We are built to be kind

[Angry Floof]

Don’t misread Darwin: for humans, ‘survival of the fittest’ means being sympathetic

Aggression and tribalism are not the only superpowers in the human behavioral repertoire, and in fact, it is imperative that our aggressive, tribalistic tendencies take a back seat to compassion and cooperation in this new environment we have created.

We are a global tribe of seven billion now, like it or not. Because of technology, we are no longer isolated groups. This is not opinion. It is reality. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks or feels about that. This is the environment we are adapting to, and it is an environment that our brains did not evolve in.

But we are nothing if not plastic. Adaptability is our superpower, and our tools of survival are now cooperation and compassion, not tribalism and aggression, which do nothing but cause suffering and war. And there is no one left to be at war with. We're one big tribe now, and there is no getting around that without massive, global atrocity.

The way to achieve peace and well being of a tribe of seven billion lies in our ancient mammal empathy.

Dick waving apes, stand aside. Your drive to compete, fight, conquer, and dominate are obsolete, no longer relevant to the survival and prosperity of our species.

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWs6bf7tvI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Rhea]

Interesting. And I think there is some movement there in mate-choosing.

Interesting aside - “The Gate to Women’s Country” is a great dystopian novel about the differences between the cooperative imperatives of women and the dick swinging ape mentality. Highly reccomend. We enjoyed it as one of our selections for our mother-and-teen book club.

 

[Angry Floof]

Interesting. And I think there is some movement there in mate-choosing.

Interesting aside - “The Gate to Women’s Country” is a great dystopian novel about the differences between the cooperative imperatives of women and the dick swinging ape mentality. Highly reccomend. We enjoyed it as one of our selections for our mother-and-teen book club.

Nice! Your kids are lucky to have you for a mom.

 

[Toni]

Interesting. And I think there is some movement there in mate-choosing.

Interesting aside - “The Gate to Women’s Country” is a great dystopian novel about the differences between the cooperative imperatives of women and the dick swinging ape mentality. Highly reccomend. We enjoyed it as one of our selections for our mother-and-teen book club.

So glad to know there are other fans.

 

[Derec]

So why are you so angry all the time then, Floof? Maybe you should try being kind for a change.

 

[Derec]

Interesting. And I think there is some movement there in mate-choosing.

I doubt it. I see a lot of women choosing to have children with thugs.

Have you read Alice Goffman's "On the run"? Pretty much every gang-banger she followed in the "6th street" neighborhood has at least one baby mama and several children by the age of 22.

 

[Angry Floof]

So why are you so angry all the time then, Floof? Maybe you should try being kind for a change.

Anger is not the opposite of kindness. My anger is justified and my principles and values are kind.

 

[Rhea]

Interesting. And I think there is some movement there in mate-choosing.

I doubt it. I see a lot of women choosing to have children with thugs.

Wow, you sure hang out with a lot of thugs, Derec. You should get new friends.
NONE of the women I know chose to have children with thugs.
Your thug friends are not the norm, Derec.

Have you read Alice Goffman's "On the run"? Pretty much every gang-banger she followed in the "6th street" neighborhood has at least one baby mama and several children by the age of 22.

Gang Bangers are not the norm, Derec.
You need new friends.

 

[Toni]

So why are you so angry all the time then, Floof? Maybe you should try being kind for a change.

I find Floof to be extremely kind.

But not in the willing to take shit way. That's not being kind. That's being a door mat. Floof is not door mat.

 

[laughing dog]

So why are you so angry all the time then, Floof? Maybe you should try being kind for a change.

There was no anger in the OP or in any of her posts in this thread. What prompted your blatant mischaracterization?

 

[laughing dog]

Interesting. And I think there is some movement there in mate-choosing.

I doubt it. I see a lot of women choosing to have children with thugs.

I seriously doubt you see a lot of women at all. Let alone women who have children, let alone children whose fathers are actually thugs (as opposed to just black men).

Have you read Alice Goffman's "On the run"? Pretty much every gang-banger she followed in the "6th street" neighborhood has at least one baby mama and several children by the age of 22.

First, as others have pointed out, gang-bangers are not the norm. Second, that is completely irrelevant to the OP since one of its blatant points is that the gang-banger is "obsolete, obsolete, no longer relevant to the survival and prosperity of our species."

 

[Trausti]

Interesting. And I think there is some movement there in mate-choosing.

I doubt it. I see a lot of women choosing to have children with thugs.

Have you read Alice Goffman's "On the run"? Pretty much every gang-banger she followed in the "6th street" neighborhood has at least one baby mama and several children by the age of 22.

Assortative mating.

 

[Toni]

People tend to choose romantic partners from the pool of those easily available.

People who don't feel good about themselves often make poor choices.

People who don't feel they have many options in life or much of a future tend to make decisions based on short term need/benefit rather than for long term.

 

[Tigers!]

I'd like to think we are built to be kind but I really doubt it.

We have to teach children to be kind. We don't have to teach them to be cruel or unkind.

 

[Angry Floof]

I'd like to think we are built to be kind but I really doubt it.

We have to teach children to be kind. We don't have to teach them to be cruel or unkind.

Is this a joke? Or do you really believe this?

 

[southernhybrid]

It's true that we did evolve to be empathetic. Many other non human animals also display empathy. There is plenty of evidence for that. Empathy is a human universal, something found in all known cultures. Unfortunately, weapons, conflict and an assortment of other harmful things are also human universals. I hate to keep bringing up chimps, but chimps, one of our two closest relatives, are the original primate warriors. So, how in the world do we encourage more empathy and less conflict? I really don't know if it's possible, but sometimes giving love, kindness and empathy to others helps. Other times it's a wasted effort.

My dogs are more empathetic that some people. My dogs will come running to me for cuddles if they think I'm upset. They never judge. They are always loyal. Dogs are often willing to put their lives on the line for their people. Maybe people could learn something from dogs. Seriously, I don't know how to make the world a better place.

 

[thebeave]

Stanford Prison Experiment, anyone?

 

[Tigers!]

I'd like to think we are built to be kind but I really doubt it.

We have to teach children to be kind. We don't have to teach them to be cruel or unkind.

Is this a joke? Or do you really believe this?

Having watched my daughter grow up and sent many nephews/nieces, children of friends etc. it is a constant watch to ensure that they do know and behave in a kindly matter. It does not take much to have their display behaviour that is unkind or cruel.

 

[ZiprHead]

So why are you so angry all the time then, Floof? Maybe you should try being kind for a change.

There was no anger in the OP or in any of her posts in this thread. What prompted your blatant mischaracterization?

He's making a play on her handle.

 

[Canard DuJour]

I'd like to think we are built to be kind but I really doubt it.

We have to teach children to be kind. We don't have to teach them to be cruel or unkind.

Is this a joke? Or do you really believe this?

Having watched my daughter grow up and sent many nephews/nieces, children of friends etc. it is a constant watch to ensure that they do know and behave in a kindly matter. It does not take much to have their display behaviour that is unkind or cruel.

But the thing is, you don't have to explain to them what 'unkind' or 'selfish' mean. Ability to discern those meanings seems to grow with ability to use language as innate physiological structures, which we can now see in neorological scans and suchlike. Rather, you sometimes have to remind them not to behave unkindly/selfishly. And why do you do that? Why do you "like to think we are built to be kind", even if you doubt it? Because you have an innate aversion to unkindness/selfishness.

If we were just rational calculating machines of selfish utility - homo economicus - we wouldn't even have the concepts. Orgel's second rule : evolution is smarter than you are.