In any species with a stable population, the individual's productivity is marginal. If the population is stable - the expected number of reproducing offspring is one per individual (or two per couple). As their reproductive capability is usually much higher than this, it follows that something else is reducing it.

The human population in the third world is exploding. It is not marginal. In most of the countries in the West however negative population growth is the norm. The phenomenon of children becoming economic recreation instead of economic investment is well known.

We can expect that evolution will occur much slower in a non-marginal population. We can expect that though that evolution will occur at a normal rate in a marginal population.

In the countries with rapidly increasing populations we can expect little evolutionary change. In the marginalized West however, the population is evolving.

Let's consider what characteristics might be selected for in Western countries. There is really only one. The desire to have children. Other features are largely unimportant in a society which regards the reproduction even of people with serious genetic disorders to be a victory of morality and socialization.

There may be other features which are coincidental with reproductive desire. They can be observed in people who have many children. That is what we are evolving into.

There may be a high propensity for compassion in that gene pool, but generally these people are unlikely to be the seeds of a strong, successful, solid society which is capable of surviving the onslaught of opposing aggressors. Some would in fact say (with some justification) that the population in the West is actually devolving. In fact the population is evolving into a form which is more suited to its current environment.

There is a widely held belief by (mostly new-age) people that society is evolving into something which is more caring, more socially just and somehow more spiritually aware. From the evidence this seems unlikely. Things change when there is a force to make them change in that direction. Human suffering, while considered undesirable by most of us, is not a force which makes people unite for the common good if is against their own interests.

The countries which currently have expanding populations will eventually have their populations curbed - perhaps by war, perhaps by natural catastrophe, perhaps a shortage of resources, or perhaps even the same factor as the West - reluctance to have children. If the selection process in these countries is based on survival ability as opposed to choice, they will evolve into fitter and more capable populations than the West.

The only thing which will stop this is an imposition of birth control similar to the Chinese model.