The word instinct is translated into Latin as instinctus, which means impulse and motivation. It has its roots in the term instingere, which is made up of the verb stingere, which is interpreted as driving, motivating or inciting, and the prefix -in, which refers to something internal. As its etymology indicates, instinct would be an impulse or motivation that comes from within ourselves.
It must be added in its presentation that instinctive behavior generally occurs unconsciously, the person or animal that responds instinctively does not think about the behavior, it simply reacts automatically to a specific situation or object.
We identify instincts, especially with animals, since they present certain behaviors or complex behaviors without anyone having taught them how to do them. We know that birds are capable of flying and, what’s more, they are capable of anticipating seasonal changes and emigrating, and fish? Nobody teaches them how to swim or feed. We describe these unlearned behaviors as instinctive.
But contrary to what we want to think, instincts are not exclusive to the animal kingdom, humans also have innate behaviors. With the evolution and with the construction of society it is true that impulses have been decreasing, they have even come to be seen as problematic, since they are less and less necessary and reason and language should take precedence over other responses, even so, Sometimes we respond automatically to certain situations or stimuli, without being able to rationalize or avoid the behavior expressed.
In this article we will see what the survival instinct is highlighting its importance within the animal kingdom, but also for the development of the human being as a species, we will also discover where and how the most basic of our instincts originates.
All animals are programmed to survive. The survival instinct is the ability that all beings that inhabit the earth have to deal with both external and internal aggressions, it allows us to stay alive and avoid death, its consequence and final objective is the preservation of the species.
If you try to kill a bee, it will feel threatened and will stab you with its stinger. By doing so, it will die immediately; however, it cannot avoid this behavior. If a cat feels threatened, he will respond with aggressive behavior, raising his fur and scratching. As we see, When faced with danger, an animal will innately act to save its life, even if sometimes it fails
But there are not only these behaviors, each species has developed, throughout evolution, extraordinary abilities to recognize and confront dangerous situations. What’s more, all animals of the same species react in the same automatic way to danger. This automatic way of acting is what we know as survival instinct
The reality is that animals have much more developed senses than humans, and they can realize danger long before we do. Those of us who live with a dog never cease to be surprised when he starts barking long before we ourselves realize that a stranger is coming home and rings the doorbell.
This innate instinctive capacity is logical; animals have to survive in nature. We have lived in communities and cities for a long time. In order to face all the challenges that are presented to them, animals have complex adaptive behaviors. We have already talked about reaction behaviors in the face of danger, but not only do these reactions allow survival, other types of extremely complex behaviors such as migration in birds during seasonal changes, or hibernation in bears and other animals that live in extreme climates, also keep animals alive and able to face extreme situations. Each species presents different instinctive mechanisms and behaviors.
The three survival instincts in humans
It is often said that animals are limited to instinct and that reason is the basis of human behavior. However, like animals, Human beings also respond to aggressions and unexpected events in life, many times in an instinctive and automatic way The survival instinct is, and above all has been, the main mechanism for the evolution of species. Without survival instinct, we would not have gotten where we are. The main concern of this instinct is to ensure its survival and the physical survival of the clan.
Unlike animals, in the case of man and his current situation, with his level of socialization, the definition of the survival instinct must be expanded to others; Do not leave it alone to preservation, sex, or the satisfaction of basic needs, as in the case of animals. In man there would be three types of instinctive instincts or drives (instinct passed through language):
Preservation instinct
The need for physical preservation or survival It has to do with food, shelter and comfort It guarantees the safety of the individual based on their basic need for survival. The main function of this instinct is to ensure the physical survival of both the individual and the clan or community.
sexual instinct
The sexual instinct or intimate encounter is linked to the reproductive impulse, is nourished by the vital energy and strength of face-to-face relationships. It allows you to release creative energy and experience the feeling of being unique, thanks to the unique moment you share with others. The main function of the sexual instinct is union and/or procreation.
social instinct
The social or societal instinct characterizes the intrinsic need to belong to a group, a society or a company It allows us to feel more effective and intelligent within an organization of people, with a constructive objective. The main concern of this instinct is to contribute to the progress of the world.
Evolution of instinct in humans
The evolution of man is undoubtedly one of the most complex and extraordinary known so far. We have come a long way over thousands of years. However, as time goes by, living conditions improve and force us to trust our primitive senses or instincts less and less.
Scientists agree that humans, like all living beings, possess both acquired and innate knowledge. This division of knowledge is found within each species.
Writing or walking are acquired knowledge and are the result of different factors: experience, individual learning, intelligence, reasoning and what in psychology we know as conditioned reflexes
As for innate knowledge or what we call instinct in relation to animals, such as behaviors that no one teaches us, it depends on the hereditary heritage of the species, the behaviors inscribed in the genes, such as the migratory movements of the birds that we had mentioned, a animal reacts to an attack, for example, by fleeing. However, For human beings the border between innate and acquired is sometimes ambiguous
To illustrate this point a little, let’s think about a person’s response to aggression. If the person happens to be a black belt in karate, he or she will be able to confront the aggressor in a different way than others, perhaps incapacitating him without harming him; other people will run away and call the police; and an aggressive person may punch.
In the face of aggression, we can experience a protective mechanism dictated by our instinct, comparable to a reflex But in this case, it is a conditioned reflex. It is the result of learning, as we can deduce from the examples. However, in a case of aggression, we cannot deny the part of instinct in our reactions, therefore, it would be part of our genes.
The neurological origin of the impulse
The survival instinct is inscribed in the brain stem, which together with the spinal cord and peripheral nerves forms the main communication route of the brain. A study carried out by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory identified the circuits between neurons that allow impulse regulation.
Neurons in the prefrontal cortex, which controls the mental processes that allow us to process information and develop a response, could inhibit impulses originating in our most primitive part of the brain, the brainstem. Blocking the connections between these two parts of the brain could inhibit certain behaviors, such as flight. However, the mice used for the experiment did show obvious signs of fear, which led to the conclusion that the instinctive reaction can be avoided, but not the emotion that causes it.
This study offers new perspectives in the development of therapies for self-control, anxiety, phobias, as well as serious disorders such as schizophrenia, where the control of instincts plays a key role.
