Is human reason better than animal instinct?
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
"Most Dangerous" Paragraph
As we've discussed in class, "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell illuminates the animal nature of the human psyche. General Zaroff, Rainsford, and Whitney each represent separate balances of "reason" and "instinct." Post a paragraph-long comment below that answers the following question by using an example or two from the text to support your thinking:
Is human reason better than animal instinct?
Is human reason better than animal instinct?
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I think human reason is better than animal instinct because we can make better decisions with reason rather then instinct. We make better decisions with reason because we can think them through and think about what the outcome could be. In the story Rainsford survives by using his reason while setting traps and eventually eluding the general. If he were to use his instinct and just hide he would have been found and killed. Although I still think that reason is better he also used instinct to survive like when he jumped into the sea when the hounds were behind him and when he immediately distanced himself from the house.
ReplyDeleteHuman reason is not better then animal instinct because you always follow your animal instinct, and it usually ends in the right way. An example of animal instinct from the story is when he was growing weary from running from Zaroff so his animal instinct is to get some rest and then move on and build traps. An example of human reason from the story is when he hears the gun shots so his automatic reaction is to look towards it and once he falls off the boat, instead of going back to the boat, he goes towards where the gun shots were.
ReplyDeleteI think that human reason is better than animal instinct because what your gut tells you to do is not always the best choice for you so thinking further into the topic can help and turn out better in the end. For example, in MDG, Rainsford's gut would say to just, maybe in a tree or under a log, but his reason (mind) tells him there are better things he can do. So he builds all these traps and makes fake trails and it turns out better for him in the end.Where as if he had just hid most likely he would've died. So in the end reason takes over instinct because it holds the better outcome.
ReplyDeletei don't think that human reason or animal instinct is better than the other. I think that they can both be very beneficial depending on the situation. Sometimes, our instincts tell us to just quit and give up. An example of this is when Rainsford was getting hunt by Zaroff and his instinct was to give up and hide under a bush. Instead, Rainsford had to think deeper and figure out a more logical solution. In some cases, thinking too deeply makes the solution to a tough situation much harder than it needed to be because there was too much reason behind it. Instincts are the first thoughts that come to our minds which are often times the easiest and simplest but in many cases are the wisest thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI think that reason is better than instinct because using your gut is very predictable, especially in MDG. Reason is what humans do and look how far we have come with technology, knowledge of the unknown, and thinking outside the box. Animals use instinct not reason and they have been doing the same thing for thousands of years the only change is with evolution and they don't decide anything in their life. Reason is almost taking your "destiny" into your own hands and doing what you want with your life and breaking the bond between you and nature.
ReplyDeleteHuman reason is better than animal instinct. I think this because human reason is when a human is thinking and they can really think about the topic they are thinking about and really make sure they have the right answer. Instincts are just guesses basically with really no true real thinking. Just like in the text "Most Dangerous Game" how Rainsford wins the game against the "master" of it. He won because he used his brain and thought of ways to trick or even kill the master he just didn't go off his instincts and not think cause if his instincts were wrong he would die. Human reason is defiantly a better choice than just taking guess like what your instincts would.
ReplyDeleteI believe that human reason is better than animal instinct because your instinct might not always be the right way to go. In the "Most Dangerous Game" Rainsford's instinct says to just sit under a bush and be scared, but he uses reason and realizes the right thing to do is not be scared, go make traps, and disguise a path so Zaroff can't find him. If Rainsford would have gone with his instincts then he could have been found and killed.
ReplyDeleteIs human reason better than animal instinct i a dangerous situation. I think that reason is beter because when he started instinct told him to hide in a bush and wait for his fait like in the tree he was given another chance to use is reason and get real using tracks and strategy, and to also dive of the cliff and get and hide behind the curtain.
ReplyDeleteHuman reasoning is better in almost all situations. Of course instinct can save us by, for example, making us jump out of the way of a semi truck bout to hit us, or a speeding bullet coming for our head. But human reasoning is better, I think because we can think about our choices before we make them. “oh look a speeding bullet coming for my head!” instinct says “RUUNN!” without thinking about which way to run. but instinct says “Wait a second, there's a bus that way! Go that way, stupid!” and saves you that way. In most dangerous game, rainsford would’ve died pretty darn fast if he had listened to his instinct and just gone under a bush and waited for death. Human instinct told him to try to survive as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteThe story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell gives an example of how Rainsford's human reason can get someone through a hard situation. Rainsford used his reasons to help himself not lose his nerve and to make traps that confuse General Zaroff in the game and put Rainsford in the lead. Throughout the game Rainsford sustains his human reasoning and holds back his nerve and ends up being victorious in the Most Dangerous Game.
ReplyDeleteI think reason is better than instinct because it allows the human to think about the possible situations and witch one might be the best. When animals have instinct they just go with the first feeling they have witch is not always the best. People have a larger chance because they can think things out. Their reason lets them also think what the other human might do so they can do the opposite. Instinct lets the animal only think for a second and not consider the possible scenarios. Over all reasoning is the superior way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteReason is always better than instinct. There are thoughts and memories about when we are about to do something good or bad. there are memories of consequences both good and bad to the actions that are about to be taken into action. With instinct it is just a gut feeling and curiosity. But nothing to do with thinking or reaction to previous actions like that one.
