Note
Biological drives Biological drives are not the same as instincts (in the way we've defined this idea). Rather, they are things that it is biologically desirable or necessary to do if we are to physically survive. Some examples of these drives might be things like: Eating, In most cases, biological drives can be regulated, which gives us some measure of choice about when and how we do them. Eating, for example, can be regulated through dieting. In the case of sleep, this is slightly unusual because there are rare examples of people who do not sleep at all, as well as more numerous cases of people who sleep only very occasionally. As far as we can tell, such people are able to lead normal lives and do not seem to suffer any physical or mental side effects. Breathing is something that most of us do not try to regulate, although there are times (such as when we swim under water) that some measure of control is exercised. It is, however, possible to regulate how and when we breathe. Some Buddhist monks, for example, practice forms of meditation that involve a precise and systematic regulation of their breathing. In addition, athletes are able to regulate their breathing during competition to ensure they achieve the optimum level of performance. Crying is slightly different, in that this is something that we all have the capacity to do, but we tend to regulate it depending upon who we are, where we are, who we are with and so forth. For example, a young child who puts their hand in a fire so that it burns is likely to cry. A young man who burns himself while messing around with a group of friends is unlikely to burst into tears, mainly because to do so would probably invite the derision of his friends... |