Jim Morrison once said, “Violence isn’t always evil. What’s evil is the infatuation with violence. ” Violence against others is always a bad thing to do, but people who do violence have something to do that’s inside their brain. Humans doing violent acts have something to do with genetics, their job, or their childhood. With genetics, some humans can get a warrior gene and it can affect how aggressive they are if they were raised poorly, meaning they were mistreated or the environment they live in is bad. Humans being violent is also caused by how people are nurtured with culture.
In the south, people are more aggressive and it’s due because of being offended. Violence originates from nature and it’s also nurtured because of the atmosphere we are in and how we were raised in that atmosphere Violence is learned behavior because humans are trained to do violence and it’s their job to be violent in war. Violence is not the right thing to do and no one tells another person to be violent. But violence can be permissible, by that, it means that a person can get permission to be violent or it’s their job to be violent. For instance, in the military, people are given permission to kill and be violent in order to stop an enemy.
In Dan Jones’ article, “Human behavior: Killer instincts,” he quotes from Robert Hinde, “In major international wars people do what they do mainly because it is their duty in the role they occupy”(Jones 161). In many wars, people in the military are trained to fight and kill enemies because it is their duty, their job gives them permission to kill. Violence in this case is acceptable because you are killing enemies that offend you and your country. People may not be angry and you may not see it, but sometimes a person can be angry on the inside.
Also, in Dan Jones’ article, he also states, “As a result, killing comes to feel permissible. Even, sometimes, right”(161). In the military, you are not just trained to kill or be violent, you are given permission to kill because it’s your job, and your job is to protect your country. In the south, the culture of honor is nurtured to southern people because it can prevent violence against others. In the south, southerners are taught the ‘Culture of Honor,’ which is a culture in the south where people avoid offending others to keep their reputation.
How does a person react after being offended? A person can likely react by being violent. In the south, people are more angry not just on the outside, but on the inside. In Whet Moser’s article, “American Violence and Southern Culture,” Moser states, “Southerners were prone to violence, and in particular violence stemming from a ‘Culture of Honor’ endemic to the region”(Moser 141). In 1996, four psychologists from midwestern Universities designed an experiment and the results were that southerners were possessing the culture of honor when they were not offended.
However, when they were insulted, the picture changed and they were found to be angry. Moser also states, “Southerners were not only more angry on the outside, they were more angry on the inside, down to their neurochemistry”(142). Southerners were found to be violent when they were offended and they are more likely to take offense. Some humans are born with the MAOA gene and if they were mistreated as a child, they are prone to violence. People being violent originates from how people are raised.
Someone who was raised the right way with love and not being abused or mistreated, will grow up to be a nice person. But on the other hand, if a child has been mistreated then the child maybe a violent person or a killer. In Gautam Naik’s article, ‘What’s on Jim Fallon’s Mind? A Family Secret That Has Been Murder to Figure Out,” Naik quotes from Jim Fallon and states: “I had a charmed childhood, But if i’d been mistreated as a child, who knows what might have happened? “(168). How can you prevent a child from growing up to being a killer or a violent person?
Treat them the right way with love and also raise them in a environment/ atmosphere that can be safe for the child. In other words, don’t raise them in a neighborhood that has been known for having violence as an everyday thing. Sometimes violence isn’t caused by being raised the wrong way or being raised in a wrong environment. Violence can be caused by genes. In Naik’s article, he states: “Boys who inherit a mutated MAOA variant more likely to be in a gang than those without the mutation, they are also more likely to be some of the most violent members”(167).
The MAOA gene, the warrior gene, is the gene that regulates hormone serotonin which can regulate moods. If someone, specifically a male, has developed this gene and lives in a bad environment, then they will be in a gang and they can be a very violent member. Humans are compared to chimps because we have almost the same state of mind with violence. Both chimps and humans are compared because of how exact we are and how we share the same ancestor. Some people say humans aren’t originated by humans, but humans share some factors with chimps.
In Dan Jones’ article, he states, “By dominating or eliminating neighbouring communities, aggressors can expand their range, which means a better food supply, healthier adults and faster reproduction”(Jones 160). Chimps are in groups/ communities, humans are also in groups/communities. Chimps are compared to humans because of how they act when they are in groups. Chimps being in a group is like humans being in a gang, they eliminate other communities and they grow their territory by eliminating other communities.
There is also faster reproduction and better food supply. Like gangs, groups of chimps expand their territory to be more intimidating for other groups. Groups of humans or chimps become violent when they are offended or when they feel like they are in danger. Dan Jones are states, “In one case that is hard not to see as a war, the adult males of one community systematically attacked and killed the males of one another group over a period of years, with the victorious group eventually absorbing the remaining ictims”(160).
In other words, if a group of humans kills another group of humans, and if they keep doing this again and again, then they will most likely get more members as the remaining victims become intimidated. Their only option is to join the group. It’s like a notorious gang, MS-13, bloods, crips, surenos, or nortenos, they kill and they expand their territory and they get remaining victims to join their group and they get stronger. More killings means more territory, also means better food supply.
In conclusion, violence originates from nature and it’s also nurtured because of the atmosphere we are in and how we were raised in that atmosphere. How does one not become violent? It all depends on how someone was raised and if they were raised the wrong way, which is being abused or living in al bad environment, having the MAOA gene or both because if someone has the warrior gene, the MAOA gene, and if they are treated badly then they will most likely end up violent.
Anyone that had a person in their family who was violent, they will get the MAOA gene by genetics and the only way to prevent someone with the gene from being violent is to raise a child the right way with love and also the environment/neighborhood has to be a safe environment. Violence all comes from childhood or genetics, if you had a great childhood, then you’ll be a nice person and non-violent.
