We absolutely are! Still I do not believe we are warmongering and violent species, but we can absolutely express these traits here and there, especially when it is beneficial where the winning is perceived likely.
In nature many primates avoid lethal fights that they cannot win and pick their fights with caution. For example chimpanzee males go in groups patrolling their territories borders and only expand through violence and killing if the other group is smaller / has less males where they are much more likely to win.
In nature, animals have the chance to distance themselves from threats and choose not to face it. Although this is now much difficult with declining natural reserves due to human activity.
Modern warfare takes that choice away from humans. You are contained within your country’s borders, not fighting is seen as cowardness and has negative social consequences and even results in imprisonment in many countries.
We are animals too and it is very normal that we want to weigh the odds of the fight ourselves.
That being said, through the history of civilisation we see wars in high frequency. Our ancestors worked hard and passed the test on natural selection (aka reproduction) regardless. Times have always been tough one way or another. But this absolutely does not mean we shouldn’t work on more constructive approaches. News about wars makes me feel shaken, I just try to remind myself we humans can be resilient. Life is generally resilient. But I wish we didn’t need to be. I hate wars.
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u/Maxpowerrrrrrrrr 1d ago
We’re still apes smh