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In your opinion, why would emotions (especially sadness) exist in the "more highly evolved" man animal?

While clearly an asset in non-verbal communication, our emotions accent our times of weakness. Doesn't this make us MORE vulnerable to predators and weaken our natural defenses to disease and deception?

Thanks, Answerers.

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    Right you are!!!!! In this world we are influenced by two sentiments, Joy and Pain. Joy gives us wings! In times of joy our strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and our understanding less clouded. We seem better able to cope with the world and to find our sphere of usefulness. But when sadness visits us we become weak, our strength leaves us, our comprehension is dim and our intelligence veiled. The actualities of life seem to elude our grasp, the eyes of our spirits fail to discover the sacred mysteries, and we become even as dead beings. There is no human being untouched by these two influences; but all the sorrow and the grief that exist come from the world of matter -- the spiritual world bestows only the joy! If we suffer it is the outcome of material things, and all the trials and troubles come from this world of illusion...All these examples are to show you that the trials which beset our every step, all our sorrow, pain, shame and grief, are born in the world of matter; whereas the spiritual Kingdom never causes sadness. A man living with his thoughts in this Kingdom knows perpetual joy. The ills all flesh is heir to do not pass him by, but they only touch the surface of his life, the depths are calm and serene.

  • cynde
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    >The sentence "God does no longer exist" a fact or opinion? In it fairly is maximum uncomplicated style, it fairly is in easy terms a assertion. If a assertion is genuine, then it fairly is a fact. If a assertion is concept via somebody someplace, then it fairly is a concept and consequently an opinion. no count number if it fairly is genuine and somebody believes it, then it fairly is the two a fact and an opinion, and the guy who believes it fairly is good. no count number if it is not genuine and no-one believes it, then it continues to be a assertion, and neither a fact nor an opinion, even nonetheless it can be a falsehood. Does that sparkling that up for you? >So we can't say "God does no longer exist" is a actuality in easy terms for the shortcoming of information. we can't say it fairly is actual genuine. All we are able to declare is that it fairly is in all probability genuine. once you're approximately to throw a cube, you think that it will in all probability no longer be a six, yet you're no longer particular that it will no longer be a six. study of the genuine international does no longer deal in certainties. no longer something would properly be ordinary for particular, and so fairly we could artwork in possibilities. >What do you think of? so a techniques, i think of God in all probability does no longer exist.

  • Strictly speaking evolution is only concerned about passing on the "best" genes, not about making our lives more interesting. Sadness may be linked to the emotion of sympathy. If you feel sadness for those close to you, specifically your family members, then you are more likely to help them in times of need. Since your family members have similar genes as you then helping them survive will help ensure passing on those genes to the next generation. The same can be said about love too. In a yin-yang sort of way how can you have the good emotions without the bad ones? So maybe evolution does work to make life interesting. You'd better just ask God!

    Source(s): I have a PhD in molecular biology and am a wanna be Zen Buddhist.
  • Calina
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    With all due respect, I find this line of reasoning faulty. From my personal experience many animal species experience sadness and other emotions. Personally I do not see emotions of any kind as an indication to humans being more evolved than them.

    Obviously if we had to go one on one with many predators we would be on the loosing end. Our advantage is our intellect. We use it in developing ways of protection in means of deadly weapons and manipulating our environment such as building protective structure to either keep them in or out, whatever the case may be; also, in using our common sense as in to give the predators a wide berth. We can reason and choose whatever method we wish to use. Same thing with disease and deception; it is our intellect we use to protect ourselves such as developing medication to fight disease and critical thinking to perceive deception. One can experience emotions and still maintain the integrity of their critical thinking skills. We are not at the mercy of our emotions or instinct; we can think, reason, and choose our behavior.

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  • 1 decade ago

    You are correct. But maybe depression is an overexaggeration of what was once a positive driving force and a powerful motivator. People initially used emotions as a motivator. And I still think it is being used in this fashion today.

  • 1 decade ago

    maybe we just dont knw the level of other "lower evolved" animal's emotions.

    and i dont think tht we can b more vulnerable to predators cause since we r more "evolved", so thts y it has made us to adapt n survive in any situations.

    this is my opinion n i think ur ques is cool.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    The most sad thing of all is for a mother to lose her child.

    Sadness evolved as a way of "punishing" a mother so she tries harder not to lose her future children.

    It's not just us. All manner of animals are clearly distressed upon the loss of a child.

  • 1 decade ago

    Because without sadness, how would we know Joy? We need both for balance. If we were happy all the time life would be pretty darn boring.

    Source(s): Life experience.
  • sristi
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    yes, it does. that is nature's way of destruction.

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