Why So Self-Destructive?

By Leo Gura - September 22, 2026

If everything is about survival, as I often say, then why do so many people behave in ways that are counter-productive to their survival? Why do terrorists crash a plane into a skyscraper if everything is about survival? Why do voters vote against their own financial interests, etc.? Self-destructive behavior seems like a contradiction of the almighty law of survival, but it isn’t.

The answer is: Ignorance and stupidity. Do not overlook how stupid most humans are, even the intelligent ones. It takes enormous intelligence to behave in a perfectly coherent way that is never self-destructive. The entire problem with ignorance and selfishness is how self-destructive it is. The ignorant person cannot see that his behavior will obviously end in his own self-destruction. Behaving coherently is a very high stage of development, for rare individuals who take truth seriously. Do not assume that most people see the logical consequences of their behavior and worldview. Incoherence looks obvious from outside, but it is not obvious from inside. Selfishness is like a trap that blinds you to the self-destruction it ushers. When you are being selfish, it feels like you are gaining, when you are really losing.

The key insight is: High intelligence is required to live properly, to live coherently, to live truthfully. I do not mean IQ. Most people lack this intelligence, either genetically or just from bad conditioning.

Most human problems are a direct function of lack of intelligence. There is just a lack of tracing of the logical consequences of one’s worldview, values, and habits.

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