thought, and the ability to reflect on our biological functions from multiple perspectives. Although in general the instinct to reproduce remains strong, cultural values and pressures have become an even larger force in determining patterns of reproduction.

 

[Elta]

Actually, we are animals..

You don't know Ama to well do you

 

[Japanrocks12]

cause B.F. Skinner sucked

 

[plarq]

Sex is enjoying, while raising kid is costly.

 

[MayNilad Man]

Because of the condom.

Sex before family, is the instinctual imperative.

 

[Jawz II]

Human stupidity has no limits.

Why is following instinct so smart?

If I followed mine, I'd probably be in jail or dead. Probably both.

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

the reproductive need is in the sex drive not to have children. since sex=/= children, this doesn't work. The strange thing is that the people who are most succesful have fewer children, since their carrer is in the way. only white trash is breeding.

 

[holy king]

its not only for the career, its also the fact that we dont need our own children as a pension insurance and dont have to take into account that 70% wont make it to the age of 18...

 

[El_Machinae]

Well he have the capacity for abstract thought, and the ability to reflect on our biological functions from multiple perspectives. Although in general the instinct to reproduce remains strong, cultural values and pressures have become an even larger force in determining patterns of reproduction.

I think Atlas has stated the brunt of it.

Humans have the ability to imagine second order desires. These are desires that are based on our primary desires, and extrapolated from them, but also given their own weight when it comes to making decisions. This means that we're willing to offset our primary desires, sometimes.

One should note, though, that preventing teenage reproduction is actually really hard. It takes a lot of societal pressure to keep teens in their clothes. Since the sexual urge dies down as one gets older, it's hard for the parents to understand: the teenage mind has a really hard time not thinking about sex.

 

[bigdog5994]

I've thought about this too and ive concluded that were not able to override our instinct to reproduce because we all have sex and want to have sex (unless your a monk or something)

and why do we want to have sex? cause it makes you and your partner feel good now imagine if sex didn't feel good would you ever do it unless you wanted a baby? i don't think so i know i wouldn't so why does sex feel good? it feels good so you do it and do it often therfore nature is tricking us into sex so that we reproduce so in my conclusion as long as you want sex you want to reproduce

 

[Godwynn]

Children are stressful, loud, and obnoxious.

I would rather keep my hundreds of thousands I would've spent on a child and retire earlier.

 

[shortguy]

cause B.F. Skinner sucked

Why? It's true that behaviorism is out of vogue, but his developments were still vital to the emergence of modern psychology.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

No organism acts for the good of their species, they act for the good of their genes. Some organisms do this by allowing themselves to die, in a way that preserves their offspring, or even their siblings or more distant relatives.

Humans may be an exception. Of course, in some the instinct to reproduce is not as strong as the knowledge of the hassle it involves . . .

 

[Swedishguy]

I've thought about this too and ive concluded that were not able to override our instinct to reproduce because we all have sex and want to have sex (unless your a monk or something)

Sex is too bestial for me!

And having children is pretty high on my "stuff I never want to do" list.

 

[Photi]

I think Atlas has stated the brunt of it.

Humans have the ability to imagine second order desires. These are desires that are based on our primary desires, and extrapolated from them, but also given their own weight when it comes to making decisions. This means that we're willing to offset our primary desires, sometimes.



One should note, though, that preventing teenage reproduction is actually really hard. It takes a lot of societal pressure to keep teens in their clothes. Since the sexual urge dies down as one gets older, it's hard for the parents to understand: the teenage mind has a really hard time not thinking about sex.

i would add that for animals the instinctive part of reproduction is the sex urge and having offspring is the unintended consequence of that urge. when animals reproduce, it is not because they want offspring, its becuase they are horny as hell. even those people who don't want kids still act on the sex urge as it is much more primal and hard to resist. very few people remain abstinent in life. for most of those who do practice abstinence, it comes with great restraint.

so, to answer the op's question, i don't think there is anything instinctual about wanting offspring. what is instinctual is having sex and once the offspring are there, most animals have nurturing instincts.

Edit: looks like i am saying the same thing as bigdog