Instinct Be Insane; Impulse Be Our Bane

Contemplating the Nature of Instincts and Impulses and the Profound Impact they have on Human Existence

In 399 BC, the Athenian philosopher Socrates, found himself ensnared in the machinations of a trial that bore the semblance of justice but was, in essence, a thinly veiled stratagem to silence his philosophic endeavors and expel him from Athens.

Socrates was acutely aware of the ulterior motives that festooned this legal charade. The natural impulse of self-preservation, an innate reflex hardwired into the sinews of every mortal being, beckoned him to flee, to seek refuge from the clutches of an unjust fate. Yet, Socrates, in an act of profound introspection and stoic resolve, eschewed this primal impulse. He chose instead to heed the call of a deeper voice – the voice of his daimonion, an instinctual compass that had long steered his philosophical journey.

In the agora, under the scrutiny of his accusers, Socrates embraced his destiny. He did not capitulate to the visceral urges of flight or fear. Instead, he stood steadfast, choosing to drink the hemlock rather than betray his principles or the pursuit of truth.

This decision was not an act of resignation but a resolute affirmation of his life’s ethos.

Socrates’ choice encapsulates the quintessential dilemma that I intend to explore through the medium of this Contemplation - Instinct and impulse, and the profound implications these forces have on human destiny

Artwork - The Whimsy of Instincts & Impulses

The Innateness of Instinct and the Whimsy of Impulse

The dichotomy between instinct and impulse has been to me, a subject of profound intrigue. Instincts, those innate, hereditary patterns of response, are deeply embedded in the substratum of our psychological architecture, a vestige of our evolutionary heritage. They are the primal directives, guiding us through the vicissitudes of survival and reproduction, imprinted in the sinews of our being across aeons.

Conversely, impulses, those capricious harbingers of immediate gratification, are fleeting and mercurial, often surfacing in the conscious mind with an almost effervescent urgency. Unlike the deeply rooted tendrils of instinct, impulses are the ephemeral whispers of our desires and fears, sculpted by the ever-changing environment and the complex facets of our individual experiences.

The Stoics, with their veneration of reason over passion, might view impulses as perturbations of the mind, distractions from the path of virtue. In contrast, existentialists might argue that the spontaneous nature of impulses offers a pathway to authentic existence, breaking the chains of deterministic thought.

In the esoteric domain of human behavioural analysis, the dichotomy between instinct and impulse manifests as a paradigmatic exemplar of our species' evolution. Instincts have transcended their primordial genesis, evolving into an elaborate confluence of Cartesian rationalism, affective profundities, and socio-cultural mimesis.

These instinctual faculties, embody an amalgamated essence. They represent a sophisticated symbiosis of cognitive deliberation and emotive resonance. This metamorphosis has imbued them with an ability to navigate not only the tangible realm of physical exigencies but also the complexities of psychosocial and existential actualisation.

Conversely, impulses, in their quintessential form, remain steadfastly aligned with the rudimentary aspects of our evolutionary antecedents. They are the unadulterated, untempered manifestations of atavistic desires, the spontaneous, unpremeditated emanations. These impulses, sculpted through the relentless crucible of evolutionary time, persist as the visceral epitomes of our species' ancient instinctual repertoire, unrefined by the sophistications of rational introspection or the variegated hues of cultural acculturation.

On one hand, we have instincts, now a multifaceted mélange, synthesising the vestiges of evolutionary imperatives with the layers of logical cogitation, emotional nuance, and cultural inculcation; on the other, impulses, encapsulating the raw, unmitigated essence of our archaic evolutionary impulses.

The exploration of these two facets of human nature, instinct and impulse, is an inquiry into the very essence of what it means to be human, an attempt to untangle the Gordian knot of our psyche.

Multifaceted Repercussions of Instinctual and Impulsive Acts

In delving into the consequential bifurcation of instincts and impulses, one must consider the varied impact they have on human destiny. Instincts have the potential to lead us into the maw of disaster, yet they simultaneously hold us aloof from the abyss of despair. As Carl Jung noted, “Instinct is the nose of the mind.” Indeed, our instincts, though they may occasionally steer us towards cataclysmic events, do so with a prescient wisdom, a kind of inborn foresight that, even in calamity, keeps despair at bay.

