Helots Instinct

Ever since life first roamed the Earth, any living beings with a working mind had made decisions. Choices, if you will, that are made for one’s own benefit. The fact of the matter is that it is purely instinct to place oneself before others. Instinct is the driving force; the core motivation to a being’s actions. Through a plethora of circumstances, instinct can be perceived as either good or evil; it has easily shaped itself into words as powerful as greed or intelligence. Right from birth and all throughout one’s life, choices are made. Many more are restricted by the weight of general society and the rules pressed upon to ensure that nobody has too much or too little going in their favor. Hypothetically, however, if such rules ceased to …show more content…
All throughout history as well, whether it be fiction or fact. Historically, an event named Crypteia was forged by the Spartans. This was an annual event that would take place in Autumn; the Spartans would declare war on one of their territorial populations, the Helots, so that their soldiers in training can prove themselves worthy of being warriors by killing the Helot people without facing consequences from the government. A similar concept to this is depicted in the science fiction film series by the name of The Purge, where all criminal activity was deemed legal for twelve hours every year. The population went savage with crimes ranging from shoplifting to mass murder, and every single felony in between. Even in a smaller scale, such as the setting depicted in Golding’s Lord of the Flies, it is depicted that a group of people raised in a civilized society are just as susceptible to becoming discordant and uncivilized if they are not restrained by the confines of rules and consequences. What is it that drives people to pursue their own …show more content…
Greed is an element that lies within every living being with a will to live; under dire circumstances, one will put its own needs before others if not taught otherwise. If anything, civilized society places a mental lock on the true degrees of human nature with the power of established consequences. The same reason a student does not call out in class is the same reason a person does not rob a bank; they fear consequences, even if the supposedly positive result is in their benefit. Some are better at controlling their urges as opposed to others, but no matter what, it is present. It comes in multiple forms, presenting itself as a small thought in the back of one’s mind or coming through as the best option depending on the person. Greed is ultimately the reason behind every conflict known to man, and disputes only ever happen because ultimately, greed cannot be massively vanquished. Not for as long as instincts reside in every living