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I don't think evolution has a whole lot to do with this. Evolution takes place on a much longer time frame, so we're mostly talking about cultural norms here.

by domokun 16y ago

I don't think evolution has a whole lot to do with this. Evolution takes place on a much longer time frame, so we're mostly talking about cultural norms here. Furthermore, whatever "trait" leads to accumulating sports cars and mcmansions is not heritable. There's something called the Matching Hypothesis in sociology that basically says people end up pairing with those on the same "level" (in whichever way that person's culture defines status). i.e. an 8 takes home an 8-ish from the bar, or rich guy gets supermodel. But most everyone ends up matching up with some one else, and flashy-guy isn't improving his gene pool by mating with brain-dead hottie, so I don't think nature is the culprit here. (However, less educated (for simplicity, let's equate that to less intelligent) people do have a higher birth rate. So the world is getting dumber, but for different reasons! :) ) @euro, we need to work on changing cultural norms (more education, more sustainability, less consumerism) like you suggest in order to better the world.

kevinelliott 16y ago
And how can we communicate the desire for more education, more sustainability, less consumerism in order to better the world without reeking of progressive utopianism in our message? Sincerely doing this may very well benefit society and allow us to focus on the really amazing progressions in society and technology (like space colonization), but it's going to upset a whole lot of people who have invested time, money and energy to protect their anti-progressive infrastructures along the way. I'd very much like to see us focusing on improvement of our societal and economical infrastructures (education, sustainability, personal growth, pursuit of happiness and purpose, medical & technological advancement, etc) than to stay victims of our "evil" infrastructures (overly influential political lobbyism, corporate en-slavery of its workforce, and greed/thirst for financial domination). But this isn't something that can happen until there are several societal shifts, and perhaps some cultural memory loss. (Please note that my use of progressive and anti-progressive are apolitical references and should not represent actual values of political parties or interests!)
- realitygrill 16y ago
  someone needs to study how to hack memetics

by domokun 16y ago

kevinelliott 16y ago

And how can we communicate the desire for more education, more sustainability, less consumerism in order to better the world without reeking of progressive utopianism in our message? Sincerely doing this may very well benefit society and allow us to focus on the really amazing progressions in society and technology (like space colonization), but it's going to upset a whole lot of people who have invested time, money and energy to protect their anti-progressive infrastructures along the way. I'd very much like to see us focusing on improvement of our societal and economical infrastructures (education, sustainability, personal growth, pursuit of happiness and purpose, medical & technological advancement, etc) than to stay victims of our "evil" infrastructures (overly influential political lobbyism, corporate en-slavery of its workforce, and greed/thirst for financial domination). But this isn't something that can happen until there are several societal shifts, and perhaps some cultural memory loss. (Please note that my use of progressive and anti-progressive are apolitical references and should not represent actual values of political parties or interests!)

realitygrill 16y ago
someone needs to study how to hack memetics