In recent posts, I have been discussing the concept of the Human 2-sides of bad human and good human.  Now I will discuss the concept of Human  2-dogs.  I really appreciate various American Indian traditions that refer to the two dogs inside a person that compete for supremacy. These traditions point out that humans characteristically have a darker dog inside of us and a lighter dog. And, it is the dog that is feed the most that will come to the surface and predominate the character and behaviors of a person. This 2-dog metaphorical tradition makes sense to me in understanding the different sides of my nature. And, this tradition is really saying it is my choice what dog will surface the most. If my darker anti-social side (bad dog) is not feed by negativity, it can be contained. If my lighter pro-social side (good dog) is feed by positivity, it can evolve. Over time the side feed the most will reflect a person’s core intentional morality. Over time the side that surfaces will come to dominate a person’s personality and behaviors. We need to be aware of both sides of our nature. There is a perpetual struggle between nigredo (the dark night of the Self), and albedo (the enlightened side of the Self). The side that surfaces has a lot to do with the manner in which we control our darkside and elevate our lightside. This metaphorical 2-dog equation concens  the darkness of the under-world vs. an upper-world of lightness. …

Recently I posted about Good Human and Bad Human nature.  Now, I assert that in actuality and in practice not one of us is an epitome of virtue or vice. Trying not to make a naturalistic fallacy (future post), I now point out that realistically human beings are dualistically and bilaterally endowed with two major sides ——> a darkside and a lightside.  I suggest a depiction of humans as having 2-sides is a story as old as mankind. B. F. Skinner (1971) noted that when Shakespeare referred to humans in Hamlet, he included the line, “How like a god!” Yet, physiologist Ivan Pavlov would say of humans, “How like a dog!” I advance the idea that in order to better understand ourselves we need to recognize, take a measurement of, and try to understand these two diametrically alter ego opposing sides.  Darkside – (Mr. Hyde) is the bad human and naughty me that portrays my worst inclinations and characteristics. It is the side of darkness that contains our darker urges, desires, and wants. It is the home of our baser instincts of dark fantasies, dark temptations, and malefic thoughts that can become nefarious behaviors. It is our invasive and intrusive side. It is the home of the damage we have done and where those secrets reside. Our darkside allows for wrath, brutality, genocide, aggression, racism, intolerance, oppression, and all kinds of abuse. The darkside is our shadow side that can leave dark shadows from devolutionary dark days in our life. …

The good human view points out that it is true humans have a selfish gene, but we also have a social gene. And, from our biological social gene we can be cooperative and altruistic. This view argues that our inherent biology is productive and that our negative characteristics come mostly from the cultural dictates that we are programmed to. That is, we are conditioned by social conformity to be good or bad. This picture argues that it is cultural conditioning that brings about human destructiveness. Good human contends that it is cultural ethnocentrism that is the cause of human self-absorption. So, from this point of view the negative aspects of us are caused by environmental factors that we have become acclimatized to corrosive conditioning. This portrayal of human nature is one of the noble savage (bon savage – idealized indigent). Good human is a view that is more idealistic, confident, promising and focuses on the human potential for self-growth. This view says humans have a capacity to exhibit exemplary and sophisticated behaviors. Buddhism believes in the innate goodness, virtuousness, probity, integrity, uprightness, and dignity of human beings. Good human can be seen in Ancient Tibet that has an interpretation of humans that says:  

Good human – It was Jean-Jacques Rosseau who spoke and wrote of a good-centered human nature. This view  asks us to wait a minute, and says humans are not that bad as protrayed in a Bad Human view. A Good Human view points out our civilizing and humanizing characteristics. Good human brings out our more cooperative side. This view says at our core human beings have natural proclivities towards goodness, niceness, sociability, and virtue. It portrays humans as having a lightside pure heart. Good human is about the best of humanity and has a much more positive view of human nature. It is about humanities joyous, delightful, exalted, and hopeful nature. It entails our optimistic, encouraging, and playful side. Good human concerns the decency that can be found in humans. This view says humans are capable of cardinal acts of mercy. This picture of humankind indicates that we do reciprocate, we can be kind, and we can be nice. Good human is about humanities sublimeness, majestic attributes, affability, nobility, and doing good deeds. It concerns our simpatico side that is amiable and brotherly. It is a view of humanities capacity to be empathetic, sympathetic, compassionate, benevolent, loving, and caring. Good human is indicative of our friendly, innocuous, and inoffensive behaviors. The good human view points out that it is true humans have a selfish gene, but we also have a social gene. And, from our biological social gene human beings can be cooperative and altruistic. This view argues that our …

Bad human is seen in various religions. Many religions portray a negative view of the human condition. Christianity teaches that humans are born sinful. John Calvin called humans “teeming hordes of infamies.” (16th Cent) Thomas Hobbes felt human existence is a state of, “bellum conium contra comnes” ———–> the war of all against all. In Leviathan, Hobbes said people  need to enter  a social contract with the state as one means to control and help manage selfish human nature. A social contract that produces law and order. Without some sort of control, I propose human living is capable of becoming a kind of rattenkrieg or “war of the rats.” Sigmund Freud felt, “men are not gentle friendly creatures wishing for love, but possess powerful, measured desire for aggressiveness.” (20th Cent). Wilhelm Reich referred to humans as, “endemically and sexually sick.” (1948) For Reich, the average person is an utterly deprived and low-life character —–> I wonder what he thought of himself?  Mark Twain said, “of all creatures man is the most detestable. Of all the entire brood he is  only one that  possesses malice. Also, he  is the  only creature that has  a nasty  mind.” (1924)  The bad human view contains a large number of those detrimental dualistic factors that contribute to keeping humans apart.  Bad human is seen in our long-lasting history of warfare. Since ancient times the                troubling  turmoil of war appears to be symptomatic of mankind. The first  evidence of  any human warfare was near …

In a previous post on Praxeology, I presented human conduct as it relates to good human and bad human actions. St. Augustine spoke and wrote of a bad-centered human nature. Bad human denotes aspects of human nature that we often don’t want to discuss or admit. However, to get a fuller and more complete picture of human nature they must be recognized. This view portrays us as self-important creatures who are “full of ourselves.” Bad human suggests we are hotshot, blustering superstar want-to-be creatures. It asks, “What is in for me?” Bad human brings out our more competitive side that focuses on our own agenda. All of us to some degree are arrogant, self-serving, and self-involved. Whether acknowledged or not we all have proclivities towards being self-absorbed and self-preoccupied with our own self-interests and agendas. This self-interest has often led to behaviors that are dehumanizing towards others. It is where the selfish gene predominates, and we instinctively revert to that loci sequence on our genome that is pre-programed for self-survival, unrelenting selfishness, and aggressive tendencies. We will find a way to survive be it by cruelty, intimidation, theft, or exploitation. A bad human view has a darkside cold heart. I agree with the phrase la bete humaine ––> translated as the “beast in man,” or my preferred translation is “the beast within.” It is a worldview saying “it is a cold world!” Bad human includes a predatory wolf side that seeks to use, abuse, and prey on the weaker sheep among …

Praxeology  is the study of human  action and conduct.  Are human actions and  conduct basically about good behavior? Are human  beings  instinctively good?  Or, do  humans basically act and behave in  a bad manner?  Are human  instinctively bad?  In several posts to come I will focus on the  last 2  words in a previous post as examples related  to human dualism  ——> good and  bad.  As you read the posts to come related to  good human actions and behavior, or bad  human action and behavior, what view would you gravitate towards?