I’ll see if I can track down that Seed article you mentioned. Thanks. –You do sound paranoid though

I’ll see if I can track down that Seed article you mentioned. Thanks. –You do sound paranoid though

I love the idealism/optimism these researchers had when they started their research. They were Harvard grads themselves and must have basically thought, “we Harvard people are great; we should study ourselves and tell the world how to live.”

I find it’s important to remember that altruism is selfish behaviour, though it is constructive in intent and generally used with an eye to the long game. To the point, he repeatedly pointed (in my mind anyway) to the society building and stabilizing affects of altruistic behaviours. For example, if I drive an elderly person home from the grocery store in the winter, I use my own gas and time. However, I stand to gain the ‘warm-fuzzies’, a sense of accomplishment, perhaps the approval of my spouse and peers, perhaps prevent the senior from falling and breaking a hip which puts an unnecessary demand on our healthcare system, etc etc… So selfishly, I’ve done a number of good things for myself, however, in the process I’m managed to accomplish a number of things that benefit the society as a whole.

Perhaps more succinctly, if I kill a deer, I can eat it all myself, which would benefit my fitness the most immediately or I could share the meat with my tribe (society) which adds to their odds of survival (fitness) and also create or sustains a cultural system where we help each other and perhaps next week someone else will share with me.

Ok, finally to the point. Isn’t it interesting that these altruistic traits/behaviours that make us the happiest and healthiest also directly contribute to a better society. Good old Darwinian selection on a complex organism.

DiCarlo’s recent work, I believe he won an award for this:
http://www.relationsofnaturalsystems.com/

As a bit of a tangent, there was an outstanding article published in the early issues of Seed magazine (had to be issue 8 or 9, while it was still very independent and Canadian owned) that explored where the aims of the benefactor following Grant were directed (good or bad) and the world shaking results that could be said to have arisen from those rather deep pockets. I realize that this sounds paranoid and cryptic, but those pockets continue to have impact and I’m not stupid.

On a personal side note — I’ve actually be told that I’m too altruistic — which was interesting for me to hear lol.

Anyway hope all is well with you Tim! I’m diggin your blog!