Human Nature?

Chapter ten brings up the now old and still unsolved question of nature versus nurture. We are still at a loss as to what influences our lives and our choices the most. However it seems clearer in the animal kingdom, for example this chapter mentions that female bees act as they are raised to. It also deals with reciprocal altruism, which is another form of selfishness. It presents itself amongst groups of selfish individuals, who then cooperate in other to secure an advantage. For example penguins will huddle together, the individual getting the benefit of presenting less surface area to the wind, but must also give something of his, as in taking a turn on the outside of the huddle and receiving more wind in exchange for this benefit. It is important that these individuals do not face the wind because they want to help the group, but because it is the best choice for them as individuals because they reap the most benefits by cooperating. This chapter also mentions that some individuals cheat, which means they appear to be collaborating, but in fact aren’t. The need to cheat slyly and smartly may be one of the big reasons for the human ability for math and our big brains.