Primal instincts in modern society
Humanity has made remarkable progress towards civilisation in the last few thousand years. But despite all this development and achievement, we are still characterised by our primal instincts.
Research has shown that certain regions of the brain, such as the amygdala, become active when people are confronted with strangers, for example. The amygdala is involved in processing emotions and recognizing threats.
These evolutionary survival mechanisms, which have been anchored in us since time immemorial, cannot simply be switched off. In many cases, however, they do not lead us to our advantage, but hinder or even harm our lives in today’s civilised society.
A prominent example of the ambivalence of our instincts is our tendency towards aggression and confrontation. In prehistoric times, this served to protect us from threats and to secure our place in the social hierarchy. Nowadays, however, this instinct can lead to violence, conflict and even war, as is happening right now. Another recent example of this is the rise in violent crime in urban areas, often based on impulses and instincts that should have no place in a modern, civilised society.
Another example is our natural striving for resources and survival, which in today’s world leads to excessive consumer behaviour. In prehistoric times, it was vital to gather as many resources as possible in order to survive.
Today, however, this instinct leads us to eat the wrong food or engage in constant competition for possessions and luxury goods, resulting in resource waste, environmental degradation and social injustice.
Furthermore, our tendency towards group formation and xenophobia, which once served to increase our chances of survival, can now lead to prejudice, discrimination and social marginalisation. A current example is the increase in racist attacks and ethnic conflicts in many parts of the world, which can arise from deep-rooted instincts that are not compatible with the values and principles of a modern, tolerant society.
Often our instincts, which helped us survive in a hostile environment in the past, are no longer appropriate in today’s civilised society and may even hinder or harm us.
It is up to us to consciously recognise how these instincts influence our behaviour. Then we can actively try to overcome them through rational thought and ethical principles to create a more peaceful, just and sustainable society.
The first ethical principles were established by religions with rules such as the 10 commandments. That was a long time ago. Many new commandments, such as human rights, go in a similar direction. We should continue to work on creating a simplified but effective set of rules.
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Advertising and industry manipulate us via our primal instincts
As we cannot simply switch off our evolutionary survival mechanisms, we often react unconsciously and reflexively to stimuli that are specifically used by advertising and industry to exploit us.
A prominent example is the instinct of the reward system in our brain, which aims to make us crave pleasant experiences and avoid negative ones. The advertising industry exploits this by linking products to positive emotions and desires. For example, food adverts often show images of delicious food to whet our appetite and entice us to buy these products, even if they may not be healthy.
Another instinct that is exploited by advertising is our need for social affiliation and recognition. By showing popular celebrities or beautiful people using a certain product, the advertising industry tries to get us to buy that product as well in order to feel socially accepted and successful.
Furthermore, many advertising strategies aim to capitalise on our fear of losing out and our fear of missing out (FOMO). Limited offers, discounts and promotions are used to create pressure to buy immediately, as we fear missing out on something important if we hesitate.
Another example is the exploitation of our natural curiosity and urge to explore. Advertising often entices us with mysterious and unusual products or promises that pique our curiosity and make us want to find out more or try the product.
Overall, it is clear to see that the advertising and industrial sectors skilfully manipulate our primal instincts to entice us to buy their products. By appealing to our natural needs and instincts, it creates a strong desire that often leads us to act impulsively and buy things we don’t actually need. It is important to be aware of these tactics and to critically question how and why we react to certain advertising strategies in order to improve our decision making and not fall victim to this manipulation.
