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In such prototribal societies, individuals who found it…

“In such prototribal societies, individuals who found it harder to play along, to restrain their antisocial impulses, and to conform to the most important collective norms would not have been anyone’s top choice when it came time to choose partners for hunting, foraging, or mating. In particular…” quote by Jonathan Haidt
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““In such prototribal societies, individuals who found it harder to play along, to restrain their antisocial impulses, and to conform to the most important collective norms would not have been anyone’s top choice when it came time to choose partners for hunting, foraging, or mating. In particular, people who were violent would have been shunned, punished, or in extreme cases killed. This process has been described as “self-domestication.”71 The ancestors of dogs, cats, and pigs got less aggressive as they were domesticated and shaped for partnership with human beings. Only the friendliest ones approached human settlements in the first place; they volunteered to become the ancestors of today’s pets and farm animals. In a similar way, early humans domesticated themselves when they began to select friends and partners based on their ability to live within the tribe’s moral matrix. In fact, our brains, bodies, and behavior show many of the same signs of domestication that are found in our domestic animals: smaller teeth, smaller body, reduced aggression, and greater playfulness, carried on even into adulthood.72 The reason is that domestication generally takes traits that disappear at the end of childhood and keeps them turned on for life. Domesticated animals (including humans) are more childlike, sociable, and gentle than their wild ancestors. These””

Jonathan Haidt

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Humans evolved to favor friendly, cooperative traits, reducing aggression through social selection, akin to animal domestication.

In simple terms: We became more gentle by choosing sociable partners.

Key Takeaway

Embrace cooperation, value gentle traits.

Themes

cooperation social evolution domestication human nature

Mood

reflective optimistic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • team building
  • conflict resolution
  • leadership development
  • community building

Key Concepts

evolutionary psychology social selection trait retention

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do modern institutions reinforce or undermine self‑domestication?
  • What personal habits nurture our childlike sociability?
A Different Perspective

Aggression can still surface despite social norms.

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