When you look in the mirror, you are checking how you appear, what you seem to be, and whether it matches how you feel inside. Thinking about human nature is the equivalent of our whole species looking in the mirror to check it identity.
Human nature can be considered as the ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that are common to most people. It seems such a simple concept until you explore it. Just as we all react differently to our own reflections in the mirror, the reflection we call “human nature” is also often disputed.
- Plato thought humans were rational, social animals.
- Descartes expanded Plato’s ideas, describing people as “thinking spirits”.
- Darwin said human life is experienced as a series of problems to be addressed and resolved.
- Karl Marx believed human nature is revealed through the natural progression of history. He believed that history’s natural progress could lead humans to true freedom as they recognized the cultural and social factors that alienated them from their natural identity.
- Thomas Hobbes and John Locke deeply considered the question, are humans naturally selfish and competitive? Marx and Émile Durkheim explored a different question, are humans naturally social and altruistic?
A broader problem is that of determining which apparently fundamental human dispositions and traits are natural and which are the result of some form of learning or socialization. In our nature, shared with other primates, the basic drives are related to food, sex, security, play, and social status.
I tend to take a rather dim view of human nature. My view is that people are naturally selfish, greedy, gluttonous, lustful, envious, quick to anger, and lazy (the cardinal sins). Parents work hard to train their children to overcome that nature, or if they don’t, then they should. Coincidentally, I also believe you shouldn’t get a dog if you aren’t willing to feed it, pick up after it, and keep it from causing trouble in the neighborhood. In my defense, I haven’t purposely gotten a dog since 1977. The rest just showed up.
My dim view of human nature has been reinforced by what I see society doing — not what we say, but what we actually do. Governments argue, behave badly within and without, and make war. They usually accomplish little at great expense. Business enterprises treat everything and everyone as commodities to be exploited and discarded. By expanding their influence in government, they concentrate wealth and disrupt the environment as a matter of course. They generally show little regard for their customers and even less for their employees.
Religions, for all of their lofty claims and bravado, consider their position of power and influence as above question. Behind all the causes of war (economic or territorial gain, nationalism, revenge, civil or revolutionary ideals) the root cause can all too often be identified as religious: beliefs, tribalism, and ultimately, self-righteous indignation.
What is self-righteous indignation? It is a certainty, especially an unfounded one, that one is totally correct and morally superior. Self-righteous indignation is anger driven by contempt.
A colleague once casually said to me, “fortunately, you are one of the righteous.” I had to correct him — I’m anything but righteous. I’m a sinner, covered by the grace of Christ and forgiven, but my nature is not righteous. Christ, I believe, instructs us to grow beyond our human nature.
The teaching of Jesus are hard and they go against the grain. It’s little wonder that we often don’t remember what He instructed or substitute our own interpretations instead. Jesus taught his disciples that they should aspire to these goals:
- Self-Denial (turning from sin) — the world says to embrace and accept your “self”: get to know yourself, self-actualization, self-affirmation, self-awareness, self-efficacy, and, of course, self-love. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
- Seek Humility — the world generally ignores humility, sees it as a sign of weakness or something for servants, while power and wealth are worldly virtues. Jesus said, “When you are invited to a wedding feast… take the lowest place at the foot of the table… for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
- Be Just and Good — the world may talk justice, but justice for who? The world may value good, but is it a priority? Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”
- Accept Rebuke — the world sees criticism as an attack and responds with anger and aggression. Jesus said, “Happy are those who are persecuted… if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek… you will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
- Don’t Make Vows (Swear) — the world has us to take oaths, pledges, and make promises. How often to you hear “I swear to God” or “Swear upon the Bible.” Jesus said, “do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven or earth… do not swear by your head… simply say ‘Yes’ or ’No’… anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
- Be Generous — the world says “Charity begins at home”. There’s a popular social media post that says “I’ll send help to the refugees when the very last homeless veteran has been fed, clothed, and housed.” Why not just be honest and say, “I’m not willing to help refugees or veterans.” Jesus told us the parable of the Good Samaritan and also said, “Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.”
