How often do we hear someone excuse an action with the phrase, "It's just human nature"?

What exactly is that supposed to mean? Is it following animal impulses? Having no self control? Or is Human Nature the tendency to act in whatever way would be most beneficial to oneself or harmful to others?

A catechism regarding fitting into society that I find interesting is, "If it feels good, don't do it." It is not naturally instinctive for humans to be monogamous, yet society encourages this so most people are, at least publicly. As children demonstrate, very few people would be charitable without the urgings of society and tradition. Using the christian virtues and sins as a guideline for society, which they are not always, I am well aware, nor necessarily should they be, society seems to be created to counter almost every natural instinct of mankind.

You don't see animals in the wild poking holes in themselves and sticking objects into the holes to dangle about, but humans have taken this practice to the extreme; always finding new places to pierce and new objects to affix into those piercings. Tattoos are similar to piercings in this respect, not found in nature, that I am aware of. We can continue along this vein of reasoning with dyeing one's hair, wearing tight or uncomfortable clothing or even clothing at all, plastic surgery, and purposefully endangering oneself simply for the thrill of it as can be seen in skydiving, skateboarding, diving with sharks, etc. One could perceivably see such habits as similar to bright plumage on birds or the tendency of certain animals to gather colorful bits of string, or shiny objects, or to perform intricate mating dances or flights without stretching too far. I do not argue this, but it is the methods themselves, the extremes they are taken too, that I find unnatural.

I am sure that there are examples I'm missing, but there lies the bulk of my observations.

So. Is it human nature to deny our natural instincts? to mutilate ourselves artistically? To make as much of ourselves as artificial as possible? In short, is it human nature to deny human nature?

But then, how does one define "Human Nature"? Isn't it the set of actions and tendencies of humans? Is not the nature of an element or of an animal determined by what we can watch it do habitually? If so, then isn't Human Nature whatever Humans do? Can anything a human does habitually be anything other than Human Nature?

I don't know. I don't have a clue. That's part of why we, and specifically I, study philosophy. Something else that has no place in nature: thinking about that which is, essentially and pragmatically, useless. I guess I'm Human after all.

Upon reflection I've decided to use this site mainly for my rambling philisophical ruminations, which, being a night-time security guard with a liberal-arts college education-in-progress, are likely to be inane, nonsensical, over-discussed, cliche, and/or just plain odd.

I suspect that I'm not the first to do this with their LJ,but honestly I'm not overmuch on the caring...

That being said, I just looked over and saw my cat siting in the bathroom sink, looking around as though wondering how he had come to be in such an odd, yet surprisingly comfortable local. If he doesn't know, I'm sure as hell not gonna tell him.

Tcheh.

So there.

To be honest, I don't really do the LJ thing muh...at all truth be told...so these posts are gonna be pretty few and far between.

That being said, Hi! I'm new here...please be gentle...