The concept of human nature is often used to symbolize the essence of humankind, or what it really means to be a human being.
It involves the fundamental dispositions and characteristics of a person including our ways of thinking, feeling, and acting, something that humans are said to have naturally.
The concepts are just as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago, especially when we consider prominent issues such as trust and authenticity.
Let’s talk about the concept of human nature.
The Concept Of Human Nature
What Is The Concept Of The Human Person?
A person is a being who has a sense of self, has a notion of the future and the past, can hold values, and make choices. In essence, one that can adopt life-plans.
What Philosopher Talks About Human Nature?
The philosophical concept of human nature has a long and varied history.
In Western culture, its study began with Socrates in the fifth century BC, but it was Aristotle who argued that human nature was characterized by unique attributes, particularly people’s need to socialize and our ability to reason.
What Are The Two Types Of Human Nature?
Rene Descartes popularized the theory that human nature is separated into two parts, both mind and body. This accounts for some of the split feelings that occur inside of the individual.
How Did Plato And Aristotle Define Human Nature?
Plato thought that humans were rational, social animals. He connected our nature with our souls and the mind’s ability to reason rather than our bodies.
Plato argued that knowledge of human nature can be reached through dialogue. In his philosophy, man can be defined as being capable of rationally answering a rational question.
“The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.” Plato
Aristotle differed primarily in his belief that both body and soul contributed equally to our human identity.
What Are The Main Aspects Of Being Human?
- Physical.
- Emotional.
- Mental.
- Spiritual.
What Are The Types Of Human Nature?
A study on human behaviour has revealed that most of the population can be classified into four basic personality types:
- Optimistic.
- Pessimistic.
- Trusting.
- Envious.
What Makes A Person Real Or Authentic?
Being real means knowing oneself and being comfortable in one’s own skin.
Being real means being honest about our uniqueness and sharing it, as well as being honest about our flaws and working hard to overcome them. Being real means owning and accepting who we are and who we can be.
How Do You Become Real To People?
- Don’t lie, be honest.
- Stay in your own truth, and out of other people’s business.
- Accept the ugly parts of yourself, including the difficult emotions.
Why is it so hard to be authentic?
We may struggle to be authentic due to lack of self-esteem, fear of judgment by others, or a strong desire for others to like us.
Past experiences, sometimes from childhood, that led to being shut down when we spoke our truth, can mistakenly teach us that it isn’t safe or beneficial to be genuine.
Why Is It So Hard To Trust People?
It can come from abuse, social rejection or just having low self-esteem.
People with low self-esteem are known to be less likely to trust others. It may also stem from a previous romantic relationship that featured infidelity.
Trust issues are also often associated with depression, anxiety, fear of abandonment and attachment issues.
Is It Possible To Trust People?
When you trust someone, it means that you believe they’re dependable, reliable, and honest.
A certain amount of trust is necessary for human relationships. But trusting other people is often not always easy, and the closer the relationship is, and the more we have to reveal of ourselves, the harder it can sometimes become.
As humans, we are hardwired to connect with others and trust others. Without authentic connection we would not be able to survive as a species. We thrive off one another and learn and grow from one another. Trust is vital for healthy relationships.
What Are The Attributes Of A Trustworthy Human Being?
- Honesty.
- Integrity.
- Courage.
- Self-awareness.
What Is The Existential View Of Human Nature?
The existential approach considers human nature to be open-ended, flexible and capable of a large range of experience.
The person is in a constant process of becoming. (i.e. “I create myself as I exist. There is no essential, solid self, no given definition of one’s personality and abilities.)
Is Human Nature From God?
According to scripture, humans are not an evolutionary accident but a special creation, whereby we were purposefully produced by God to fulfill a preordained role in his world.
Final Thoughts
Humans are defined by a sense of personality, experiences and reason.
We’re predisposed to believe that the face we see in the mirror is us, basically something which has developed a personality through life experiences.
Striving for authenticity and being a trustworthy person are noble goals we can all aspire to achieve to improve our sense of self and society.
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