Quote by Kevin Simler

“But notice all the conspicuous effort in this story. If Charles’s physicians had simply prescribed soup and bed rest, everyone might have questioned whether…

— Kevin Simler

“In fact, one of the best predictors of dominance is the ratio of “eye contact while speaking” to “eye contact while listening.” Psychologists call…

— Kevin Simler

“Instead, by creating associations that exist out in the broader culture—not just in our own heads, but in the heads of third parties—ads turn…

— Kevin Simler

“Thus we use laughter to gauge and calibrate social boundaries—both behavioral boundaries (norms) and group membership boundaries (who deserves how much of our empathy).…

— Kevin Simler

“In the broadest sense, there are at least two ways to use the danger of norms for comedic effect. The first is to feint…

— Kevin Simler

“When we donate to a good cause, it “says” to our associates, “Look, I’m willing to spend my resources for the benefit of others.…

— Kevin Simler

“In light of all this, we’re now equipped to think about the relationship between laughter and humor. In any given comedic situation, humor precedes…

— Kevin Simler

“Note, however, that a community’s supply of social rewards is limited, so we’re often competing to show more loyalty than others—to engage in a…

— Kevin Simler

“So it’s a mixed bag. Schools help prepare us for the modern workplace and perhaps for society at large. But in order to do…

— Kevin Simler

“It is a wonderful quirk of our species that the incentives of social life don’t reward strictly ruthless behavior. Leaders who are too domineering…

— Kevin Simler

“80 percent of people chose to award a scholarship to a member of their favored political party, even when another applicant had better grades.…

— Kevin Simler

“But for most trees, height is all about getting more sun. A forest is an intensely competitive place, and sunlight is a scarce but…

— Kevin Simler