This chapter explores the differing social behaviors in two Brazilian fishing communities shaped by their environments, one coastal and the other lacustrine. It questions the assumption of inherent human competitiveness, highlighting the ocean community's trust and cooperation compared to the lake community's competitive tendencies.
Some people think they need to be ruthless and selfish to thrive and survive in life. The theories of Charles Darwin are often wrongly interpreted to support this view that being competitive is the key to happiness and success. It isn’t.
Dr Laurie Santos and Dr Jamil Zaki find that there are plenty of examples in the animal kingdom and human world where cooperation, kindness and compassion prove to be the winning strategy.
Jamil's book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness is out now.
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