Are humans "programmed" to gain the most satisfaction from creation or from destruction?
Because one thing I've learned from children is that they LOVE to destroy. Building/creating things from play-doh, blocks, crayons+paper, is a lot of fun, but nowhere near as fun as it is to dismantle, rip into a zillion teeny pieces, or otherwise tear asunder.
Throwing shelves upon shelves of books onto the floor sends them to a seventh heaven. Giggling all the while. Meanwhile, putting it all back together does not give ME any satisfaction whatsoever. (Just thankful that most of the books are safely hidden down in the basement out of harm's way).
Who TRULY gets the most satisfaction: the founders of a civilization or the ones who burn it all down to the ground? Who gets the most delight: the ones who lead others astray, or those who help others to become better?
How often do people delight in others' misfortune and misery? Most importantly, are humans naturally benevolent or malevolent? How much do we really care about each other?
I know what we are intuitively inclined to believe: that humans are innately good. BUT ARE WE REALLY?