"Humans are Social Animals"

I've heard this line countless times on the internet and otherwise, but I never really wondered what it meant or why it is until recently. I've found that being alone for a while can be nice; but when I'm alone for too long, like a few days, I start to feel restless and stir crazy. I'll crave the social interaction. Its not really a problem or anything, but it makes me think. I feel like it should be something I can control, but it feels as innate, subconscious, and uncontrollable as one's sex drive.

Could anyone tell me why this is? Are the reasons cultural/psychological or is there really a social physiological element behind humans as a species? Is communal interaction a necessary component of human experience, or just an added luxury of it? Comments, theories, links? Post em here.

We don't have claws, or razor sharp teeth. We don't have extreme agility or strength in comparison to other animals. These are things that many animals use for survival. What we have is intelligence and the ability to create. Create tools, technology and weapons. Things to assist us and make up for the fact that we don't have claws or powerful teeth and jaws.

But back in the hunter gatherer days, a man with a spear is nothing to a mountain lion. We needed to be in groups. Its how we survived, it's how we still survive. It's how we advance.

As people notice in their every day lives, one person can notice a good few things, but humans work better together. They can do more, see and notice more, and be more effective at what they do and faster at it. We're more efficient together. So we need to want to be together. We need that social aspect to make us like each other, and hate those we feel hold us back or are a burden on us.

Socialness is an evolutionary trait, essential for the survival of the human race. Maybe one day we'll evolve past that. But for now, we need it.

Quite frankly I enjoy it.

Humans have more muscles in their face, used for expression, than any other animal. This, and the discovery of hallucinogenic mushrooms by primitive man are two of the most commonly believed factors that lead to sentience.
Humans are not just social animals. They are pack animals. This is why dogs are man's best friend, and horses can be trained so easily. They are both pack species.
We live in packs. Most of us have a job with a boss. Even our country has a president. Just different forms of the packleader.

I think having social support/connections is generally stress relieving. We can share the burdens as well as enjoy the benefits that life throws at us.

On your own you have to deal with everything yourself. With others around you feel more supported in making bad decisions...we're all in this together/you thought so too, and we can experience a greater joy when it is shared....maybe because again, it's a relief to connect with someone and not feel so overwhelmed by the big and amazing universe.

So simplifying things, we are social animals out of fear perhaps. People beyond fear are the ones who can sit in a cave for 70 years, have gone to insanity and back, and live on locusts and wild honey and stuff, I guess.

The rest of us need a bit of comfort. We need to experience a rapport with others so as not to feel isolated and having to face the elements entirely on our own.

The pack stuff is probably the same thing. Safety in numbers. Safety in a leader who seems strong enough, or clever enough to keep us out of harm's way.

I see the benefit of living in a group. But I would prefer living on my own. I would talk to myself, to my pet/s. I would go crazy without pen and paper though.
Maybe I socialize with myself lol. I have NO doubt I could easily survive [mentally, emotionally, "socially"] without other people- but not without the outlet of writing.

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Originally Posted by ExoByte

Socialness is an evolutionary trait, essential for the survival of the human race. Maybe one day we'll evolve past that. But for now, we need it.

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Facebook, Twitter, Text Messaging. I foresee we'll all become the internet in a couple decades.

Social contact is more than just a luxurity; it's a necessity. The benefits are rather obvious, but let's also consider what happens when we're deprived of it. Solitary confinement as a form of punishment is generally condemned as "cruel and unusual," and with good reason. Prisoners deprived of social contact for extended periods almost invariably see a dramatic decline in mental health and often never fully recover from the experience. At the end of the day, everyone needs some form of social contact, even if it's only:http://www.indyprops.com/pp-wilson1.jpg

oh no, not Wilson...anything but that

couldn't Tom have sling-shotted a seagull and stuffed it or sumthin... fer crying out loud a manufactured ball with a finger painted face???!!!

And Wilson tried to get away from Tom as well...it would have been very stressful to live up to the expectation of being a fully functioning, witty, insightful, and admonishing companion.

I don't know. I'm pretty much an anti social loner. There is nothing I like more than my solitary piece and quiet. Though I admit I do enjoy the dreaming forums, and sharing experiences here.

When I go on vacation to the cabin. I spend nine days completely alone in the wilderness. I don't even like to use the TV. But I will bring a few DVD's just in case I need something to break up the silence. I do bring a radio and some relaxing CD's with me as well. After a couple of days I get into such an unbelievably peaceful frame of mind that I could never achieve if there was anyone else there with me. It's a feeling I live for.

Even after nine days I don't get tired of it. I actually get kind of depressed that I have to come back.

