Inherent Human Nature Versus Distress Patterns
The complexity of our central nervous systems (now estimated to contain at least one-thousand billion individual neurons and a number of possible states of relationship between these neurons larger than the number of atoms in the known universe) has brought us a very high level of human intelligence, the capacity to be aware, complete freedom of decision, and complete power. The natural emotional tone of a human being is zestful enjoyment of life. The natural relationship between any two human beings is loving affection, communication, and co-operation.
The essence of rational human behavior consists of responding to each instant of living with a new response, created afresh at that moment to precisely fit and handle the situation of that moment as that situation is defined by the information received through the senses of the person (other living creatures typically respond with pre-set, inherited response patterns, "instincts," or with conditioned, equally-rigid modifications or replacements of the inherited response patterns, acquired through experiences of stress). In our discussions we define human intelligence as this ability to create new, precise, successful responses. It operates by comparing and contrasting new information with that already on file in our nervous systems from past experiences and constructing a response based on similarities to past situations but modified to allow for the differences.
Human beings function in two completely distinct modes that alternate and interact in directing the behavior of individuals and groups: human intelligence, a continually flexible, continually-updating-itself mode, and distress patterns, installed when humans relapse to a more primitive, conditioned response during distressing situations. The human being and the distress pattern are completely distinct. The patterns may be of infinite variety, including some pseudo-survival varieties, but the human being, as distinct from the pattern, is integral, is consistent, is wholesome, is good.
The capacity of a human being's intelligence is limitless and cannot be defined.