“Instincts are goal-directed and innate patterns of behavior that are not the result of learning or experience.”

I’ve been wrestling with what to write for the past week but I know I must write something. The problem is that I had so many ideas swirling around in my head after writing Part I and I feared I would focus on the wrong one. You see, after I acknowledged that the fox was merely acting instinctively when he killed and carried off my hen, I got to thinking a lot about my fellow humans. I have been bombarded with so many conflicting stories and as much as I want to believe that the positive ones are the norm I can’t help but give my attention to the negative. So I will allow my wondering to take me down a path that I can only hope will lead me to a comforting conclusion.

Personally, I believe that we are no better than other animals. Sure we have the ability to rationalize and have complex moral codes, but are we always rational and moral? Lately, with all that has been going on in the world I worry, no, I am convinced that many of us are not. This makes us far more dangerous than any other animal out there. I have a story I want to share that may help you to understand my current mindset.(But before I continue I will take a moment to acknowledge all the people who are working and volunteering to make this pandemic situation more tolerable. Thank you to every healthcare and other essential worker as well as anyone who is volunteering, sewing masks, collecting food, and just trying to brighten someone’s day. Every bit of effort changes at least one other person’s life and that is something big.)

The following is my re-creation of an event I was told about on Monday:

On Saturday afternoon Mrs. Anderson, an independent senior citizen, decided to take herself shopping. Normally her son, Steve, would accompany her but he was assigned to work overtime patrolling the parks of NYC to make sure people were adhering to the social distancing rules. She told him not to worry and that she was more than capable of navigating her way through the store and getting her groceries safely put away. He asked her to please be careful and to not buy more than she could comfortably handle getting into her apartment. She was both touched and annoyed when she assured him that she wasn’t too old to grocery shop.

Mrs. Anderson arrived at Shop Rite and noticed the long line that had formed outside the store. She was grateful for the beautiful weather and decided that some fresh air might do her good. So she put on her mask and stashed some hand sanitizer in her purse and made her way over to the line. She was greeted by a neighbor waiting at the front of the line. They exchanged pleasantries and wished each other well. Mrs. Anderson wished there was some way she could have joined her friend.

Her wait wasn’t too terribly long and she occupied her time by making mental notes of the items the other shoppers had exited with and comparing their cartloads with her list. Mrs. Anderson felt confident that she would be able to get everything she needed. After all, she had budgeted enough money to allow for a big shopping so she wouldn’t have to risk coming out again for two, maybe three weeks. Before she knew it, it was her turn to enter the store. She wiped down the cart handle and disinfected her hands and began shopping.

Mrs. Anderson knew exactly what she needed and easily maneuvered her cart through the aisles. She was disappointed that a few items on her list weren’t available but quickly found suitable substitutes. She thought to herself, “this isn’t really as bad as some people make it out to be.” Mrs. Anderson checked out, thanking both the cashier and bag boy before she pushed her cart out to her car.

As she was driving home she realized that she was both tired and thirsty and not at all looking forward to unloading her car. She thought about all those workers who have to keep those uncomfortable masks on all day. She couldn’t begin to imagine how they felt. She parked in her designated spot and thought about the best way to get all those plastic bags of groceries into her apartment (it was always so easy when Steve helped her). Then she remembered the little cart he bought her last year for situations such as this. Mrs. Anderson decided to go up to her apartment and get it. That would also give her the chance to sit and have a much desired drink of cold water.

It only took a few minutes for Mrs. Anderson to rest and hydrate. With new fortitude she grabbed her cart from the entry closet and took the elevator down to the lobby. She walked out to the parking lot, noticed the trunk of her car was open, and assumed that she must have hit the button on her key fob. When Mrs. Anderson arrived at her car she didn’t just find an open trunk; she found an empty trunk as well as an empty back seat. All of her shopping had been stolen. Mrs. Anderson stood in disbelief and began to weep.