Edit: wait, I do have my dog lol. But still... Even if she wasn't in the picture I know I would feel the same way.

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Originally Posted by Titania

oh no, not Wilson...anything but that

couldn't Tom have sling-shotted a seagull and stuffed it or sumthin... fer crying out loud a manufactured ball with a finger painted face???!!!

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Manufactured ball, representing civilization, industry, and also social games. Hand print, symbolizing what makes us human at the most primitive level.

but sure yeah seagull is moar realistic so lets use that next time.

I'm like you, Caradon. When I was about 13 years old I ran away from home for 10 days. I made myself a lean-to in some woods which took me all day to walk to. I brought hardly anything with me. I don't recall even having had a book or journal, let alone a radio, gaming systems lol or TV. I was completely alone and it was the best time of my entire life.
I went to great lengths to fool my parents to buy time. I woke up early and typed a message on my type-writer, reminding my mom that we had to go to the library that afternoon and that I was outside playing and would return at so and such time in the afternoon. After I left, I wished I had taken the ribbon with me because I wrote other info on my typewriter and didn't want my parents to figure anything out lol.
I turned myself in ONLY because I started feeling guilty. I imagined what it must be like to have a child just "disappear" and I couldn't put my folks through any more misery, no matter how much I didn't like them.

I have no problem with solitude. Communication via the net is nice and friends, in life, are nice... but I "need" neither (which is almost sad lol)

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Originally Posted by Abra

Manufactured ball, representing civilization, industry, and also social games. Hand print, symbolizing what makes us human at the most primitive level.

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Abra!?! How did you get so smart???!!! :?

Well judging from the posts here it seems there's a spectrum. Some people seem to have varying needs for social interaction while others require little to none. I like the evolutionary theory though, makes perfect sense. Never really considered it myself.

All in all it seems as subjective as anything else. Going back to the sex drive (also evolutionary) comparison; just as there are asexual people out there, there are asocial people. Just not very many of either, at least from my experience. I personally kinda want to be free of this social drive. I for one feel limited by it in a way, like we should be finding happiness in ourselves as opposed to looking for it in others. Or maybe I should just stop thinking like that and go with it :P. Guess its something to experiment with.

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Originally Posted by Zhaylin

I'm like you, Caradon. When I was about 13 years old I ran away from home for 10 days. I made myself a lean-to in some woods which took me all day to walk to. I brought hardly anything with me. I don't recall even having had a book or journal, let alone a radio, gaming systems lol or TV. I was completely alone and it was the best time of my entire life.
I went to great lengths to fool my parents to buy time. I woke up early and typed a message on my type-writer, reminding my mom that we had to go to the library that afternoon and that I was outside playing and would return at so and such time in the afternoon. After I left, I wished I had taken the ribbon with me because I wrote other info on my typewriter and didn't want my parents to figure anything out lol.
I turned myself in ONLY because I started feeling guilty. I imagined what it must be like to have a child just "disappear" and I couldn't put my folks through any more misery, no matter how much I didn't like them.

I have no problem with solitude. Communication via the net is nice and friends, in life, are nice... but I "need" neither (which is almost sad lol)

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That sounds like quite an experience. As a kid I used to fantasize about doing that all the time. Even in early adult hood I was still contemplating Mastering wilderness survival techniques, and just disappearing into some vast wilderness never to return lol. But, with the cabin and land I have now, I think I can find a happy medium. I'm planning to live there some day.
Get a low key job at one of the nearest towns, or possible rent out this house and live offthat income. After the cabin is paid for it won't cost much at all to live there. The biggest expense would be to have a reliable enough vehicle.

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Originally Posted by Speesh

Well judging from the posts here it seems there's a spectrum. Some people seem to have varying needs for social interaction while others require little to none. I like the evolutionary theory though, makes perfect sense. Never really considered it myself.

All in all it seems as subjective as anything else. Going back to the sex drive (also evolutionary) comparison; just as there are asexual people out there, there are asocial people. Just not very many of either, at least from my experience. I personally kinda want to be free of this social drive. I for one feel limited by it in a way, like we should be finding happiness in ourselves as opposed to looking for it in others. Or maybe I should just stop thinking like that and go with it :P. Guess its something to experiment with.

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Yes, sexual deprivation is the worst part of being a loner. :P Most of the time I can't even get any in Lucid Dreams without waking up. Those girls "promis forever, and never deliver." Lol, That's a quote from Hellraiser two that I always liked.

I used to have depression, with incidence happening when I was alone. Turns out I had some very young-childhood traumas (about 3yo). Still nowadays, the feeling of being alone scares me.

Too bored to write more :D