Modern Wisdom

#422 - Dr Joe Henrich - Evolution, Psychology, Monogamy & Culture

Jan 15, 2022

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.

01:00:01

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Joe Henrich

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Quick takeaways

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.

Sexless Under Class of Men

02:21

Rivalrous are less common in high population dense social systems

01:36

[[🌳 Ecology shapes institutions which shape psychology]]

02:03

The Nature of Personality

02:27

Intro

2min

Cultural Conditioning vs. Human Nature: A Psychological Exploration

4min

Ecology, Culture, and Human Behavior

18min

Cultural Dynamics and Innovation

13min

Exploring Loyalty and Truth in Moral Dilemmas

2min

Understanding Shame and Guilt Across Cultures

2min

Culture, Biology, and Social Dynamics

20min

The Economics of Belief: Hell's Impact on Society

2min

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...

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