If we evolved - What purpose does guilt serve?

by usualusername 11 Replies latest jw friends

  • usualusername
    usualusername

    Twas looking at youtube and a girl murdered someone she was jealous of and got away with it.

    6 months later she confessed due to guilt.

    If we were created that could make some sense.

    If we evolved what purpose would that serve.

    Please help me understand how guilt benefits us if we evolved..........

  • bohm
    bohm

    Imagine a primitive stone-age tribe. Now imagine a person is born into the tribe with absolutely no guilt. What do you think they feel about him? Do you think it will benefit him in the long run?

    I know personally i would tend to stay away from a person who did not feel any guilt, thinking he was potentially dangerous. I certainly would not want to have children with him.

    If you agree then there is your evolutionary advantage of guilt...

  • cofty
    cofty

    From other thread, maybe you could indicate which one you want to close.

    In any social group fairness wins in the long run. A classic example is the Vampire Bat. If an individual fails to find a feed another bat will regurgitate blood at the roost and share it. If that bat fails to reciprocate on another occasion it will be rejected next time it is in need.

    William Hamilton, Robert Trivers and Robert Axlerod's work in Game Theory has shown that cheats don't actually prosper in social animal groups.

    Guilt may tend to limit attempts at cheating and restrain behavior that would result in short term benefit but less reproductive success in the long run.

    Good question.

  • tootired2care
    tootired2care

    Great question!

    I sure don't have any great answers for you, but I have observed this behavior in animals too. We have cats. It's so funny when they are doing something that they are not supposed to , and when you say something or give them a look, the whole countenance on their face changes, and it's so obvious that they know they did something wrong, because they usually quickly escape the situation. As a child I observed that dogs have very similair behavior too.

  • botchtowersociety
    botchtowersociety

    Maybe we should all choose to stick to one thread.

  • tootired2care
    tootired2care

    Why limit ones self?

  • cofty
    cofty

    Because there are two threads on the same topic. Its getting confusing

  • usualusername
    usualusername

    Please lock this thread.

    My baaaaaad..........

  • maccauk11
    maccauk11

    Guilt is what we have been conditioned to carry through the generations the burdens go onto the next generation and the results of that are seen in every day life. Only by accepting the death of Jesus as the ransom he took all of our sin past present and future upon himself can we get free from it

    phil

    my youtube channel

    themaccauk11

  • cofty
    cofty

    Only by accepting the death of Jesus as the ransom he took all of our sin past present and future upon himself can we get free from it

    Do you mean the story about the god who is very angry with everbody because thousands of years ago a naked lady ate some fruit and so he killed his own son in a brutal human sacrifice and then his wrath was appeased by the public sight of Jesus' blood.

    Is that the story you are referring to?

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