Slightly Interesting Views On Ponder-Worthy Philosophical Prompts

Do the groups we form have a negative affect on humanity?

12. "Is the human tendency to create groups an overall positive or a negative trait in terms of general human flourishing?"

Ibis: My response will probably make all the antisocial introverts sigh a bit in exasperation(trust me, I'm sighing at my response, too). As much as it annoys me a bit, it is very difficult to become successful and brilliant if you work solely by yourself. I would know. As I've grown up a bit, I've started to realize that, contrary to my wishes and beliefs, I can't do what I want in life without the assistance of others. Unless you are the very best at what you do, you will need someone else to help along where a single person will not be enough. 

Humans are naturally social creatures; we live in little families, hang out with our specific friend groups, associate with fellow people our age. People, since the start of time, have traveled together(for the most part-there's an exception to every rule). And honestly, for the most part, these groups of humans are beneficial for the general population and lives of all. Imagine if all of us on Earth went solo. Imagine all the great things that would not have been accomplished if all of us were recluses. In my opinion, there would be more crime, since you would have no one to help you with anything and you aren't part of any groups, so who cares if anyone else gets hurt or affected, just as long as you're doing alright. 

In addition, let's just ponder how we all feel when we are by ourselves or when we feel quite lonely. It's a wretched feeling, at times, and is something that occur even with people all around you. Now, imagine if everyone kept to themselves. Your friends? What friends? You wouldn't have anyone to hang out with any longer, no one to goof around with, go shopping or play video games with. Your family? Say goodbye to them. You'd no longer have anyone who will always be there for you, who take care of you and raise you to be a proper human being. Education? Nope. You'd be forced to educate yourself, but then again, even if you did, who would you share your info with? No one would really care, for everyone would be focused on themselves. 

So, overall, although they can be annoying, groups are extremely important to the success of the human race. These groups provide us with a feeling of belonging, something that everyone needs at one point, and they help encourage us to take action, or to step down. Groups help us figure out who we are, where we stand on things, what we want to become; they help us when we can't help ourselves, help us become more successful and influential than we ever could have on our own.

Although a pain, groups are bloody nice. 

Risu: Okay, you all have heard of pack animals before right?

In case you haven't I'll give an example: wolves. Wolves are best know for their tendency to form a pack, though some choose not to and are then called 'line wolves'.
Humans operate in much the same manner. Most of us have a group of friends we hang out with at school or outside of it. Some of us have a few close friends and some of us prefer to be alone or have only one close friend.

Scientist are adamant that humans are social creatures. This can be seen as some of the worst punishments for condemned criminals is life in solitary isolation. This causes many to go insane.
Without human contact we quickly become aggravated with the little offenses. The same can be said for having too much human contact.
Humans survived by forming bonds with one another and creating tribes. Today, we can see this in the form of fandoms, school pride, sports teams, and other things. We naturally look for things that bind us to one another.
Now, on to wether or not this is a positive trait.

On one end of the spectrum we have the loners. These people tend to avoid human contact as much as possible. However, they have a higher tendency to become attached to characters from books, movies, tv shows, and video games. This isn't a healthy way to live as fictional characters can't speak with you and fix what is wrong.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are people often called attention seekers. This is not a names for them, to be more accurate one should say 'those dependent on human contact'. These people identify are insecure, thus they need constant validation that they matter. It is not that these people want attention, they just have a hard time feeling that they matter causing them to 'seek attention'. This is also an unhealthy way to live. People will unintentionally hurt them time and time again. A slight offense will sting even more since it comes from someone they rely on for validation. Once this happens it will be difficult to accept validation from this person again.

In the middle we have those deemed by society as 'normal'. These people have friends but are not dependent on them. This category ranges from social butterflies to those with a close knit group of friends. These people generally flourish unlike the loners who feel isolated or those needing validation who feel ignored.

Different types of people do well in different types of environment. Just as some plants need mostly shade, mostly sun, or about half and half to thrive, it is similar to people. Some do well with one or two friends, some do well with many friends, some do well with a small group of close friends. It just depends on the person. Most plants can not flourish someplace that is always dark just as most plants can not flourish in a place that is always bright. Understand what works best for you and think about whether or not it is good for you.