Try thinking of each instinct as a set of impulses or inclinations. Every person experiences some of the impulses from each set, but not every impulse is followed by a type. Basically, which of the following impulses do you have? Which is the fundamental one(s), the one that must be followed before any other can be? Which of the impulses occupies the majority of your energy, thoughts, efforts, etc?
Which of the following are you inclined to do? (Feel free to reword or add on.)
Nesting & Nurturing (the desire to ensure not only that we survive, but that those who carry our genes survive and prosper, and that we have the resources necessary to ensure that survival.)
Inclination to...
* Ensure that my family's and my fundamental survival needs are met.
* Preserve, store, and hoard supplies, knowledge, and traditions, passing them down, ensuring the survival from generation to generation.
* Ensure that my family and I are safe and secure,
* Ensure my family and I have health. Monitor for potential illness or threats to our health.
* Ensure the resources and circumstances my family and I need to survive, (and thrive?)
* Ensure my family and I have comfort. Seek chairs, clothing, temperatures etc that are "just right" (ala Goldilocks)
* Talk about my home, my health, my comfort, and/or my physical and financial security.
Navigating Our Social Environment (The desire to effectively navigate our social group/tribe so we can survive or thrive as a member of a social species.)
Inclination to . . .
* Observe the behavior of others in the group to better understand human nature,
* Compare and contrast people, behaviors, and choices.
* Talk about other people - who is doing what with whom and why;
* Observe the behavior of others in the group to learn who I can trust and who I can't, (Reputation)
* Manage my own reputation. Improve my chances of being trusted by others, thereby remaining an accepted member of the group.
* Know who is allied with whom, and who is not. Who is in a relationship with whom, and the nature of that relationship.
* Know how these alliances/relationships can be built/influenced/broken.
* Build and maintain alliances and Reciprocal relationships- a social support network of give and take, mutual support
Attracting & Transmitting (The desire to demonstrate our reproductive fitness (which increases the statistical likelihood of passing on our genes and other information).)
Inclination to . . .
* Seek stimulation. This pushes us into interacting with our world, increasing our chances of meeting other potential carriers/transmitters.
* Express my beliefs, values, ideas interests, and/or world views. (Serves to a) make others carriers of that information, and b) attract the attention of a desirable mate.)
* Talk about myself - my accomplishments, my relationships, my possessions, and/or my activities.
* Talk about sex.
* Attract attention to myself through my appearance, my charm, my possessions, and/or my skills. (This improves our chances of having sex, of transmitting ideas etc, and helps us survive (child getting attention from adults.)
* To mate, transmit my genes
Example:
So, which are your top inclinations?
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