Rory Sutherland
Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin
The Argumentation Hypothesis and the Evolution of Reason
There is an interesting book called the argumentation hypothesis which suggests that humans evolved reason to argue with others. While reason is useful for decision-making, it is actually an accidental byproduct. Our brain functions more like that of a lawyer than a scientist. Evaluating and making arguments is a necessary function for a social species. However, this function is not as deeply rooted in the brain as the appreciation of music. Interestingly, there are people who lack a sense of humor, suggesting that they are outliers but still important in evolutionary terms. Even anecdotes should not be discounted as they can provide valuable insights. For example, Che Guevara and Milton Friedman were individuals completely devoid of musical appreciation. Such rare cases are fascinating and warrant further research.