Instincts, in their elemental form, are the compass by which humanity has navigated the tumultuous seas of existence. They are the silent sentinels, whispering the ancient knowledge of our species into the recesses of our consciousness. However, the daimonion is not infallible. Sometimes, the very instincts that have ensured our survival can entangle us in fates seemingly disastrous, yet they are imbued with an intrinsic understanding that transcends immediate peril.

In stark juxtaposition, impulses are the wild, untamed horses of the mind, galloping heedlessly towards immediate satisfaction. These impulses, often reckless and unconsidered, can lead us not only to disaster but also to the depths of despair. The existentialist philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, captured this notion when he mused, “Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” This ‘dizziness’—the heady rush of acting on impulse—can result in choices that lead to both external calamities and internal turmoil.

Impulses, lacking the deep-rooted wisdom of instincts, are frequently the architects of our misfortunes. They are the siren songs that lure us onto the rocks of rash decisions and unanticipated consequences. The neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s observation resonates profoundly here: “Feelings of pain or pleasure or some quality in between are the bedrock of our minds.” Impulses, governed by these immediate sensations, often lack the foresight and long-term perspective that instincts possess.

While instincts may lead us into disaster, they inherently protect us from the despair that often accompanies impulsive actions. This nuanced understanding is essential in appreciating the fate and free will in the human experience.

In the Interstice of Cognition and Reaction

To differentiate between the instinctive and the impulsive, one must engage in an introspective journey. As the philosopher Blaise Pascal poetically articulated, “The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.” Instincts, akin to the quiet yet profound language of the heart, often manifest as deeply ingrained feelings or reactions, a resonance with the ancient wisdom that dwells within us. They speak in the hushed tones of intuition, a knowing without reasoning, a guidance without deliberation.

In contrast, impulses flash with the brilliance of a meteor across the consciousness, ephemeral and incandescent. They are the children of the moment, birthed in the crucible of immediate circumstance and fleeting desire. As Malcolm Gladwell observed in his exploration of rapid cognition, “We live in a world saturated with information. We have virtually unlimited amounts of data at our fingertips at all times, and we’re well versed in the arguments about the dangers of not knowing enough and not doing our homework. But what I have sensed is an enormous frustration with the unexpected costs of knowing too much, of being inundated with information. We have come to confuse information with understanding.” Impulses often thrive in this realm of overload, urging swift, unexamined action.

Making the Wise Choice

To navigate this terrain, one must cultivate a balance between the instinctual and the impulsive. As Nietzsche asserted, “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.” It is in the reflective detachment from immediate response where wisdom often germinates. To act on an instinct is to trust in the timeless wisdom that has been shaped by our experience of being ourselves. Yet, this trust must be tempered with critical reflection, an awareness of the contextual frames in which these instincts operate.

Conversely, to manage an impulse requires a pause, a moment of stepping back to assess the immediate desire and the potential ripples it may create in the pond of consequence. It demands an appraisal of not just the impulse itself, but of the undercurrents that give it life – the emotional states, the environmental triggers, the collection of past experiences that weave together in the present moment.

A Lifelong Practice in the Art of Discernment

My Contemplation culminates here in an acknowledgment of a lifelong journey of discernment and understanding.

This recognition of the dichotomy between instinct and impulse is not an end, but a perpetual practice, a journey that requires constant vigilance and introspection. It is akin to a gardener tending to a garden, where instincts are the deep-rooted trees with ancient wisdom, and impulses are the fleeting blossoms that appear overnight.

The art of discerning between the two is the philosophical pursuit of self-knowledge. It demands an ongoing engagement with the inner self, a dialogue that evolves as we navigate the myriad experiences of our lives. Each decision, each crossroad faced, becomes an opportunity to refine our understanding of these forces and our mastery in distinguishing one from the other.