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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

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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.

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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