Interesting, I wonder if the same applies to the sexual instinct , although I can’t imagine mayflies sharing stories to each other, they don’t have mouthparts
That’s a great question, and I think the distinction matters. Instincts (like sex, hunger, survival) operate before story. They don’t need narrative, language, or meaning to function. A mayfly doesn’t need a story about desire; the instinct just runs its course.
What’s uniquely human is what happens after instinct: we narrate it. We build identities, moral frameworks, taboos, expectations, shame, pride, romance, power (entire worlds) around something that started as biology.
So no, mayflies don’t share stories. But humans can’t seem to experience even instinct without turning it into one. 😉
So it would appear that we have a hardwired part ( our biology) and a software side (our upbringing and culture) that programs us . Would this mean that the more complex communication a species has would produce a more diverse range of individuals. I notice that mayflies appear identical
That’s a solid way to think about it. Biology sets the parameters, but communication and culture massively expand the range of possible expressions. The more narrative capacity a species has, the more variation you see.
Mayflies run almost entirely on hardware. Humans run on hardware plus stories, which is why no two of us end up the same.
I’d say far more than eight billion, because even within a single person, there isn’t just one story running. We carry overlapping narratives: who we think we are, who others think we are, who we used to be, who we’re trying to become. Add to that the stories we tell in different contexts (family, work, love, conflict) and the number multiplies quickly. So it’s not one story per human. It’s many stories per human, constantly revised, sometimes contradicting each other, sometimes quietly replaced without us noticing. Eight billion humans is the starting point.
I’d say far more than eight billion, because even within a single person, there isn’t just one story running. We carry overlapping narratives: who we think we are, who others think we are, who we used to be, who we’re trying to become. Add to that the stories we tell in different contexts (family, work, love, conflict) and the number multiplies quickly. So it’s not one story per human. It’s many stories per human, constantly revised, sometimes contradicting each other, sometimes replaced without us noticing. Eight billion humans is the starting point.
Interesting, I wonder if the same applies to the sexual instinct , although I can’t imagine mayflies sharing stories to each other, they don’t have mouthparts
That’s a great question, and I think the distinction matters. Instincts (like sex, hunger, survival) operate before story. They don’t need narrative, language, or meaning to function. A mayfly doesn’t need a story about desire; the instinct just runs its course.
What’s uniquely human is what happens after instinct: we narrate it. We build identities, moral frameworks, taboos, expectations, shame, pride, romance, power (entire worlds) around something that started as biology.
So no, mayflies don’t share stories. But humans can’t seem to experience even instinct without turning it into one. 😉
So it would appear that we have a hardwired part ( our biology) and a software side (our upbringing and culture) that programs us . Would this mean that the more complex communication a species has would produce a more diverse range of individuals. I notice that mayflies appear identical
That’s a solid way to think about it. Biology sets the parameters, but communication and culture massively expand the range of possible expressions. The more narrative capacity a species has, the more variation you see.
Mayflies run almost entirely on hardware. Humans run on hardware plus stories, which is why no two of us end up the same.
How many stories would you guess are out there , more or less than eight billion?
I’d say far more than eight billion, because even within a single person, there isn’t just one story running. We carry overlapping narratives: who we think we are, who others think we are, who we used to be, who we’re trying to become. Add to that the stories we tell in different contexts (family, work, love, conflict) and the number multiplies quickly. So it’s not one story per human. It’s many stories per human, constantly revised, sometimes contradicting each other, sometimes quietly replaced without us noticing. Eight billion humans is the starting point.
How many of our stories fit reality?
I’d say far more than eight billion, because even within a single person, there isn’t just one story running. We carry overlapping narratives: who we think we are, who others think we are, who we used to be, who we’re trying to become. Add to that the stories we tell in different contexts (family, work, love, conflict) and the number multiplies quickly. So it’s not one story per human. It’s many stories per human, constantly revised, sometimes contradicting each other, sometimes replaced without us noticing. Eight billion humans is the starting point.