What’s the secret of humanity’s success?
Hint: it’s not our intelligence.
(A review of a review of a book)
Hint: it’s not our intelligence.
(A review of a review of a book)
1/ If you think it’s intelligence, here’s a challenge for you.
Go out and try to create a fire. I bet that even if you’re big brained, if you’ve never learned to create a fire, you won’t be able to do so.
Go out and try to create a fire. I bet that even if you’re big brained, if you’ve never learned to create a fire, you won’t be able to do so.
2/ History is full of examples where European explorers struggled to survive when they got stranded in unfamiliar environments.
Raw intelligence didn’t amount to much.
Raw intelligence didn’t amount to much.
3/ The secret of our success is our ability to copy things culturally - even if we don’t know how something works.
Babies learn language by copying and adults keenly observe others around them with higher prestige (and copy what they do).
Babies learn language by copying and adults keenly observe others around them with higher prestige (and copy what they do).
4/ Generation of culture is a mystery. It’s ultimately evolutionary in nature but it’s difficult to imagine how *exactly* language would have come about.
If you doubt this gradual process, try to invent your own language - your big brain will fail miserably at it.
If you doubt this gradual process, try to invent your own language - your big brain will fail miserably at it.
5/ We seem to be primed to copy things from successful people or those with higher prestige than us.
This copying is what has made human species successful and this is what makes us fall for celebrities endorsing products.
This copying is what has made human species successful and this is what makes us fall for celebrities endorsing products.
6/ The copying process is very gradual, but ultimately things that seem to work become part of the culture.
We don’t necessarily understand how they work but they do.
We don’t necessarily understand how they work but they do.
7/ Even “irrational” practices such as divinations work because they randomise responses
E.g Roman generals used to interpret random events as divinations about where to attack the enemy army. This essentially randomises responses so that the enemy isn’t able to predict.
E.g Roman generals used to interpret random events as divinations about where to attack the enemy army. This essentially randomises responses so that the enemy isn’t able to predict.
8/ In most of our history, reason would have gotten us killed because human brain isn’t capable of understand the consequences of tweaking something that doesn’t make sense but “just works”
Reason is very narrow, incapable of understanding the slow, generative process of culture
Reason is very narrow, incapable of understanding the slow, generative process of culture
9/ I found the review by @slatestarcodex really well written.
The book is “The Secret of Our Success”
Read the full review here: slatestarcodex.com/2019/06/04/boo…
The book is “The Secret of Our Success”
Read the full review here: slatestarcodex.com/2019/06/04/boo…
