4 ms·

The surprising anthropology of group identity

26 points by dnetesn 8y ago

sharemywin 8y ago
Whereas chimps will usually only copy something if they completely see how doing that action will produce this desirable outcome, human infants will copy whole sequences of actions even though they haven’t a clue what the value is of the thing that they’re copying. You could have quite elaborate and effective medical procedures, for example, and no one has a clue how they work. It could be that rituals also become widespread as a byproduct. If we’re the kind of species that will copy all kinds of causally opaque behaviors, then that would help explain why we get the profusion of ritual behaviors as well as instrumental behaviors that we don’t understand. Seems like a profound observation.
- thaumasiotes 8y ago
  > You could have quite elaborate and effective medical procedures, for example, and no one has a clue how they work. This isn't a hypothetical; it is the norm for humans. Most obviously, traditional methods of food preparation often coincidentally ensure that the food is digestible and not poisonous, where the most obvious way of preparing the food would be missing one or both of those properties.
- oceanghost 8y ago
  Google Cargo Cults.
- ASalazarMX 8y ago
  > Whereas chimps will usually only copy something if they completely see how doing that action will produce this desirable outcome, human infants will copy whole sequences of actions even though they haven’t a clue what the value is of the thing that they’re copying. Might be because human children are better at socializing. http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/apes-vs-toddlers/ http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/apes...
flossball 8y ago
Group think explains most irrational behavior like politics. It explains why Trump supporters let him lie and gaslight and can't admit he is an idiot. On the other side super nutty liberals (and media, but I repeat myself) can't accept he is the actual president. Nor can they admit the Democratic party really 'bent' some laws and several federal agencies probably broke laws somehow and has already directly caused a couple shooting incidents (if not more). It has been two years of investigation and the continuation just makes them mentally sicker just like racists and Obama. We knew what Clinton specifically did and how he lied about it before there was even an investigation. The only question was whether it rose to impeachment(it didn't, though he definitely should be in jail for all the harassment/rape). Liberals protect the same agencies that they hated and would believe any conspiracy theory about 20-50 years ago (and most were true just as now). I don't trust anyone in power and don't 'have to believe' in any group. I believe in megalomania and greed (heck the legislature's pension alone is insane) and that power corrupts and no one healthy or smart wants to be a politician.
- rosser 8y ago
  Why do these conversations seemingly invariably break down into — if not start from "But liberals..." or "But conservatives..." What about "But humans?"
  - flossball 8y ago
    Yep, but that is the point. It is group think and almost always irrelevant and has no regard for actual truth. Even the voting here shows quite a bit of reactive non-thinking emotions.
- plaidfuji 8y ago
  >no one healthy or smart wants to be a politician This is probably more true on the national level than on the state and local level. Plenty of people get involved at the local levels because they see problems with their community that government could fix. Given that many national politicians started as state and local politicians, one would think at least some of them started with a good moral system

26 points by dnetesn 8y ago

Whereas chimps will usually only copy something if they completely see how doing that action will produce this desirable outcome, human infants will copy whole sequences of actions even though they haven’t a clue what the value is of the thing that they’re copying. You could have quite elaborate and effective medical procedures, for example, and no one has a clue how they work. It could be that rituals also become widespread as a byproduct. If we’re the kind of species that will copy all kinds of causally opaque behaviors, then that would help explain why we get the profusion of ritual behaviors as well as instrumental behaviors that we don’t understand. Seems like a profound observation.

thaumasiotes 8y ago
> You could have quite elaborate and effective medical procedures, for example, and no one has a clue how they work. This isn't a hypothetical; it is the norm for humans. Most obviously, traditional methods of food preparation often coincidentally ensure that the food is digestible and not poisonous, where the most obvious way of preparing the food would be missing one or both of those properties.
oceanghost 8y ago
Google Cargo Cults.
ASalazarMX 8y ago
> Whereas chimps will usually only copy something if they completely see how doing that action will produce this desirable outcome, human infants will copy whole sequences of actions even though they haven’t a clue what the value is of the thing that they’re copying. Might be because human children are better at socializing. http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/apes-vs-toddlers/ http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/apes...

flossball 8y ago

Group think explains most irrational behavior like politics. It explains why Trump supporters let him lie and gaslight and can't admit he is an idiot. On the other side super nutty liberals (and media, but I repeat myself) can't accept he is the actual president. Nor can they admit the Democratic party really 'bent' some laws and several federal agencies probably broke laws somehow and has already directly caused a couple shooting incidents (if not more). It has been two years of investigation and the continuation just makes them mentally sicker just like racists and Obama. We knew what Clinton specifically did and how he lied about it before there was even an investigation. The only question was whether it rose to impeachment(it didn't, though he definitely should be in jail for all the harassment/rape). Liberals protect the same agencies that they hated and would believe any conspiracy theory about 20-50 years ago (and most were true just as now). I don't trust anyone in power and don't 'have to believe' in any group. I believe in megalomania and greed (heck the legislature's pension alone is insane) and that power corrupts and no one healthy or smart wants to be a politician.

rosser 8y ago
Why do these conversations seemingly invariably break down into — if not start from "But liberals..." or "But conservatives..." What about "But humans?"
- flossball 8y ago
  Yep, but that is the point. It is group think and almost always irrelevant and has no regard for actual truth. Even the voting here shows quite a bit of reactive non-thinking emotions.
plaidfuji 8y ago
>no one healthy or smart wants to be a politician This is probably more true on the national level than on the state and local level. Plenty of people get involved at the local levels because they see problems with their community that government could fix. Given that many national politicians started as state and local politicians, one would think at least some of them started with a good moral system