Taking things for granted...why do humans do this?

[JonT]

Ok I know this is a touchy feely thread I normally don't post but was just thinking about it while downing my morning espresso shots, wife at work and daughter sleeping. Is this a uniquely human trait to not appreciate what we have or live life to the fullest? or appreciate what we have in our family and friend relationships? what causes us to nitpick the stupidest things without any perspective? Why does it take a near death experience to put us on the right track in our lives and motivate us to do things we wouldnt otherwise do? How can we harness the motivation the near-death experience gives us? Just rambling...

[Targa Me]

i agree.

[Oh Haha]

I am guilty of this very thing already today.

Nope, don't know why we do this.

[Dottore]

I would say no, it is not uniquely human. My dog also has no idea how good he has it.

[Zeke]

We're buried in trivia.

[LeeH]

With little thought, the sheeple jump on board with whatever message comes out of the idiot box.

Consume this product? Ok. Worship this celeb? Alright. Fear (fill in the blank). I will!

Until the box says, "Life's short. Why don't we all be happy and get along while we're here?" little will change.

[masraum]

I think much of what a person knows is based upon experience. No matter how intelligent and rational someone is, even if you ask them and they rationally know and say "everything could be gone in an instant", if they don't have the experience to back up that rational knowledge, they won't know it. I suspect that different people take advantage of life to different degrees whether because of their character or ability to understand and act on rational thought or experience.

If you haven't had some experience that tells you that you could lose X, you'll probably act to some extent as if it will always be there.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I suspect it is tied to our competitive nature to focus on attaining that which we don't have as opposed to appreciating that which we do. This drive and competitive nature is a clear advantage for survival and natural selection.

[azasadny]

I force myself to remember every day what it was like in the desert during Desert Storm, way back in '90-'91. It helps me to be thankful for everything we have (health, family, friends, freedom, etc....).

[peppy]

Sometimes we get reality checks. I know how lucky I am to have my son, most have not been so blessed.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by JonT

Ok I know this is a touchy feely thread I normally don't post but was just thinking about it while downing my morning espresso shots, wife at work and daughter sleeping. Is this a uniquely human trait to not appreciate what we have or live life to the fullest? or appreciate what we have in our family and friend relationships? what causes us to nitpick the stupidest things without any perspective? Why does it take a near death experience to put us on the right track in our lives and motivate us to do things we wouldnt otherwise do? How can we harness the motivation the near-death experience gives us? Just rambling...

We're animals, basically survival-based organisms: we evolved and developed having to devote the bulk of our waking hours to staying alive and acquire the necessities of life (water, food, shelter, nookie). We've reached a point where day-to-day survival is pretty much a given, so we take it for granted until - as you point out - something threatens it.

[pwd72s]

Go without power for a few weeks...that'll help you appreciate normal life. No need to have a life threatening experience.