2. Does human instinct always predominate?

Let’s assume for one second that this scenario is possible and disregard reality. This is a fictitious scenario but I am still interested what people think about the possible outcome.

Two newborn, a boy and a girl, are left on a deserted island with absolutely no one taking care of them, talking to them, feeding them or educating them. In this fictitious scenario, they are able to find food, shelter, water and sleep, the 4 basic necessity for every human being.

Assuming again that those children have now reached puberty, are healthy, have no physical challenge except for the lack of parental love and affection. How would they develop?

Would their basic instinct take over, even though nobody ever told them, showed them or educated them?

Could they find love for each other? Would they know how to procreate since they have never had access to any visuals or sounds made by others?

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Ontheroad · M

They would, I think, at an early age become partners/friends/companions and as time went on, their natural instincts would prevail. I don't think they would necessarily fall in love (the classic love), but I do think they would bond and raise children free from any taboos society puts on us.

Captain · 61-69, M

@Ontheroad Now that would assume a normal family situation with parents but in this case the two would be as strangers, as there is no nuclear family. No one to force them to co-operate would mean they would behave as though they were strangers so learned experience wouldn't matter.Also they may grow up to be very similar or very different but probably feel about that the same way as non siblings would. So being siblings genetically wont matter as they dont know how similar or different they should be. Even if they had mirrors and could see similarities between each other, they would have no idea of the diversity of human form and therefore no benchmark under which to judge themselves to similar. It all points to the same outcome whether siblings or not. When the time comes they would mate - or any two randomers in the same position would also not mate. They dont know they are related because of the construct of the experiment so the question is will any two children growing up on a desert island mate or not and I reckon sooner or later he's going to get into her palm leaves as they say ! Now if there was a buffet bar conveyer belt out to sea with a constant flow of same age diverse children passing by i think it doesn't matter whether they are related or not. I think they would still go to the "all you can pull" bar and pick a meal from there - but then by definition they would be able to escape, and no doubt would. JMHO.