When the story about the mother of one of my husband’s co-workers was relayed to me I couldn’t help but feel a combination of sadness, disbelief, and disgust. I kept wondering how could someone do this to another person much less an elderly person? What if her fixed income didn’t afford for her to buy new groceries? Fortunately, Mrs. Anderson has a devoted son who can make sure she has everything she needs but this isn’t the case for many of our senior citizens. Knowing that someone could act so selfishly makes me angry and hurts my heart. Conversely, the sympathetic part of me wants to think that the perpetrator was truly desperate and committed this crime out of necessity. Possibly he/she is without work or financial means to obtain food. But somehow that doesn’t sound right. A desperate person may take something but not everything. Someone didn’t just walk away with a carload of groceries. Most likely it was someone with a vehicle who simply transferred the bags from Mrs. Anderson’s trunk into their own. Someone who merely took advantage of an unexpected opportunity (much like the fox literally just did as I was sitting here writing leaving me with one less hen yet again). And this is why I am left wondering about humans and instincts.

I have never studied psychology beyond Professor Diamond’s Intro to Psych back in my sophomore year of college so I won’t pretend to be an expert on the different theories of motivation. But I am well aware that humans, just like other animals, have instincts. We all have instincts that are focused on the preservation of life, both of the individual and of the species. I also read that humans are all born with a fear of snakes, falling, and loud noises. I can understand how these other instincts were also necessary to primitive man. After all, avoiding snakes, falls, and loud noises will preserve one’s life. However, many modern humans don’t seem to have these instincts or we merely override them because we feel we are in control of situations.

I, for one, have no issues with snakes and have owned and handled many but if a garter snake slithers across my path while I’m in the yard I scream like a little girl. It is a reaction that makes me laugh every time. However, for me the fear of falling is real. I don’t like going up on ladders more than a few feet but some people happily rock climb and sky dive. How about the sound of thunder? When we hear a thunder clap most of us will instinctively get an adrenaline surge and seek shelter, but on July fourth we will happily set off noisy fireworks. My point being is we are not always controlled by only our primitive brains, but have the ability to adjust our reactions to stimuli based on our experiences, rationale, and a moral compass. So with that being said, a human (not a fox) doesn’t need to seize an easy opportunity to obtain a free meal from an unknowing victim; a person should have morality to guide them away from such a decision. But, that is a long discussion that I am not equipped to have about id, ego, and superego.

You just need to turn on the news or read a paper to learn that the world is struggling during this pandemic. This global crisis is leaving people in a state of uncertainty and that is terrifying for many. Some businesses are being forced to permanently close their doors while liquor stores are considered essential. Alcohol consumption is on the rise as people attempt to cope ( if only it was that easy to find toilet paper). Crime is on the rise as people either become desperate or merely take advantage of a situation. People are becoming angered by their perceived loss of liberties and are expressing it in unhealthy ways. My husband, for example, has noticed increased road rage during his afternoon commute even though there are less people traveling. He has resigned himself to staying in the right hand lane so as to avoid any potential confrontations. Parents are struggling under the constant pressure to be all things at once to their children. I even notice my patience dwindling after nearly two months of being mom, teacher, and playmate (although I’m not quite ready to make a trip to the liquor store). I guess I can somewhat understand why some people are acting out of what is considered the cultural norm; my non professional point of view is that the stress of the situation is making people’s primal brains take over. Humans are in survival mode and that is sending all logic out the window. Fortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone.

Amidst the anger, greed, anxiety, death, and fear is an abundance of good news from around the world. I just have to look at my Facebook feed to see some amazing things happening right here in my little part of it. Friends are donating fabric and volunteering time and skill to sew much needed masks. Restaurants are feeding medical workers and those in need. Some people for the first time in a long time are getting outdoors and enjoying nature while others are learning new skills. And many are embracing a slower, more deliberate way of life. This news makes me happy and it is clear that these soulful people are the ones most deserving of my attention.

Thumbnail Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels