This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
Many of us believe that instincts underlie our behaviors. But what if this is a profound misconception about human nature? While animals possess species-specific and unchanging instincts that ensure survival and species continuity, humans may lack such a mechanism altogether. Could it be instead that what guides humans is not instinct, but a complex interplay of consciousness, learning, and cultural codes?
In this article, we uncover a counterintuitive truth about human nature: Do humans truly have instincts?
Instinct is an innate drive or motivation to perform specific actions in response to certain external stimuli. Today, instinct is commonly defined as a stereotyped, seemingly unlearned, genetically determined pattern of behavior.
A conscious or unconscious influence that initiates, triggers, and sustains a behavior within an organism.
An internal stimulation, tension, or motivating force that arises due to a disruption of balance within an organism and directs it toward behaviors that restore equilibrium.
Scientific research has shown that instincts manifest only in animal behaviors and vary by species. Instincts are species-specific behaviors that appear uniformly across all members of a species. Humans do not possess instincts.
Researchers such as Lorenz and Tinbergen conducted studies to identify instinctive behaviors in animals. For example, birds migrating in certain seasons, spiders weaving webs, silk moths spinning cocoons, and lions hunting and consuming antelopes are all instinctive behaviors.
Psychologists such as Sigmund Freud argued that human behavior is largely guided by unconscious drives, environmental factors, and social influences. Freud maintained that humans are motivated not by instincts but by more complex psychological processes.
Another key scientist, John B. Watson, as a pioneer of behaviorism, asserted that human behavior is shaped by learning processes and that responses are elicited by environmental stimuli rather than innate instincts. According to Watson, human behaviors arise primarily through conditioning.
Ethologists such as Konrad Lorenz argued that instincts are more prominent in animals and that species-specific behaviors are genetically programmed. However, they acknowledged that in humans, such instinctive behaviors are far more complex and shaped by cultural influences.
A reflex is an innate tendency of an organism to display a specific and simple behavior in response to a particular stimulus. Reflexes are the body’s unconscious “rapid response” mechanisms and must not be confused with instincts.
Instincts are evolutionarily shaped, typically unlearned behavioral patterns that serve the survival of the species. Reflexes, by contrast, are immediate and automatic responses: for example, when something rapidly approaches the eye, we close our eyelids before the brain even processes the signal.
No thought is required—we simply react. This rapid response, occurring almost instinctively, is one of the body’s survival strategies. But note: unlike instincts, reflexes are individual defensive mechanisms and are not necessarily complex behaviors aimed at ensuring survival.
When a person sees a snake, they may scream; at the same time, their reflexes cause them to quicken their steps. Thus, there is a balance between instincts and reflexes: one delves into evolutionary depth, while the other activates at every moment of life.
In conclusion, human behavior is not shaped entirely by innate instincts but by a more complex and dynamic structure. This is a defining characteristic that distinguishes humans from other living beings; because we are not merely instinct-driven, but also capable of conscious choice, learning, and adaptation within social contexts.
What is instinct?
Drive
Impulse
What is a reflex?
Drives Guiding Human Behavior