How to Play the Status Game - Geoffrey Miller | Maiden Mother Matriarch 66
Apr 3, 2024
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Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller discusses how consumerist culture affects fertility, status games in parenting, the challenges of the blank slate view of human nature, and the adaptive nature of self-deception. The extended discussion covers polyamory's elitist appeal and the debate on its normalization in society.
Consumerist culture limits fertility by distracting individuals with status games and fitness cues over actual reproductive success.
Evolutionary resistance to modern distractions like technology may be found in certain human subcultures focusing on actual reproductive success.
Deep dives
Evolved Nervous Systems and Runaway Consumerism
Evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller discusses the concept of evolved nervous systems getting distracted by runaway consumerism like video games and entertainment technology, suggesting a potential explanation for Fermi's Paradox. He explains that as long as individuals are surrounded by cues of success and validation, they are prone to chasing fitness cues rather than focusing on actual reproductive success.
Limbic Capitalism and Cue-Based Decision Making
Miller delves into the concept of limbic capitalism where individuals are enticed by various forms of entertainment and status games, leading to a focus on chasing fitness cues rather than having actual babies. He highlights the impact of technology and social status on decision-making, emphasizing how these distractions can hinder individuals from prioritizing reproductive success.
Resistance to Distractions and Impact on Evolution
Miller discusses the potential for certain human subcultures to resist modern distractions like video games and virtual reality. He mentions religious fundamentalist groups that are wary of technology, suggesting that over generations, individuals focused on actual reproductive success will have more descendants, leading to an evolutionary resistance to pervasive distractions.
Parenting, Altruism, and Evolutionary Psychology
The discussion extends to evolutionary perspectives on parenting and altruism, emphasizing the biological trade-offs between attracting mates and parenting offspring. Miller explores how hormonal changes in parents indicate a shift from mating to parenting focus, highlighting the adaptive nature of self-deception and the importance of familial instincts in shaping behavior.
My guest today is Geoffrey Miller, evolutionary psychologist, associate professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico, and author of many books, including (most recently) 'Virtue Signaling: Essays on Darwinian Politics & Free Speech'.
We spoke about how consumerist culture limits fertility, the status games that parents play with their children, how the blank slate view of human nature makes parenting more difficult, and why it's adaptive to lie to ourselves about our true motivations.
In the extended part of the episode, we spoke about whether polyamory only works for a subset of the elite, and debated the merits of its normalisation.
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