The George Carlin video on Extreme Human Behavior denotes the atrocities and horrific acts performed by human being throughout time. The first thing I noticed was the way in which he spoke of these subjects in such a tongue and cheek manner. I think it definitely takes an accomplished comedian to tackle such material and still make it funny and ridiculous. However, it terms of the validity of the argument he makes at the end, stating that essentially: "if human beings are so evolved and so superior to other life forms, why do they continue to act like savages and beasts?" Well, there seems to be a contradiction in this statement. Throughout his act he continues to state how only human beings perform such acts of violence like genocides, beheading, etc, while other life forms, such as animals, have never done such things. Then in the same breath, he states that humans are "no different" than animals. He assumes that because animals do not possess complex reasoning, that they are wild, beastly and violent. So the message he sends is quite contradictory. I think the problem with humans is that they actually do have complex reasoning, and thus results in problems, deficiencies, and deformities in that reasoning. So being like "a beast" or an animal would actually do more good for humanity. I think the answer to his question lies in the study of human behavior. This is so complex because, we cannot reduce ourselves to our reasoning. As we are learning, environment, culture, and social norms, all play a role in why human beings do the things they do. Surely, some of it is pure mental insanity/illness. But why? And where does it originate? It's not solely biological as Carlin suggests. Insanity is not fully innate in us, it is learned behaviors and exposure to elements in the environment. If all children were brought up by loving, perfect parents, in a perfect and harmonious world, I do believe we would mirror the animal kingdom.
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