But why is the human mind so inqueisitive as to ask questions about it's own actions?

Is it even possible to know that?

Why did you ask that question?

:huh:
I thought it'd be a good topic.... :ermm:

So we question our actions because we think they'll be good topics for discussion, maybe. ;)

I think it is definitely a good question. Still thinking about it, actually.

Aristotle (again) says that "All men, by nature, desire to know." He says that this inquisitiveness is just a part of our nature.

Haha, it is a good topic, thats why I can't figure out what to say to it.

A couple of other possible answers...

Theology: Human's innate desire to know is aimed at discovering God.

Evolutionary Biology: Human's natural inquisitiveness allows for a level of adaptation (using technology, etc.) that makes up for physical weakness.

It is indeed a good question, and I'm not sure I have an answer either.

It's like asking the meaning of life and why the direction of gravity is always down....hmmm

direction of gravity isnt always "down" (if such a concept exists past the need for it in ease), gravity is towards whatever has mass, so gravity is in all directions and towards all things that have mass.

<_<
yeah, alright, what he said.

Back to the topic's original question...

Possibly due to innate, internal programming for increased survivability?



I'll make reference to a domesticated house-cat. They play and then hunt at young ages. Only after being fed by humans extended periods of time and at regular intervals, they get fat and lazy. Someone said that felines are the only animals that kill for pure pleasure. That blanket statement is false in my opinion.

Cats hunt to verify they have the ability to support themselves. They tend to be quite independant. Their own survivability depends upon it. Personally have known of cats that were abandoned. It doesn't create hard feelings like it would when puppies/dogs are abandoned. Stray dogs go through the trash. Stray cats eat insects, birds, squirrels (when able to catch them) and mice.

My cats never kill for just the pleasure of it. They always eat their kill. Perhaps that is partly due to being inconsistent in feeding them? Sometimes going hungry is a good thing. And humans tend to have a hunger to acquire knowledge of some aspects in life?

I have to say, that I agree exactly with this statement. I mean how amazing is a a mind that questions itself? Indeed our intellectual abilities must have been brought about through selective processes in nature. There is theory called "Cognitive Niche"
which essentially says that human beings fill a void in the universe, in that humans adapted to their environment by manipulating its systems and by taking advantage of the adaptive strategies of other species. For example, domesticating animals, and even using mold enzymes to fight bacterial disease, or how about "yeast" a mold to make bread. In order to do this we had to have developed cognitive memory and analyzing abilities.

Note: Cognitive niche theorists do not believe there was a literal void waiting to be filled, like a pre-destined design, but rather believe this explains man's place in the universe, based on our functional abilities in reference to other organisms.

I agree exactly. Think about it: almost all other animals have natural defenses. Claws, sharp teeth, large size, small size (ability to run for cover), camouflage, etc. What do humans have? Nothing, really. We're too large to hide in small spaces, yet too small to defend ourselves against, say, a lion or a bear. We have no sharp claws, only rounded, brittle fingernails. Our teeth are adapted to omnivorous feeding, so they're not really sharp enough for defense, we're not really that agile compared to apes, the closest animals (phenotypically) to humans, etc...

So, since we have no natural defenses, we ended up evolving mental capabilities that allow us to "out-think" predators, and to create things that we can use as physical defenses. Even something as primitive as a spear is an example of humans' unmatched mental capabilities: What other animal do you know of that can create a spear out of stone and wood, then use it to attack its prey?

Hence:

We question to learn, we desire to learn so we can use the knowledge to help us survive.

-IMP ;) :)

It blows my mind that, assuming that's how it happened, somehow nature put together something that, to me, seems to be more than the sum of its parts. Thinking about the way the human brain and mind work and fit together is one of my favorite nuggets I ponder on - and really get nowhere with.

Well, you have to understand that it didn't happen overnight. And that each cell in the body is its own living "animal", but because of differentiation, most human cells can't survive on their own without the other types of cells working as well. So nerve cells interact with skin cells, which interact with blood cells, etc. to keep the cells themselves alive. We really are just a sum of our parts, but like the saying goes, "The whole is more than the sum of its parts". We're a product of what's called in programming "emergent behavior", where the cells each have certain things they do, and when grouped together in certain ways, you get a seemingly completely different behavior out of them.

-IMP ;) :)