I've had a thought about Vargr Psychology, and I would like to hear what others think about this idea.
Humans often have a very hard time understanding Vargr behavior, especially on a societal level. Actions that would be seen as foolish, reckless, or even as having the potential to destroy any social structure in a human context are normal, accepted, and seem to do no long term harm in a Vargr context.
The main example is the commission of crimes. Not only do Vargr often not hesitate to commit what humans would consider crimes, but Vargr society as a whole seems to have little to any laws in the first place.
Vargr social structures are routinely overthrown, but, somehow, the society manages to continue and even prosper anyway. If the same events had happened in a Human society there would be a very high risk, if not certainty, of the society collapsing and all economic activity grinding to a halt, with massive loss of life and destruction.
So, what is so different about Vargr psychology that results in the Vargr society being so unstable (compared to humans) by any short term measurements, but so stable in the long term (compared to humans)?
Much discussion has been made about the pack psychology of Vargr. The affect of the pack mentality does well explain the short term instability of Vargr social structures, but it does little to address the ability of Vargr to just shrug off such change and continue on without major disruption.
Here is something that may:
Let us go back to about three million years ago to the plains of Africa. At that time our Human ancestors living there were only about half as large as modern humans, and were just beginning to get the hang of such skills as throwing rocks. This allowed them to, sometimes, chase away predators that threatened their clan. These predators would be mostly one or another type of large feline, though there were others as well. It appears that, eventually, a peculiar combination of genes arose in these pre-humans as a side affect of their gradually increasing intelligences. These genes resulted in their fear of predators becoming anger at predators. Instead of just fleeing from such danger, or merely scaring away the menace, they took to actively hunting the beasts that dared to enter their territory and kill their kin. They had invented REVENGE. This natural instinct they had developed became a key part to their further development. They no longer feared predators, it was the predators that learned to fear them. Eventual they dominated the food chain, and their populations started to really grow.
Unfortunately the instinct for revenge also ended up being applied to other humans if there was a dispute about much of anything. You take my walking stick, I take your spear. You take my spear, I take your axe. You take my axe, I take your woman. You take my woman, I take your life.
It was probably quickly realized that if there were to be settlements of more than a single clan in size there needed to be rules against actions that could result in the never ending escalating spiral of revenge, and there needed to be some sort of neutral outside authority that could impose solutions when such rules were broken. Without such a structure the settlement would self-destruct quickly. Stringent laws, and the institutions necessary to enforce them, and the social stability to provide continuity to these institutions, are all vitally necessary for Human society to exist.
And they are all totally incomprehensible to Vargr.
Vargr ancestors were the apex predator in their environment long before the Ancients took them from Terra. On Lair, as the Ancients raised them to Sophont status, the Vargr were still the apex predator. The Vargr have never had an instinct for revenge, they have never needed it. As a result they have never had a great need for Laws and the institutions to enforce them. Vargr social structures are like dust in the wind because they are not really needed. There is no ever present menace of society collapsing into bloody chaos without them.
It would be inaccurate to say that Vargr are forgiving. Forgiveness means that one was angry, but is not any longer. The Vargr never really get angry (in the human sense) in the first place.
It would be more accurate to say that Vargr just don't hold grudges, and certainly don't have any interest in "pay back". If a Vargr does show signs of this sort of Human like attitude they tend to be locked away in mental hospitals. Meanwhile humans that display a Vargr like tendency to indifference to social structures also tend to end up in mental hospitals.
Now, there is one Sophont species that is even more fixated on revenge than Humans. The K'Kree. But that is a whole 'nuther story.
Humans often have a very hard time understanding Vargr behavior, especially on a societal level. Actions that would be seen as foolish, reckless, or even as having the potential to destroy any social structure in a human context are normal, accepted, and seem to do no long term harm in a Vargr context.
The main example is the commission of crimes. Not only do Vargr often not hesitate to commit what humans would consider crimes, but Vargr society as a whole seems to have little to any laws in the first place.
Vargr social structures are routinely overthrown, but, somehow, the society manages to continue and even prosper anyway. If the same events had happened in a Human society there would be a very high risk, if not certainty, of the society collapsing and all economic activity grinding to a halt, with massive loss of life and destruction.
So, what is so different about Vargr psychology that results in the Vargr society being so unstable (compared to humans) by any short term measurements, but so stable in the long term (compared to humans)?
Much discussion has been made about the pack psychology of Vargr. The affect of the pack mentality does well explain the short term instability of Vargr social structures, but it does little to address the ability of Vargr to just shrug off such change and continue on without major disruption.
Here is something that may:
Let us go back to about three million years ago to the plains of Africa. At that time our Human ancestors living there were only about half as large as modern humans, and were just beginning to get the hang of such skills as throwing rocks. This allowed them to, sometimes, chase away predators that threatened their clan. These predators would be mostly one or another type of large feline, though there were others as well. It appears that, eventually, a peculiar combination of genes arose in these pre-humans as a side affect of their gradually increasing intelligences. These genes resulted in their fear of predators becoming anger at predators. Instead of just fleeing from such danger, or merely scaring away the menace, they took to actively hunting the beasts that dared to enter their territory and kill their kin. They had invented REVENGE. This natural instinct they had developed became a key part to their further development. They no longer feared predators, it was the predators that learned to fear them. Eventual they dominated the food chain, and their populations started to really grow.
Unfortunately the instinct for revenge also ended up being applied to other humans if there was a dispute about much of anything. You take my walking stick, I take your spear. You take my spear, I take your axe. You take my axe, I take your woman. You take my woman, I take your life.
It was probably quickly realized that if there were to be settlements of more than a single clan in size there needed to be rules against actions that could result in the never ending escalating spiral of revenge, and there needed to be some sort of neutral outside authority that could impose solutions when such rules were broken. Without such a structure the settlement would self-destruct quickly. Stringent laws, and the institutions necessary to enforce them, and the social stability to provide continuity to these institutions, are all vitally necessary for Human society to exist.
And they are all totally incomprehensible to Vargr.
Vargr ancestors were the apex predator in their environment long before the Ancients took them from Terra. On Lair, as the Ancients raised them to Sophont status, the Vargr were still the apex predator. The Vargr have never had an instinct for revenge, they have never needed it. As a result they have never had a great need for Laws and the institutions to enforce them. Vargr social structures are like dust in the wind because they are not really needed. There is no ever present menace of society collapsing into bloody chaos without them.
It would be inaccurate to say that Vargr are forgiving. Forgiveness means that one was angry, but is not any longer. The Vargr never really get angry (in the human sense) in the first place.
It would be more accurate to say that Vargr just don't hold grudges, and certainly don't have any interest in "pay back". If a Vargr does show signs of this sort of Human like attitude they tend to be locked away in mental hospitals. Meanwhile humans that display a Vargr like tendency to indifference to social structures also tend to end up in mental hospitals.
Now, there is one Sophont species that is even more fixated on revenge than Humans. The K'Kree. But that is a whole 'nuther story.