# What things do humans do instinctually **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375 "2017-09-15T01:38:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/1 "2017-09-15T01:38:16Z")
I have two kittens, they are 4 months old. We got them when they were about 2 1/2 weeks old and have raised them since then (bottle feeding, bottom wiping, etc). Both are exceptional groomers which I find strange since they had no mother to teach them. It must be instinct, right? They also know how to land on their feet when dropped upside-down. So what (relatively) complex things would humans know how to do if they were not shown them first? Would humans, for example, eventually start walking upright if not witnessing it first? Are we born with any instincts? I googled it but got lots of hits for things like piss shiver, goose bumps, etc. not really the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/2 "2017-09-15T02:02:24Z")
Thing is, it’s nearly impossible to conduct tests to find out. You’d almost certainly have to put babies in a situation where they had to fend entirely for themselves, and non one will allow you to do that. As for me, I am confident that since humans are all directly related to every other creature on this planet which has DNA, and all of THEM appear to have what we label “instincts,” that it would be just a tad on the unlikely end of things, for us to be totally different in that way. Among fundamentals, there’s the obvious things, such as suckling. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/3 "2017-09-15T02:44:53Z")
Babies have a [diving reflex.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_swimming) ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/4 "2017-09-15T03:19:14Z")
Babies also appear to be instinctively afraid of heights and possibly snakes. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/5 "2017-09-15T04:00:27Z")
This question seems to come up frequently, and it always strikes me as a really odd question. The vast majority of our behavior is a combination of instinct (the innate evolved nature of our brain) and environment - learning, culture. It may be true that if you completely isolate a baby from any kind of stimulus, it does little, and probably goes insane. But that doesn’t imply that everything a baby becomes is determined entirely by nurture. Cultural transmission is far more important for humans than for other animals; what a baby becomes may vary widely according to its environment. But a baby is not an _infinitely_ malleable blank slate. Its brain is wired by evolution to respond to learning in certain ways, it has a human nature. You can’t teach a baby to behave like a gorilla or a cat, however hard you try. We are animals, and like all animals we are driven in our daily lives to a great extent by instincts. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/6 "2017-09-15T04:12:50Z")
Yes, humans are not blank slate. That was the _tabula rasa_ fallacy that was in vogue in the 1960’s that proved to be mostly false and resulted in a lot of damage to children. Humans are just mammals so we have instincts just like our great ape cousins. The easiest ones to identify occur shortly after birth for obvious reasons but they extend throughout life. Here are some that babies display. One of the most basic is the suckling reflex to latch on to the mother’s breast. It is also obvious why babies would evolve that trait. They will probably die if they don’t and some do if they don’t have normal neurological development. > **[Newborn reflexes: 5 instincts your baby is born with - Today's Parent](https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/baby-development/reflexes-5-instincts-your-baby-is-born-with/)** > > Ever wonder why your child does certain things, as though by instinct? Here are some of the primitive reflexes your newborn has already developed. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/7 "2017-09-15T05:40:05Z")
Newborns are easy to teach to swim…hold their breath…the put there arms and legs out if they fear to fall…that may be reflex…and I guess instinct causes a baby to start moving and being mobile ---
**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/8 "2017-09-15T08:03:01Z")
One monkey reflex I remember from my own son, who’ll be 2 years old in a few weeks, is how he would automatically grab onto my chest hair. And since I’m practically a Wookie he could get a good grip. What I didn’t do was test if he could hang there completely unsupported like a monkey. I’ll have to wait for the next kid to try it. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/9 "2017-09-15T09:08:00Z")
> [@yendis](#): > > One monkey reflex I remember from my own son, who’ll be 2 years old in a few weeks, is how he would automatically grab onto my chest hair. And since I’m practically a Wookie he could get a good grip. > > What I didn’t do was test if he could hang there completely unsupported like a monkey. I’ll have to wait for the next kid to try it. It’s not just chest hair. Newborns have a powerful grip instinct. And, yes, it will support their own weight (which, in fairness, is not very much). ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/10 "2017-09-15T10:54:53Z")
Also, laughing, crying, talking, walking. And other things that are so obvious to us as to be invisible and happen independently or nearly so in early childhood but other animals never figure out (or do very poorly after heavy human encouragement.) ---
