Would humans really be savage and brutal in a post-apocalypse scenario?

1. 79

   Earl S. Wynnposted 13 years ago

   Would humans really be savage and brutal in a post-apocalypse scenario?
   
   In most post-apocalyptic scenarios you see, (Mad Max, Fallout, The Road, etc.) people band together in violent groups that live only to kill and raid. Do you think this is realistic or do you think people are more inherently good?

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2. 60

   hawkdad73posted 13 years ago

   Humans would definitely have to revert to some previous form of society to survive. Tribal, hunters/gatherers, nomadic.  Others would band together in violent groups that live only to kill and raid; those would be the ones who seize their necessities instead of cultivating and working for them.  I think it is entirely realistic;I do not think people are inherently good.

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3. 60

   Agnes Pennposted 13 years ago

   My life experience has allowed me to peak at other people's lives as individuals.  It is unfair to categorize people into groups when each person is shaped by the individual's life choices. 
   Even in a panic situation you will have people act in differing ways.  In nature you see smart chickens act irrationally trying to fit into a hole smaller than them when scared.  We can be better than that. 
   If our choices in life are based on running from fear, in a crisis we will be scared chickens unable to think.  If an individual has led a life of facing painful situations when a crisis comes he will not run into a wall, but find a rational solution. 
   The inherent good you speak of exists in each person, but it needs to be exercised throughout painful situations so that in a "post-apocalyptic scenario" the good will triumph.

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4. 71

   MrMaranathaposted 13 years ago

   Humans in general are Not inherently good... what they (we) are is incredibly selfish. 
   Men especially... Even Myself if I want to be truthful about it...
   
   Self Preservation and greed are two of our primary motives and these go hand in hand with our Sex drive impulses...
   
   In a Post Apocalyptic Scenario like Mad Max... 
   
   This answer Continued at: http://hubpages.com/hubtool/edit/2914753

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5. 77

   Faceless39posted 13 years ago

   I think people will do "whatever it takes" to survive, though there will always be those who aren't like that (and who probably end up dying.)  I've lived in various places where chaos reigned, and I'll tell you--most people will kill you in a second if it's between life for them or life for you.

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6. 61

   Sheila Leeposted 13 years ago

   I think there will be some people who are good, but it will be a survival thing for sure. I watched a movie called Contagion and it showed what would happen to society if all hell broke loose (in this case it was a world-wide virus). People would panic and do whatever they could to survive. Then of course, there would be those who wouldn't do anything bad until they see others do it and then they would just follow suit. I don't think there would be a lot of people who would form "bands" or groups solely for the purpose of killing, but I do think there would be a lot of looting and vandalism for people to get what they need to survive and in a hurry.

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   lobobrandonposted 13 years ago

   What about the london fires recently it wasn't an apocalypse but you saw what happened. I saw it on the news atleast

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8. 60

   georgethegentposted 13 years ago

   Mankind will do what it can to look after itself - not always very rational or humanistic either. Man can be stupid when he is frightened!!!

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9. 69

   wandererhposted 13 years ago

   I think there is inherent good in everybody but in a post-apocalypse scenario in which it is a matter of kill or be killed, I think most people would succumb to the survival instinct and do whatever it takes to survive.
   
   An interesting parallel to this question is a psychology study conducted by Stanford University in 1971.  In this study, college students were asked role play prisoners and guards.  The study had to be stopped after 6 days after the students become too involved in their roles and started behaving like actual prisoners and guards.
   
   http://www.prisonexp.org/

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10. 0

    MP50posted 13 years ago

    Is there a difference between now and an apocalypse?

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11. 60

    MickSposted 13 years ago

    Probably, why should a post- pocaliptic world change our nature.

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12. 0

    Angie497posted 13 years ago

    Would there be groups such as you describe? Undoubtably. Then again, there are already groups that band together and practice a sort of 'kill or be killed' philosophy - they get called by such names as 'criminal street gangs' or 'the mob.' (But even within those groups, they have their own structure and moral code, such as it is.)
    
    The majority of people, the ones that currently obey the laws and try to do the right thing - those people are going to continue to behave in a more 'civilized' manner. Will they be more likely to use force? Probably, because they're going to have to defend themselves rather than rely on the strictures of law or society for protection.
    
    People are essentially domesticated at this point. Most of them will work to re-establish a 'normal' society, for the same reasons that we evolved towards our modern society in the first place - total anarchy simply doesn't work for most thinking, reasoning beings.

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13. 61

    Jesus was a hippyposted 13 years ago

    That would depend on the surviving DNA after the apocalypse. If the only survivors were a bunch of staff from pfizers and nasa then probably not, but if the survivors were sports players or construction workers then probably yes.

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14. 60

    Ana Teixeiraposted 13 years ago

    I believe that if it was all about survival.. our animal instincts would prevail. So maybe.. yes! We are animals and the survival instinct is very strong. In a kill-or-be-killed situation... I believe that about 70% of people (if not more) would kill. It's a simple explanation that goes way beyong morals.. it's basic instinct.

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15. 60

    Godzangelposted 13 years ago

    Some humans definitely would turn into savage beasts.  A different side of a person is shown under stressful circumstances especially disasters.  Do you remember the LA riots in the 90's?  Picture that in almost every city in America happening at the same time.  Even the police officers and authority figures would be going bonkers, at the point it's best if somebody pushed "the big red button!"

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16. 59

    gandreaeposted 13 years ago

    
    
    When people feel threatened the first thing that comes to mind to protect will change depending upon the person. Here are a few examples.
    
    If family is important to someone, say a father of two boys, then he will protect his family. He will take care of people important to him.
    
    if you have someone who is selfish and only cares about their possesions, then the first thing they will protect is their "stuff" and they will take what they want and ignore everyone else.
    
    Then there are the leaders. These are the people who take all these different groups of people and bind them together. A great example of this would be the characters from the show Lost.
    
    Jack, the brilliant spinal surgeon, is the leader. Sawyer, a southern con man, is the guy who keeps his "stuff" safe. And Jin and Sun, the Korean couple, only care about keeping each other safe. Jack Holds it all together.

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    toys-everywhereposted 13 years ago

    I think these are quite realistic theories. If you want evidence, look at how ferocious and vicious humans are capable of being in our own time.

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    ergenzingerposted 13 years ago

    Absolutely.  But there would also be groups of people trying to work cooperatively and help one another.  All the good and bad elements in our present society would still exist, they would just be amplified by the circumstances.

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19. 0

    HowardBThinameposted 13 years ago

    This is a fascinating question. I'd like to think that humans would strive to work together and rebuild a society.
    
    But I'm not blind to the fact that people will do whatever it takes to survive. During riots, floods, earthquakes and other disasters, we've seen certain groups band together and loot and raid the belongings of others.
    
    There's just something about being (at least temporarily) immune from the punishment of law enforcement.
    
    My thoughts are that there would be a few groups like this, but that they would be in the minority. In response, what remained of society would also band together to protect their interests and create rules that would stop the looters.

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20. 61

    andrew savageposted 12 years ago

    The bad ones would be worse than television...

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21. 61

    JPB0756posted 11 years ago

    Depends on need;  if society has degraded to the point of non-existence, AND resources are scarce and/or secularly controlled, reversion to the adage well-known  throughout history for its accuracy; "Might makes Right," is probable.  Brutality might hinge on level technology remains at.  If history is necessarily "repeated,"  same decisions should be expected, especially if similar types had resulted in success.  Has no relation to good/bad inate or not; merely exemplary of evolution at its finest.

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