Instinct

Higher consciousness and animal instinct need not be in opposition to one another. We only assume this is the case because society (and western religion) tell us that we have sentience and intelligence in order to inhibit and transcend our baser impulses. While living as a Taoist monk, I have found that the only way to control one's impulses is to embrace them. Allowing instinct to occasionally take over prevents it from eating away at one's subconscious.

I believe that one such instinct is dominance and submission. It is a fundamental element to the social order of many pack animals such as wolves and lions. They are born knowing which polarity to follow. I believe that humans are not so different. As social creatures, we are all driven to benefit the collective. The question each of us must answer is "Am I a nurturer or am I a servant." Society cannot exist without either, just as a pack cannot exist without leaders and followers. The ancient Romans understood this. It's frightening to think that over the past two millennia we have been socially de-evolving into utter chaos. This illustrates the inherent danger of suppressing one's instincts.