#422 - Dr Joe Henrich - Evolution, Psychology, Monogamy & Culture
Jan 15, 2022
auto_awesome
Joe Henrich, a Harvard Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology, dives deep into how culture shapes our behaviors and preferences. He discusses the intriguing idea that much of what we believe to be 'human nature' may actually be cultural conditioning. Explore how agricultural choices influence family dynamics, and the implications of a future with sexless men. The conversation touches on the interplay between language, social structure, and psychological traits, all while highlighting the moral dilemmas we face in a culturally diverse world.
Culture and location heavily influence human behavior and preferences, impacting dating, work, and family life.
Family structures and societal institutions shape psychological traits like trust, individualism, and nepotism.
Cultural evolution impacts societal norms, with regions showing tendencies towards truthfulness or loyalty based on family structures.
Deep dives
Influences of Location and Culture on Behavior
Location and culture play significant roles in shaping human behavior and preferences, impacting everything from dating to work and family life to religion. The podcast discusses how human nature might be influenced by cultural conditioning, especially when considering the impact of diverse social environments on individual behavior.
Impact of Kinship Institutions on Human Psychology
The podcast delves into the link between kinship institutions, family structures, and human psychology. It explores how family organization and societal institutions influence psychological traits like individualism, analytic thinking, trust towards strangers, and nepotism. The speaker highlights the role of kin-based institutions in shaping human social psychology.
Cultural Evolution and Non-Zero-Sum Thinking
The podcast examines cultural evolution and its impact on societal norms like conformity, loss aversion, and non-zero-sum thinking. It discusses how societies with lower conformity, higher innovation, and non-zero-sum mentality tend to experience greater economic dynamism and innovation. The concept of deferment of gratification is explored, with insights on how societal traits like protestant work ethic may influence behaviors related to patience and future rewards.
Impact of Family Structure on Behavior
Regions with small, monogamous nuclear families show a tendency towards truthfulness in court proceedings, reflecting values of honesty and individual responsibility. Conversely, areas with larger families prioritize loyalty to relationships, showcasing a community-oriented approach where loyalty to friends holds significant importance. These contrasting behaviors highlight the influence of family structures on shaping ethical values and interpersonal dealings.
Variations in Shame and Guilt across Societies
Anthropological observations distinguish between shame-based societies, emphasizing social reputations, and guilt-based societies, focusing on personal moral standards. Shame societies stress adhering to societal norms to avoid embarrassment, while guilt societies involve internalized self-imposed standards. Diversity in shame and guilt prevalence is evident globally, with Dutch societies showcasing high guilt tendencies, whereas many African and Pacific societies lean towards shame as a governing emotion.
Joe Henrich is Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and an author.
Humans like to think that we're sovereign individuals with agency over our preferences and actions. But we are also a part of our social environment and Joe has teased apart some fascinating trends which explain how our location and culture have huge impacts on the way we behave, our preferences on everything from dating to work and family life to religion.
Expect to learn why the things we consider to be human nature could just be cultural conditioning, the dangerous future if there's lots of sexless men, how the choice between growing rice and wheat impacts family life, what having diplomatic immunity from parking tickets can teach us about human nature, how Joe's lab can use language to archaeologically tell us about social trends from history and much more...
