Current Events > From an evolutionary perspective, why do we have feelings/empathy?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I read this topic and it made me feel very sad:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/400-current-events/80141435

some other CE poster also replied I wish I hadnt read this topic, so he must have felt bad too.

I cant fathom how this is useful for self survival, from an evolutionary perspective? Yet here we are

Empathy helps you work together which is conducive to a healthy society.

Unfortunately said society also gets taken advantage of by people without empathy so it goes both ways. But the healthy society has to be built first.

So I dont murder your children.

Theoretically speaking of course.

This topic will just be a bunch of bullshit, by design. (As someone who has literally studied emotions from an evolutionary perspective before).

It's a natural ramification of metacognition and sense of self/other.

we, as a species just felt like it. and once we did it, everyone understood how it felt

The people who didn't give a fuck about others let their kids die and those genes did not pass on.

Other social animals also have feelings and empathy, even elephants for example.

Wouldn't it logically lead to humans working together, having friendships, and increasing survivability? Like if one guy was down on his luck and hungry, and another guy had a successful hunt and felt bad and gave him some meat, maybe that guy would repay the favor later?

Empathy has some similarities to love.

We still don't know what love is, but it's there.

Empathy, love, compassion. Traits that even animals have. Maybe it helps keep us together instead of separate. Being together makes us strong.

Ar0ge posted...

Other social animals also have feelings and empathy, even elephants for example.

Rats, contrary to basically all other rodents and most mammals, will actual nurse sick rats back to health instead of abandoning them. They will also explicitly choose to help another rat even when offered a treat as an alternative.

DarkRoast posted...

It's a natural ramification of metacognition and sense of self/other.

fascinating. Where can I read more about this?

Ar0ge posted...

Other social animals also have feelings and empathy, even elephants for example.

and dogs too (not pibbles tho) , yes. And some apes and monkeys

It encourages us to work together, which improves our odds of survival.

If we're both in the tribe, you want to help me if I'm sick or injured. Not only is it easier to hunt bigger prey as a team(Solo hunts being far riskier), but it encourages me to return the favor if something happens to you.

Stronger humans who didn't work together eventually got replaced with weaker humans who did work together. Why hunt a big cat by yourself, when we can take down a mammoth together?

Umbreon posted...

It encourages us to work together, which improves our odds of survival.

If we're both in the tribe, you want to help me if I'm sick or injured. Not only is it easier to hunt bigger prey as a team(Solo hunts being far riskier), but it encourages me to return the favor if something happens to you.

Stronger humans who didn't work together eventually got replaced with weaker humans who did work together. Why hunt a big cat by yourself, when we can take down a mammoth together?

fascinating too. I am learning a lot ITT

MrAndersonWb posted...

fascinating. Where can I read more about this?

and dogs too (not pibbles tho) , yes. And some apes and monkeys

I forgot the exact term, but there is a metacognitive concept involving the ability to consider something from someone else's perspective. Humans don't develop that until about 3 or 4 years old. I believe it's something like frame of mind. Actual affection and love necessitates consideration of the other individual's viewpoint. Not very many animals have shown clear signs of understanding the viewpoints of others in their group. It's not quite the same as cooperating. Most of that is instinctual.

It's also important to point out that humans actually spent the vast, vast majority of their existence being not that much more advanced than pack animals. It really wasn't until about 10,000 BC that any degree of organized shared culture and language even existed. And it wasn't until about 3,500 BC that technology began to advance beyond Stone age materials. Considering humans have been around for over a million years, that's quite astonishing to think about.