5. Instinct Beneath the Veneer

The animal instincts inscribed in our genes
cannot be easily restrained by reason alone.
Especially in threatening situations,
the more we are cornered, the more readily they emerge.
We wear the veneer of intellect and culture, instilled by society,
yet, ultimately, humans are animals endowed with survival instincts.
We simply live our lives pretending
to deny this fundamental truth.