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#515 - David & Douglas Kenrick - Evolved Psychology Vs The Modern World

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Aug 20, 2022

Guest

Douglas Kenrick

Guest

David Lundberg Kenrick

David Lundberg Kenrick, a psychology program manager at ASU, and his brother Douglas Kenrick, a psychology professor, explore how our ancient brains mismatch modern life. They discuss the surprising popularity of obesity over starvation today, the significance of dominance versus prestige in getting ahead, and how ancient views of love may differ from ours. Delving into the evolutionary purposes of menopause and the interplay of kindness in society, they highlight the importance of understanding our psychology to navigate contemporary challenges.

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insights

INSIGHT

Work, Affiliation, and Purpose

Work provides affiliation and purpose, which are evolutionarily advantageous.
Contributing to a group and feeling productive likely brought social acceptance in ancestral environments.

insights

INSIGHT

Beyond Maslow's Hierarchy

Maslow's hierarchy of needs overlooks mating and kin care as key motivators.
Humans are driven by reproduction and caring for family, not just self-actualization.

insights

INSIGHT

Modern Technology and Ancient Instincts

Modern technology intensifies ancient fears and desires by constantly priming multiple motives.
This creates a stressful mismatch between our instincts and our environment.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

The Complexity of Modern Fulfillment

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Unexpected Adventures in Barcelona

24:43 • 2min

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The Paradox of Wealth and Health in Modern Diets

26:26 • 2min

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Ancestral Insights: Evolving Human Connections

27:56 • 23min

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Leadership Dynamics: Prestige vs. Dominance

51:12 • 18min

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Evolutionary Insights on Menopause and Familial Dynamics

01:08:45 • 15min

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The Evolutionary Basis of Kindness in Modern Society

01:23:52 • 6min

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Solving Modern Problems with a Stone Age Brain

Human Evolution and the Seven Fundamental Motives

David Lundberg Kenrick

Douglas Kenrick

This book delves into the challenges of living in a modern world with a brain evolved from the Stone Age. It discusses how our ancient instincts influence our choices and behaviors in areas such as diet, relationships, and family. The authors provide insights and solutions based on evolutionary psychology to help readers better understand and adapt to these mismatches.

Billy No-Mates

Max Dickins

In 'Billy No-Mates', Max Dickins embarks on a personal journey to understand male friendships after realizing he had no close friends to serve as his best man. The book delves into the science and sociology of masculine relationships, highlighting issues such as intimacy and isolation in male friendships. Through humorous anecdotes and research, Dickins offers insights into the dynamics of male friendships and how they can be improved.

The Mating Mind

How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature

Geoffrey Miller

In 'The Mating Mind,' Geoffrey Miller proposes that the human mind evolved not just as a survival machine but as a courtship machine. He argues that many of the distinctive human traits, such as language, art, music, and morality, were developed as fitness indicators and sexual attractors. Miller draws on Darwin's theory of sexual selection and integrates ideas from psychology, economics, history, and pop culture to explain how these traits were shaped by the sexual choices of our ancestors. The book suggests that once language evolved, thought itself became subject to sexual selection, and that human courtship is a primary driving force behind human evolution.

The Moral Animal

Why We Are the Way We Are

Robert Wright

In 'The Moral Animal', Robert Wright delves into the world of evolutionary psychology to explain human behavior, emotions, and moral conduct. The book uses Charles Darwin's life and personal conduct in Victorian England as a case study to illustrate how evolutionary forces shape human behavior. Wright discusses topics such as jealousy, altruism, and social class, arguing that many of our actions are driven by subconscious genetic strategies aimed at survival and the propagation of our genes. The book also explores the paradox of how moral and responsible actions can emerge from a strictly Darwinian interpretation of human behavior, suggesting that understanding our evolutionary past can help us override our primitive programming and develop a more common moral outlook.

A River Runs Through It

Norman Maclean

The book is set in the small towns and mountains of western Montana and revolves around the narrator, Norman Maclean, and his brother Paul. It delves into their experiences with fly fishing, their close-knit family, and the broader themes of life, nature, and human relationships. The story is a blend of memoir, elegy, and allegory, using fly fishing as a metaphor to explore deeper existential questions. The narrative is marked by vivid descriptions of nature and a poignant reflection on the author's past, particularly the tragic events that shaped his life.

The selfish gene

Lalla Ward Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

In 'The Selfish Gene', Richard Dawkins presents a gene-centred view of evolution, arguing that genes are the primary units of selection and that they behave selfishly to ensure their own replication. The book explains concepts such as kin selection, inclusive fitness, and the evolutionarily stable strategy, highlighting how these mechanisms can lead to altruistic behaviors in organisms. Dawkins emphasizes that the 'selfishness' of genes is a metaphorical concept, describing their evolutionary consequences rather than any intentional behavior. The book has been influential in shaping modern evolutionary thought and remains relevant today.

Don't Trust Your Gut

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

In 'Don’t Trust Your Gut,' Seth Stephens-Davidowitz uses extensive datasets to uncover surprising and effective strategies for life’s biggest self-help puzzles. The book reveals how data from sources like dating profiles, tax records, and career trajectories contradict our instincts and offer practical, data-driven advice on topics such as finding a mate, raising children, and achieving career success. It emphasizes the importance of relying on hard facts and figures rather than gut instincts for making smarter decisions.

David Lundberg Kenrick is the Psychology Program Manager at Arizona State University and Douglas Kenrick is a Professor of psychology at Arizona State University.

Our brains were designed to exist in a very different environment to the one they find themselves in. Managing modern problems with stone-age operating systems causes us to act in strange, suboptimal, silly ways. Which is why it's so important to understand how our minds developed.

Expect to learn just how violent humans were ancestrally, why more people die of obesity than starvation in 2022, whether dominance or prestige is more important at getting ahead, whether ancient humans felt love the same way we do now, why human females go through menopause, the relationship between dominance and attraction and much more...

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