- Love and Serve Others — the world says “I”, “Me”, “Mine.” The leaders of this world have a tool to keep us in check: find a common enemy. Divide us. It’s “Us” against “Them”. Jesus said, “There is a saying ‘Love your friends and hate your enemies!’ But I say: love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you.” He told us that when we give food and drink to the hungry, clothe the poor and lowly, look after the sick, visit the imprisoned… we are doing those things to and for Him.
- Pray in Earnest — the world makes a show of public prayer and televised prayer, to show how righteous and godly we are. Jesus said, “When you pray go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen…” He tells us not recite the same prayer over and over again… that your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
- Don’t Love Money — the world esteems visible wealth, high salaries, big houses, yachts, cruises, and admires the “successful” in obtaining the trappings of wealth: pursuit of money, love of money. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters… you cannot serve both God and money.”
- Trust God (Have Faith) — the world says, “To thine own self be true” not realizing what Shakespeare’s Polonius in Hamlet actually meant. We are taught to be self-reliant and esteem the man who “Pulls himself up by his own bootstraps” — what a vision that is. We love the story about the ant (who stores up for the winter) and the grasshopper (who occupies his time in the delights of summer). Jesus said, “Don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow, too. Live one day at a time.” He cautioned us that “If you cling to your life you will lose it: but if you give it up for me, you will save it.”
- Don’t Judge — the world teaches us to judge at an early age and reinforces judgement at every step along the way. We see “winners” and “losers”, we make everything a competition, we feel superior to others, we alway strive “to get ahead” and not working about who we leave behind. Jesus said, “Don’t criticize, and then you won’t be criticized. Why worry about the speck in your brother’s eye when you have a board in your own?”
- Seek Wisdom — the world values wisdom, but mostly as a tool to succeed. More importantly, the idea of wisdom is used to seduce you into investing, purchasing, or taking up a cause. “You’d be smart to use my product”, you want to “look smart, and “smart money”investments. We confuse the wise with the rich and powerful. Jesus said, “Beware of false teachers who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are wolves and will tear your apart.” He prayed, “Oh Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise, and for revealing it to little children. For it pleased you to do it this way.”
- Love God — the world may tell you that loving God is okay, but what does the world do? What does the world want you to do — how does the world show that love? By setting us upon each other, because, after all, “God is on our side”. “Human nature”, that’s often just a justification to something you want to do… something you know is questionable at best. “We were so disappointed with his actions, but I guess that’s just human nature.” It’s no wonder we think of ourselves as being good people, all the while putting these hard teachings aside. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and will all your mind.” That love is your compass. It sets your direction and determines your course of action.
- Spread the Good News — the world… enough about the world! Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down, gathered his disciples around him, and delivered the Beatitudes, talked about Salt and Light, about the Law… stating that He came to accomplish their purpose and He said, “Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Following these teachings of Jesus is not easy or natural. I don’t love with all my heart, mind, and soul. I fall short on every one of these teachings. On my own I can’t obey them, but with the grace of God it is possible. Jesus made our salvation possible. Thank Him for that. And then ask Him to help us in following His words. In showing the world that we can overcome our nature. We need to try.
We can’t ignore his teachings, setting them aside, or call ourselves “Christian” while we violate his purpose. We are instructed to pray, to embrace all these challenges, to act them out in our lives. Christ calls us to rise above human nature.
Younger people won’t remember full-service gas stations, but I remember when they put up a signs that directed customers to the “self-serve” pumps. It’s a weak analogy, I know, but I’d like to have a full-service nature instead of a self-serve one. I think that is what Jesus was saying.
After coming back to Facebook after my year of sabbatical, I almost immediately hit the same old funk that drove me away. It’s so disheartening to unfollowing someone you’d otherwise love to keep up with because the vitriol in their posts, their denial of science, their endorsement of egocentric power, their intolerance, their bigotry, or their hate.
Legacy and Lunacy 