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>> This hypothesis, or theory, explains the evolution of much of human behaviour
>> which is not explained by survival. For example: - the big brain evolved about
>> 2 million years ago, but the advantages to natural selection, as opposed to the
>> advantages to sexual selection, did not become really apparent until the last
>> 10,000 years or so, when all the big new techologies got invented. So what was
>> the big brain doing all those millenia when it wasn't being used to invent the
>> wheel and the alphabet and such like: it was devising flatteries ('You're so
>> beautiful, in fact, I think you look even more beautiful with your legs
>> slightly apart'), telling humours anecdotes of the kind that hint at sexual
>> relations, I like the theory, but I think the more correct purpose of the brain was to
manipulate the social group. "You should give me more of your kill because when
I had meat from a kill I shared some with you and it was very good and there
was a lot of it and everyone else in the group can see that you are not the
kind of person to share your kill, so no one else should share their kill with
you any more ..." Many primitive societies (yes I know anthropologists hate that phrase) have a
'gift giving' culture, where a visitor gives gifts on arrival and they give
gifts back. It's actually trade by a different name - but the interesting thing
is that on receipt of your gift they immediately start to talk it down, and
talk up their own gifts. They are being salesmen. In a group, this skill is actually more important than being able to produce
anything - being able to hunt a wild beast or building a hut is less effective
than being able to manipulate the mob into stealing it for you. And we see this trend continue today. Lawyers and politicians are among the
most 'successful' people in society, great 'thinkers' enjoy lush tenure at
taxpayer funded institutions, middle level managers play petty politics and
take credit for the wealth created by their subordinates and so on. New technologies threaten this old regime. That's why so many elites are
technophobes. Libertarianism also threatens it. That's why they hate libertarians. >> and of course that old staple of religious patriarchs, telling young
>> nubiles "God has issued a commandment that you should have sex with me". (Works
>> with impressionable young things - *or so I am told*!!!) I think they started to send those kind of guys to prison. Another career
ambition dashed. Damn!
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