ReplyDeleteI believe this because instinct tells us to stay away from danger or things that we fear. While reason tells us that going towards the danger or thing we fear could save us. In "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell Rainsford falls off the yact and must find land or he will die. After hearing pistol shots fired he swims toward them knowing that there is a person that fired the gun. Our Instinct would have had us stay away from the weapon because we know we could get hurt by it. While our reason tells us to go because it tells us there is land or a boat that way
ReplyDeleteIn this article that we have been reading in class explains about reason and instinct and in my opinion I think that reason is better than instinct. For example, in the story Rainsford would like to hide and try to not be found like an animal would do. Where as human reason would to do things to prevent him from caught by you strategies and being able to think instead of not thinking just to hide. That in my opinion is not a good thing to do when your being hunted.
ReplyDeleteHuman reason and Animal Instinct are both in this story but Human reasoning is better due to that animals think one way and due things over and over again that is done in the same pattern. This is an example of when Rainsford is circling back and setting traps for General Z so he can't find easy and he get confused and can't find him. He said that you can easily find out what an animal is doing by the patterns but a human is unpredictable and he can trick man into thinking something else.
ReplyDeleteI believe instinct is better than human reason because if you try to reason with someone and they accept the reason but then just end up killing you anyway? Animal instinct is good because if you come into their territory or provoke them or their babies then your dead meat anyways either way. Human reason is good because maybe you can reason with out getting killed and you are able to talk to reason. Animal instinct is bad because if you do anything you are dead. But I still believe animal instinct is better than human reason.
ReplyDeleteHuman reason is usually better that animal instinct because with reasoning you can really think through what you are going to do and how it will effect your outcome which gives you more control over your fate. Like when Rainsford set up traps to slow down the general he really thought it through and it helped him immensely. However sometimes it is better to go with your gut when you are choosing between two things and both are good or bad choices you sometimes just need to use your gut. Like when Rainsford fell off the boat, he used his instinct to go towards the gunshots instead of following the boat that he could never have caught.
ReplyDeleteI think that if I had to choose between instinct and reason I would choose reason. To begin, when rainsford used reason to build the traps that killed the dogs. By killing the dogs he was probably safer and he know only had to worry about Zaroff. Next, rainsford also used his mind to decide where to hide and where to walk. If he didn't use his mind to determine those things then Zaroff would've caught up to him quickly. Finally, using your mind is better than using your instinct because it helps you think through a decision or choice. It helps you determine whether your making a bad decision or a good one.
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Humans are a smart species because they can use both instinct and reason. Some might ask whether or not instinct is better than reason or vise versa. I think one without the other is not good enough for the human species. Humans have not been prey for thousands of years so their instinct is not as good but they have reason which other animals don't have. So I say why not have both, one without the other is not good enough, so humans use both because they can. Peter S.
The story "The most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell describes how it is more effective to use whatever one is your strong set. For example, if you have great instincts and dumb reasoning you should always go with your instinct and vice-versa. In the text Rainsford uses his instinct to set the traps and also swim to Zarnoff's palace. He also uses his reason to go with his instinct and not hide and be scared but to fight back.
ReplyDeleteI think that reason is much better than instinct because humans can think through their instinct and animals have an instinct and they just go with it. General Zaroff states that an animal and a human can ouch a hot surface and jump away but only the human has the reasoning to not touch it again. This is a good example because it shows how humans have the knowledge to do different things and knows when not to do these things.
ReplyDeleteI believe in human reason more than animal instinct. Human's can make their own decisions and are more intelligent than animal's. Not all animal's are stupid just human's are much smarter and know how to make decision's some might not be the best but we make our own. Also, human's have an instinct but in the end people make their own choice's so I think it is reason better than instinct.
ReplyDeleteI believe human reason is better than animal instinct. As a human we have the ability to think before we act, while as an animal they act before they think. Having reason is what helped Rainsford get himself through all the obstacles he faced on Ship Trap island. Although Rainsford instinct told him to stay and get killed his reason kept him going. General Zaroff himself said there was more of a trill to hunt humans because they have the ability to think through what they will do.
ReplyDeleteIn the story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell talks about having human reason and animal instinct and disusing which one is better. Well the one that I think is better is human reason because we can decide weather living in a cave or living in a house is better and animals don't know the difference. Like in the story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell General Zaroff says that the ultimate prey is to hunt something that has reason and not just a instinct that can be predetermined.
ReplyDeleteI think human reason is better than instinct because it helps us make better decisions than just following what we think is right. An example of this is when Rainsford first gets sent out of the castle. The text says "His whole idea at first was to put distance between himself and the General; and, to this end, he had plunged along, spurred on by the sharp rowers of something very like panic. Now he had got a grip on himself, had stopped, and was taking stock of himself and the situation." At first Rainsford is scared and is following his gut to just run away but he soon gets a hold of himself and starts brainstorming ideas to get away and win the hunting game.
ReplyDeleteI believe human reason is better than animal instinct because humans have ability to make important decisions based on our thoughts. Animals make decisions based of of what their instincts are telling them to do. An example of using reason to make a decision in the text is when Rainsford doubles up on his trail even though his instincts were telling him to keep putting distance between him and Zaroff. Rainsford also decided to keep his nerve through out the game instead of following his instinct and wanting to loose his nerve. Reason is better than instinct because it allows us to make smarter decisions. Instinct is like a reaction when reason is a response.
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