Riassunto
The Interactions Between Instinct and Intellect and its Impact on Human Behavior Length: 420 Pages Mark Abraham came to America as a student in 1973 bent on finding the hidden causes of perpetual human conflicts. He devoted 25 years of his postgraduate studies to understand the mind and has discovered that a growing imbalance in every human mind dominates all aspects of human conduct that also includes human conflicts. This discovery took him far beyond his original quest and unveiled a few major human mysteries. For example, we learn that the inner contradictions between instincts and intellect create the psychology of spirituality that finds reflection in different religions. It also shows what renders humans incurably political and why Aristotle called man political animal. We learn what in the mind longs for art and also sport. As this stance also shows why of all beings humans alone are at the same time polygamous and monogamous that renders our species alone, sexually confused and much more. Three human instincts are universally accepted, and Mark has identified 14 more each of which drives its own brand of behavior more forcefully than does our intellect. Ignoring this mental force had created a missing link in studying humans that is responsible for the persisting human enigma. Placing this missing link in its rightful place in the equation of studying human reveals that the contrasting natures of the progressing intellect and stagnant instincts have resulted in a growing imbalance in the mind. Our stagnant instincts impair our intelligence, hinder our success and happiness and also are responsible for all manmade disasters. However, because of its subtle nature it continues to escape attention. This work shows how to disengage your instincts and intellect, boost your intelligence and happiness. This is a unifying theory of the mind that deals with all these subjects and a great deal more covered in six books.
L'autore
Mark Abraham came to America as a student in 1973. Determined to identify the hidden causes of perpetual human conflicts, he acquired two degrees in international politics by 1982. Not finding his answers there, he devoted 25 years of his post-graduate studies to studying philosophy and psychology, seeking his answers there, but to no avail. He realized that the thinkers of the past being so fascinated by human intellect, had studied man almost exclusively from the standpoint of intellect alone. Yet it is human instincts that drive every aspect of human conduct more forcefully than intellect. This ignored mental element has created a missing link that is responsible for all persisting human enigmas. The little attention paid to instincts has been shallow, misleading and misapplied. Three instincts, aggression, sexuality and the maternal instinct, are universally known and accepted. Mark has identified 14 more instincts each of which drives its own brand of behavior. His findings not only identify the causes of human conflict, but a great deal more. Mark has learned that instincts are unchanging, unchangeable, stagnant and primitive. This is the opposite of intellect that is dynamic and grows in time. The contrasting natures of the progressing intellect and stagnant instincts have resulted in a growing imbalance in the mind that continues to escape attention, despite its profound implications in our lives. From this stance, all human affairs are divided into two distinct categories, behavior and achievement. Our instincts drive our conduct, while our intellect achieves our goals. This mental imparity finds reflection in our uneven progress in the realms of behavior as compared to the realms of achievement. In that, many thousands of years ago humans lied, cheated, stole, killed and fought wars, as they do today, each resulting form the unchanging function of a different instinct. However, at one time, man traveled on foot, and now we can land on the moon. The profundity of this growing imbalance cannot be exaggerated. Most importantly, Mark has discovered that the primitive instinct is a drag on humans' growing intellect and impairs a good portion of all humans' intelligence. Our blinding instincts blur our reasoning faculty and distort our decision-making.
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