The human mind is, in many ways, analogous to a computer. We each begin life with only the most basic "hardware" function: "power management" (eating & sleeping). However, we have a secondary "subroutine" which computers lack: the insatiable need for information (stimuli). Unlike many creatures, human infants are totally helpless and dependant upon others. In other words, we don't come "pre-programmed". It may seem a weakness, but on the contrary, it is our greatest strength. Because we have no inherent "program" to follow, we instead have the ability to adapt to our environment, and consequently our brains act as sponges absorbing immense amounts of data and processing it in order to meet our goals. But what are these goals?

I, personally, feel that humans are born with two goals: 1) Self Preservation - a goal shared by virtually all life forms from bacteria on up the evolutionary ladder, and 2) Happiness. Now, "happiness" is very difficult to define precisely. Unlike self-preservation, happiness is dependant upon the individual biochemistry of the individual's brain. Being happy is caused by the presence of certain chemicals (endorphins) in the brain, however different stimuli (or levels of stimulus) cause the release of these chemicals. Furthermore, because we are designed to adapt, the brain is given complete control over its "programming". In other words, we can learn to "override" our basic instincts. That is how people can commit suicide or become masochists, both of which are actions contradictory to our predefined goals.

NO ONE is born with the desire for pain. Someone who routinely experiences pain (physical or emotional/mental) has two options: 1) Escape from the source of the pain (suicide being the most extreme example of this), or 2) Adaptation to the pain. In order to adapt, the brain's solution is to counter the pain with endorphins. Over time, as with any drug, more and more endorphins are required to have an effect, and more endorphin-producing cells are spawned. Soon, any source of pain causes a tremendous surge of endorphins (the "rush") which not only counters the pain, but actually causes a pleasurable sensation and hence causes masochistic tendencies to develop.

Oddly enough, another brain chemical, adrenaline, has a similar effect on the brain. Although endorphins are chemically related to opiates, adrenaline is the "opposite", being chemically nearly identical to amphetamines. Adrenaline is released during times of great stress (fear, physical exertion, etc…). That is why people enjoy riding roller-coasters or become "addicted" to the gym (it really IS an addiction). Strange as it seems, it is definitely a useful chemical for self-preservation - it motivates the "fight or flight" instinct. Take, for example, a primitive human being chased by a hungry tiger. Would he stop to rub a stubbed toe? Obviously not (unless he's suicidal). He would keep right on running or grab a club and beat the tiger to death. Like endorphins, adrenaline causes a person to adapt (quickly) to life-threatening or SEEMINGLY life-threatening situations to the exclusion of all other stimuli. Have you ever met someone who, for example, worked-out like their life depended on it? Well, it does to him; his addiction to the euphoric adrenaline rush has "re-programmed" his brain by constantly stimulating his self-preservation instincts.

In the very same way, a person can become quickly addicted to criminal actions. Logically, a person knows that he is putting himself at risk by committing a crime. It's a convoluted means of stimulating the self-preservation instinct in order to get the rush from it. And, with each new crime successfully committed, he requires a stronger and stronger surge of adrenaline to reach the same "high". Thus, his crimes become more and more severe.

Now that I've gotten completely off on a tangent, let's return to my original point of human adaptability and learning. When we enter this world, we are basically "tabula rasa" - a blank slate. We are thrust into an environment of things for which we have absolutely no reference. In our earliest (formative) years, everything that we see, hear, feel, smell and taste is stored in our brains. The subconscious works to categorize and make some sense of this seemingly random sensory input. We have a "built-in" feedback loop system that causes us to mimic the actions of others. We learn to speak by imitating the sounds that we hear, for example. We have no real innate perception of "right" and "wrong"; that, too, we learn by mimicry. This is my real point. This is why it is SO important to regulate children's environments, since they have no point of reference for their experiences. Unlike a computer that is given two sets of contradictory instructions, a human does not simply shut down. Instead, humans experience insanity or other lesser mental aberrations.

Children, too, are bluntly honest until they learn that they may escape punishment by telling a lie. Children learn by example, so every time we as adults tell a lie - even a "white lie" - we are 1) distorting their sense of reality, and 2) sending the message that untruths are an acceptable means of dealing with situations. As has been previously mentioned, a child's mind tends toward generalizations and thus they do not grasp the contexts in which adults tell "well-meaning" lies. Instead, they see them as a means of escaping from an uncomfortable situation (children are MUCH more perceptive about the emotions and feelings of those around them than are adults). Thus, we must be aware of our own actions in order to prevent instilling of faulty morals into a child's psychological makeup: Our actions do speak louder than our words.