**Author:** ![Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delicious)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/11 "2017-09-15T11:57:26Z")
Crying at the exact ear-piercing frequency that is impossible to ignore. I’m glad they forget that one as they get older. Also curiosity/investigating things. I imagine most animals wouldn’t be so eager to grab onto brightly coloured things that are rattling around them. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/12 "2017-09-15T11:58:14Z")
Survival is a basic instinct. I have never been a violent person and basically haven no fighting skills, never been in a physical altercation. But when I was stabbed with a knife in the chest I became Conor MacGregor for a minute and instinctively grabbed the hand with the knife with my left and picking up my assailant by the throat with the right and then tossing the assailant away from me. You could argue that I learned that from the movies, but I believe most people would agree that “self preservation” / “will to live” is a basic instinct. ---
**Author:** ![BombVoyage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BombVoyage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BombVoyage)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/13 "2017-09-15T12:07:25Z")
I agree with the other poster(s) that are surprised by the OP. On my more cynical days I am convinced mankind isn’t truly sentient (only partially) and that we are predominantly driven by instinct and our supposed sentience is only justifying the decision after the fact. On my more cynical days 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/14 "2017-09-15T12:11:36Z")
Here’s a nice list of the [primitive reflexes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitive_reflexes), including the rooting reflex. These are present in newborns. Primitive reflexes are lost as the brain develops further. ---
**Author:** ![Ornery\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@Ornery\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ornery_Bob)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/15 "2017-09-15T13:54:49Z")
Yes, I would say things like being social and participating in this forum are actually instinctual behaviors. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/16 "2017-09-15T14:02:54Z")
I’m not sure if this answers what the OP is asking but I watched a movie on Netflix awhile ago called Babies. It follows the early development (I think it was the first year) of 4 babies from different parts of the world; USA, Japan, Mongolia, and Namibia. It basically shows that no matter where babies are born and what conditions they’re raised in, they all do pretty much the same things around the same time (age). It was very interesting. I assume sitting, standing, walking, etc. are things that babies just do instinctively. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/17 "2017-09-15T15:03:10Z")
I recall reading somewhere that making faces at babies - smile, stick tongue out, etc. - and they will mimic that, so they have some instinctual recognition of facial activity connected to instinctual knowledge of how to manipulate their own face(?). Never had occasion to test that. But if so, it makes sense. Facial expressions are a very common and very key part of human communication, especially of emotions, it would make sense that recognition and action are mostly hard-wired. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/18 "2017-09-15T17:47:49Z")
I don’t think babies have an instinctive fear of heights. I was told they wouldn’t go over a visual drop, but all of mine managed to do that and land on their heads. In some cases they had climbed UP in order to do this maneuver, and of course they landed on their heads. I do think they recognize other humans from a very young age. Lime birth? They start smiling in response to another’s smile when they’re very young. if they’re too young, people will tell the parents, “Oh it’s just gas.” Now it may well be a reflex and not a true smile, but why on earth would “gas” result in a smile? Newborns turn their heads to follow the sound of their mothers’ voices. Also, every baby I’ve ever known has loved chase games once they’re crawling. This must be some kind of instinct. “I’m gonna get you” and “try to get me” both seem to result in delight for the rugrats. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/19 "2017-09-15T18:58:11Z")
I am not an anthropologist (nor any other type of scientist that studies this stuff) but I would suggest that we need a more rigorous definition of “instinct” for this discussion. Things that are described as reflexes are not the same as instinct, which involves complex behavior (like beavers building dams, or bees doing a dance to communicate where is the nectar) as opposed to the primitive reflexes cited by **QtM**. Clearly humans have a lot of reflexes. It is harder to distinguish what is a true instinct because so much of our behavior is learned. It’s hard to tell whether we have learned a behavior or whether we simply have the same instinct that our parents have. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375/20 "2017-09-15T19:11:09Z")
AIUI, it is pretty much a universal instinct that, when there are objects falling onto people from above (i.e., loose rocks falling off of a cliff onto people below,) that people will immediately use their hands to cover and protect their heads. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-things-do-humans-do-instinctually/796375.md?page=2)