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It 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 evolutio
by mytailorisrich 1y ago
It 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.