Re: Wife scared to dive due to "Open Water" movie

Greg Mossman wrote:
"BarryNL" <no@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:4309ba09$0$11065$e4fe514c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Actually, it's fairly well known in psychology that people expect the same behaviour in others as they themselves practice. Thus people who cheat expect to be cheated by others while those who are trustworthy tend to be more trusting of others.


And it's fairly known in law that practically everyone needs a lawyer at some point. If we were all so ethical and honest, there'd be little or no need for lawyers.


Again, (evolutionary) psychology explains this well. We are a species which flourishes only through co-operation so by and large trustworthy individuals have been selected for by evolution because their tribes would have had a survival benefit.


So those of use who rise to the top, the creme de la creme, the fittest survivors, are the most ethical and honest? All those politicians and corporate CEOs? Talk about pipe dreams. Late night at the Bulldog?

I think we can be pretty clear that we did not evolve to live in the sort of society we have today. From an evolutionary standpoint we're still designed to live in small tribes of hunter-gatherers.

Evolutionary characteristics can have strange and undesirable effects in modern society. Being unable to cope with such abundant food supplies and thus having populations where it's normal to be overweight would be an obvious example.

--
The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well
as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets,
and to steal bread. - Anatole France.
.

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