Human Behaviour

Long before Freud started pointing at cigars and claiming they were something else, humans had a knack for repeating themselves — in stories, in stone, in superstition. Scratch beneath any civilisation, and you’ll find the same motley cast showing up again and again: the wise elder, the brave fool, the trickster, the tyrant, the lover, the destroyer. Different clothes, same bones. These are archetypes — not characters, but patterns. Not clichés, but deep structure. ...

The idea that creatures—humans included—are governed by hardwired instincts is a comforting one. It suggests order, predictability, and perhaps even an excuse for that inexplicable urge to hoard snacks. But biology, as usual, refuses to play along neatly. Instead, we find that so-called “instincts” are often more like rough drafts, heavily edited by experience, environment, and even the ghostly hand of epigenetics. The myth of the unshakable instinct Take parenting. The “maternal instinct” is often invoked as if it were a biological mandate, yet plenty of first-time mothers (and fathers) report feeling like they’re winging it. Turns out, they are. Primates, including humans, learn childcare by watching others. Even rats, those paragons of instinct, improve their mothering skills with practice. Meanwhile, in the insect world, honeybee larvae fed royal jelly become queens, while their pollen-fed siblings become workers—proof that even rigid caste systems are just a meal plan away from flexibility. ...