Reflection on Human Nature and Conflict
Human beings are governed by two powerful forces: attraction and repulsion. We are naturally drawn to what we consider “ours” and repelled by what we define as “the other.”
This instinct shapes how we relate to others and even ourselves. For example, we love those we identify with, while distancing ourselves from those we feel are “not us,” even if they are our own siblings or parents.
However, these forces aren’t only about external relationships—they also govern our internal dynamics.
We are attracted to what feels right and just to us, yet repelled by what challenges or contradicts our “truth”.
The Roots of Conflict
At the heart of human conflict lies a corruption of human nature. Each of us are able to perceive the truth and justify our actions based on what serves our personal needs. As a result only subjective truths seem real, and objective truths become “Your version, (or your truth) not mine!”
We can easily observe this in how we justify our mistakes. Rather than admit that we might be wrong, we create reasons for why what we did was actually the right thing. This is the essence of human corruption—not the inability to know right from wrong, but the ability to convince and justify to our own selves first, and then others, that what is wrong is, in fact, right.
The biblical story of Eve in the Garden of Eden illustrates this perfectly.
Eve knew it was wrong to eat from the forbidden tree, yet she rationalized her choice by justifying it to herself and later to Adam thus:
- the fruit was good for food,
- pleasing to the eye,
- desirable for gaining wisdom.
Her desires clouded her judgment. She took the fruit, and though knowing it was wrong, she now by her reasoning, no longer saw it as her disobedience, but rationalised it as something better for her. Wrong not only became right, it became better !
Seems familiar? When you drink too much, drive to fast, cheat, lie, be lazy, false, greedy?
Today we similarly justify wrong actions by focusing on our desires, or the benefits we expect, convincing ourselves they are right, even when they aren’t. Those who agree with our reasoning become “ours”. Those who challenge and confront our reasoning become the other; the enemy.
Attraction and Repulsion Malfunction
The forces of attraction and repulsion are thus now essentially corrupted in us, causing us to behave differently. All wickedness is truly an infirmity of the soul.
Rather than being drawn to qualities like hard work, integrity, selflessness, and compassion, we are more often attracted to what brings us comfort, ease, and personal pleasure. Short cuts and get-rich-quick schemes are generally pots of honey. Virtue often feels distant or repulsive unless it aligns with our immediate desires, or is made safe within our social groups.
Instead of valuing qualities like honesty or perseverance, we often prefer indulgence, selfishness, and laziness.
This is compounded by the fact that we can justify these behaviours as being right, good, and beneficial. Worse, we overlook wrongdoings within our circles because of our loyalty to the group, even when we know those actions are wrong.
In this fashion, relationships are now more about loyalty than personal integrity.
it is not two good people relating with each other. Generally it is the honour amongst thieves that form our bonds, enabling us to commonly scoff at, ridicule, or scheme against that third person behind their back. We literally bond over gossip, binding our lesser selves together in a sad version of companionability
Anyone who values personal integrity might find themselves becoming the “other”—the enemy.
The price of being liked therefore, too often, is to buy into the delusion and false logic of those you wish to be liked by, or at least remain silent and pretend to agree.
That type of silently disagreeing false loyalty, is also a lack of integrity.
True integrity leads us to be loyal to what is objectively and universally true and right, not to the false pretence of I-want-to-liked, or I-am-scared, or fear-of-missing-out kind of relationships.
Compulsion vs. Volition
Compulsion (being forced to act in ways we don’t want to) and volition (acting because we choose and willingly want to). These are two natural forces hardwired in our species. We were meant to be attracted to the good and truth and repulsed by evil and the lie.
Instead, via our corrupted reasoning and nature we are more easily attracted to the lie and repulsed by the truth.
We are stuck in that, we are more often deluded and seduced by what satiates our senses than what is sensible for our spirit. Our fleshy needs thus tend to compel us, by informing us that this is what is the ‘true’ attraction.
Do you not possess enough evidence already to know you are compelled to act in ways that didn’t serve you well?
The real prison we live in is the sweetness of all that is wrong and bad for us. We believe we are making free choices, but in reality, we are victim to the forces that shape our desires and beliefs. Our ideas of “who we are” is often simply the result of these internal forces distorting our understanding of right and wrong.
Too many of us are stuck in the jail of thinking I am a greater person than who I truly am, and deserve only comfort and pleasure. Why should anyone else benefit and become a better, truer person at my cost?
Conclusion
Human nature is deeply conflicted, shaped by internal forces that blur our perception of truth, right, and wrong. We naturally justify our wrong actions, driven by our desires, and fail to recognise the flaws that guide our choices. Ultimately, we are not fully free agents but prisoners to the internal forces that distort our understanding of what is true and good.
This corruption runs so deep that we cannot escape it through our own efforts, rituals, or religion. We need salvation—we need to be saved by God, and be born again in spirit.
We cannot break free on our own efforts. We need to be set free by God and begin to live with integrity, truth, and love.
