I believe we live to overcome an inherited nature . If we were born perfect, would life have meaning?
Quoting: Esq 20093181 So what about a child's innocence?
If behavior is learned and the innocence of children is inherently obvious, doesn't the observed trend run directly against everything you are implying above?
Innocence is a state of grace, a newborn has a clean slate on a foundation based upon two million years of survival instincts. On their own instincts are a means for survival.
Within our DNA is a desire to be the center of all things, and to survive at any cost. This can never be so.
Innocence is the ability to reason about our spiritual nature in a manner where we recognize our own mortality and our imperfections. Children donot have the maturity to understand their own psyche. Innocence as far as it applies to children is a recognition that this ability to discern is not fully developed, hence any self centered behavior is provided a pass.
Innocence as a state of grace is a spiritual virtue. It is acting in a manner that doesnot violate G-d or your fellow creatures.
Sure, the desire to survive is there. But what of the desire to die? It must also be there, yes?
Why do we have the desire to pro-create? Is this not the natural way of circumventing death in an selfless way?
You say that children do not have the maturity to understand their own psyche. Perhaps that is true...and perhaps that is why they look to others who are more mature for guidance.
Self-centered behavior is not 'provided a pass'. Self centered behavior is eating, drinking, breathing, shitting, crying, etc. It is all there and ingrained within us from conception.
There are instinctual behaviors and there are learned social behaviors. The 'discernment' you are speaking of is how to get what you want and need from the more mature humans around us. It is the social construct that is learned.
So, putting aside the desire to survive...which can be expressed through behaviors we all share at birth...what should be called 'inherited nature', I ask you again in perhaps more specific terms...
Isn't the lack of learned social behavior expressed through a child's innocence closer to perfection than the learned social behaviors of the mature among us?
And if this is true, what does this say about the idea of 'overcoming our inherited nature'?
