Quote:
Originally Posted by yossarian  Why is it difficult to see the evolutionary advantage in pair bonding?
Bonds of friendship and love keep people alive. It's trust. The entire idea is that when hard times fall you'll have someone to depend on and trust. This is advantageous because survival is the #1 priority for your genes. If you want to reproduce, first you must survive.
Pain-bonding is about survival. This is why poor people stay in marriages longer than rich people. |
I guess EP theory would explain thusly... In the past, when humans weren't as witty or clever as they are now, we must have looked at pair bonding as necessary factors for mating. Without trust, as you said, people will not together help the survival of the child. Necessary is both the male and female.
However, when we put all the factors in perspective it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Look at the things women look for in a man the most. Humor, trust, confidence, and emotional connection.
According to EP theory these things should be bottom tier of concerns. A man who's handsome and rich yet serious and willing to give all to his child is a much more suitable choice. Yet when looking at women's criteria you see this sort of conflict of values.
EP Theory can still find ways to explain it but they fall pretty short the majority of times when explaining most things. Homosexuality, suicide... while CAN be explained by EP sometimes leaves people... grasping for more. (When I say this I'm being devil's advocate... actually I think EP can explain these quite well)
Although, I do put a lot of value into EP theory, sometimes I have to consider the possibility that EP theory might just be a logical convenience. Which means that it's sort of this nice theory that
men love because it's so logical.
If I wanted, I could explain the world in terms of atoms, But it still falls short of explaining the whole picture. I could convince Sam who is sitting next to me right now, he is a composite of several carbon molecules and mostly comprised up hydrogen, oxygen, etc etc...
While the explanation is just as logical as EP, it may not grasp the whole reality.
Generally, EP is flipping awesome. What a comprehensive understanding of all human behavior wrapped up in our biology and primordial soup origins.
I do applaud the OP for at least considering conflicting points of view before... "coming into the dawkin's religion".
Welcome to the brotherhood.