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Human evolution actually escaped the trap of this short term thinking twice: first some 100k years ago, when altruism bloomed (see E O Wilson), and some 2500 ye
by mihaic 1y ago
Human evolution actually escaped the trap of this short term thinking twice: first some 100k years ago, when altruism bloomed (see E O Wilson), and some 2500 years ago with the universal moralistic religions.
The group that maximizes their long-term reproduction is the one that inherits the earth.
- mytailorisrich 1y agoIt is not short-term thinking. It is how we all think on a daily basis, even unconsciously, because it maximizes survival and reproduction, at least on evolutionary scales. > The group that maximizes their long-term reproduction is the one that inherits the earth. Yes, that's an interesting paradox in a world where the poorer tend to have more (surviving) children that the richer. But it emerged only very recently on evolutionary scales.
- mihaic 1y agoBefore it meant the group that even sometimes risked their life for the children of everyone in the tribe. I think you're discounting natural human altruism, which is well studied.
- mytailorisrich 1y agoThe tribe was bound by blood and reciprocal ties. This works at small scales, which is the context we evolved in. This is why in a village where everyone knows each other people help each other but in a holiday resort locals screw tourists.
- mihaic 1y agoReligions like Christianity are the natural development at global scale for that. We're losing that scaling in altruism now, but it doesn't have to be this way.
- amanaplanacanal 1y agoOn a longer time scale, the poor having more children than the rich is a minor temporary aberration. Their fertility is going the same direction, just with a bit of a lag.
- BartjeD 1y agoThat's the malthusian fallacy. The winners are the ones that maximize survival. Reproduction is what all the shills did anyway