1/ A short thread on HOW EVOLUTION EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.
PS: I 😍 evolution precisely because it explains a majority of what we see around us!
PS: I 😍 evolution precisely because it explains a majority of what we see around us!
2/ It’s hard to not get awed by a process that took Earth, a big rock full of chemicals, and gradually chiseled it to create humans, creatures full of complex emotions and behaviors.
3/ Impossible as it may seem, the mind-bogglingly diverse human behavior can be explained via evolution.
4/ Let’s take our sense of BOREDOM.
We have this anti-boredom drive because our ancestors who were action-oriented survived longer and had more babies.
Ultimately outnumbering our ancestors who were happy chilling and doing nothing.
We have this anti-boredom drive because our ancestors who were action-oriented survived longer and had more babies.
Ultimately outnumbering our ancestors who were happy chilling and doing nothing.
5/ Or take our COMPLIANT NATURE.
We like authority, we believe in things that good orators say, and we take part in superstitions because, evolutionarily speaking, being UNPOPULAR is much WORSE than being WRONG.
We like authority, we believe in things that good orators say, and we take part in superstitions because, evolutionarily speaking, being UNPOPULAR is much WORSE than being WRONG.
6/ Our ancestors who believed in true things that made them unpopular got less sex than the ones who happily became part of whatever falsehood bonded the society together.
7/ Or, take our WORRYING or ANXIOUS nature.
Our ancestors who worried constantly and overplanned for even rare contingencies survived better than the ones who were complacent and happy-go-lucky.
Our ancestors who worried constantly and overplanned for even rare contingencies survived better than the ones who were complacent and happy-go-lucky.
8/ There are many more such examples of how evolution shapes our behavior.
The book The Elephant in the Brain dives deeper into the topic of human behavior from an evolutionary perspective. I published my notes from the book invertedpassion.com/notes-from-the…
The book The Elephant in the Brain dives deeper into the topic of human behavior from an evolutionary perspective. I published my notes from the book invertedpassion.com/notes-from-the…
9/ There are many MISCONCEPTIONS about evolution.
Perhaps the most common one is that evolution optimizes an organism's fitness.
In reality, evolution couldn’t care less about you or me (as it’s evident by the constant dukkha in our lives). Evolution is a blind process.
Perhaps the most common one is that evolution optimizes an organism's fitness.
In reality, evolution couldn’t care less about you or me (as it’s evident by the constant dukkha in our lives). Evolution is a blind process.
10/ During evolution, small and random changes accumulate over several generations of organisms. These result in organisms with various sets of traits and behaviors. Some organisms may end up having a propensity to worry, while may be inclined to do nothing.
11/ Ultimately what trait ends up spreading in the population is determined by who survives longer and has more babies (over his/her lifetime).
Evolution doesn't care about organisms' physical or mental fitness. Sloths still exist, and so do bacteria (while dinosaurs vanished)
Evolution doesn't care about organisms' physical or mental fitness. Sloths still exist, and so do bacteria (while dinosaurs vanished)
12/ What I find fascinating is that by the time a person is born, the evolutionary dice has been rolled.
You, the individual organism, and your looks/behavior/smile/strength/intelligence become one of the many strategies in the wild that compete for survival and reproduction.
You, the individual organism, and your looks/behavior/smile/strength/intelligence become one of the many strategies in the wild that compete for survival and reproduction.
13/ So, if you’re generally unhappy and anxious, is it bad?
From your perspective, yes ofc.
But from an evolutionary perspective, this is exactly what might be needed as anxious people take fewer risks and survive longer (they also make up for stable husbands).
From your perspective, yes ofc.
But from an evolutionary perspective, this is exactly what might be needed as anxious people take fewer risks and survive longer (they also make up for stable husbands).
14/ The next you’re reflecting upon yourself and are thinking why are you the way you are, think in evolutionary context.
You’re executing a program that’s built over a billion years since the start of life on Earth. lesswrong.com/posts/XPErvb8m…
You’re executing a program that’s built over a billion years since the start of life on Earth. lesswrong.com/posts/XPErvb8m…
15/ Remember: evolution is a blind game and people are a roll of a dice to play a specific move in that game.
The interplay of different moves is what gives rise to diverse cultures, opinions, and behaviors that we collectively call as being human.
The interplay of different moves is what gives rise to diverse cultures, opinions, and behaviors that we collectively call as being human.
16/ Evolution really does explain everything.
That's it. Most of my tweetstorms are derived from my essays that I publish on invertedpassion.com
RT if you <3 evolution as much as I do :)
That's it. Most of my tweetstorms are derived from my essays that I publish on invertedpassion.com
RT if you <3 evolution as much as I do :)
