Are we still following our instincts?

I wanted to write this to ask the question out loud, because so often this comes up
and I think, 'There's no proof either way and what does it matter?' But seriously, my
question is - Have we tricked ourselves into believing we're not following our instincts
as a species any more?

I think of how many commercials attempt to push back against our natural self
preserving behaviors in order to sell us material goods. They constantly impress upon
me that I cannot accomplish my dreams without looking a certain way, living a
certain way, maybe even spending my money a certain way. This structure society
(or maybe ads want us to think they are society?) wants for us is our choice, but
they threaten those that choose the different path. I see so many ads about candy,
prescription drugs, and alcohol where they compare people through jokes(which
usually compare gender/socioeconomic status/race/etc) and physical violence,
peer pressure, about how you shouldn't avoid work or social gatherings even
when you're depressed, etc.

So what is the different path? The different path is pretty broad to me in terms
of what advertisements would look like, but that just tells me what we're buying
with all of our hard earned cash(how many can say you have the "perfect job?')
The different path says to me one that involves valuing mental and physical
health above business stability. Maybe it also involves finding more ways to accept
aberrant behavior instead of pressurizing it and sacrificing it for increased
productivity. I'm not suggesting we give up our Iphones and personal cars, at least,
not in this post, but what if we 'gave up' productivity for a bit to allow us to
follow our instincts? I wonder if there are any studies that would suggest following
and obeying our bodily cues like :

Nausea, anxiety, pain, depression, intense paranoia, disease, PTSD, and basically
anything else our body is crying out to us get out, go of, leave, run away from, etc.

Would be more healthy for us as a city/state/country/species than pressurizing our
symptoms and keeping us working 'Jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need'
Ala Chuck Palahniuk? There are a lot of sick people where I live, because we pay for
systems that can't support us staffed with people we didn't choose who are in bed
with companies that don't have our best interest at heart, but do have lawyers who
have the advantage in court to keep us pounding at the door to following our
instincts and listening to our bodies signals. How can there be no breaks from work?
How can transitional assistance put people in poorhouses? Why does everyone talk
about mental illness like it's a curse or a disease? Where is the respect for our species?
Why spend our money as a city/state/government/species on this when we know
it's not working? Why are businesses more important?

Respond with your thoughts or even references to studies, sil-vous-plaits