Entry 1 : "Why do we do the things that we do?"

I believe that people behave certain ways due to 4 factors: basic instinct, personal desire, life experiences, and present situations.

I think people initially react to situations with the most primary behaviors. For example, we react to sadness by crying, we react to happiness by smiling or laughing, and we react to anger by shouting or destroying. It is notable that these reactions are common in MOST people, in other words almost everybody react the same way! This could only lead us to conclude that these behaviors were passed to all of us by a common ancestor. However, there may be some exceptions depending on the person's life experience, for example a person who repeatedly failed a subject may eventually get used to it and feel comfortable with getting a low grade. Similarly, a person who is used to a luxurious life may appreciate their facilities less than someone who never had one.

Another factor that may influence our behavior is personal desire. When a person wants something very badly, they maybe inclined to behave in an uncommon or immoral way. For instance, a person who is in debt may seek to earn money by stealing, which is more convenient than by working. Conversely, a person may also work harder for what they want, for example a child who wants a new mp3 may do extra work to earn enough money to purchase it. Therefore, personal desire could be both motivation for both good and bad behaviors.

Life experiences, in my opinion, is the most important factor that influences behavior. What we have experienced will definitely have an effect on what we do. For example, if we burnt our hand once by touching a steaming kettle on the stove, it is likely we will not repeat it. In other words, people will not repeat something that is painful physically or mentally. This is because we learn that it is dangerous or painful the first time we experience situations. Another example could be the way we response to something. A person who was repeated bullied when he/she was a child will either fear bullying, hate bullying, bully others, or develop an immunity against it. Therefore, our life experiences plays a great role in shaping how we behave and react to situations in life.

Lastly, I believe human do things a certain way partly because of the situation they are in. In a desperate situation, people can be forced to do something that is against their morals. For example, when a person is attacked in a dark alley at night with a knife and they fortunately got hold of the knife, they will likely defend themself by hurting/killing the attacker. It is terrifying and amazing that humans are capable of doing anything, out of desperation, that will help them survive . For instance, it has been known that some soldiers eat their fellow comrades due to lack of food during wars. Desperation, therefore, can be one of the most effective drives for people to behave in a certain way.

Humans behave according to many sophisticated reasons. Some may be shallow reasons, and others may be more complicated. However, it is always fascinating to discover the roots to why we do we things that we do. Eventually, I believe this study can lead to the prediction of human behavior and could help predict/prevent something bad before it even happens!!!