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Actually, this was the article's point exactly. You would help her out to satisfy a social expectation. What would others think if you didn't? You might ask ho
by jmcannon 18y ago
Actually, this was the article's point exactly. You would help her out to satisfy a social expectation. What would others think if you didn't?
You might ask how that changes if you and the old lady are alone. You would probably say that you'd still help her out, though I'd say that's just a response trained within a particular environment in which there is a help-old-ladies social expectation.
- dhimes 18y agoI don't think so. I think there are good survival reasons to behave socially for each others' benefit. That is, I believe some of the "helping is the right thing to do" may come from natural selection: social cooperation increases our chances for survival and reproduction.
- yummyfajitas 18y agoNot just social expectation (many would do it if there were no observers), but also increasing self satisfaction. Most people, myself included, derive utility from the belief that they are a good person.