The Handicap Principle Applied to the Human Mind

Author: 7000series
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human

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#1
7000series
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Why are people smart? More specifically, why are some people driven to be smart? Well, humans are social creatures, people want to be intelligent because others admire intelligence.

Looking to nature, we can ask a similar question. Why do peacocks spread their feathers? They do it to attract mates. But that begs the bigger question. Why do other peacocks admire a peacock that can make a big feathery display?

Tying this back to humanity, why do other humans admire a human who can always win at scrabble, or make a witty joke?

There is one thing that connects the tail of a peacock, and a game of chess, and that thing is waste. Male peacocks attract females by showing them that they are genetically successful enough to waste resources on bright plumage and elaborate dances. Humans do this too!

Humans waste money on expensive fashion to show other humans their success. In a similar way, many humans waste extreme mental effort on fruitless labors like art and debate to convince other humans that they are cultured.

The average human brain hogs up about twenty percent of the body’s daily energy. You may say that intelligence is practical, but Humans actually show more brain activity when socializing than when solving problems.

Basically, humans primarily use their brains to woo other humans. With this in mind, could it be possible that problem solving is a secondary function of the human brain? Tell me what you think.
#2
WyIted
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@7000series
I think for midwits problem solving is secondary. By midwits I don't mean dumb people. I am thinking of an IQ around 115 to 125.

Their primary concern is with social hierarchy and they actually mimic true learn by memorization of facts. Because being able to pass tests is more valuable to them than knowledge. Unfortunately geniuses have to attend the same schools as them but geniuses should honestly be forced to go to school but be in charge of solving their own problems.



For example a kid tells you he wants to solve world hunger. So now he has to learn how to read to become capable then he starts looking at how supply routes are built and has to learn math relevant to organizing supply lines. He might have to look at weather patterns etc. so the kid is naturally going to be inclined to problem solve if the teacher isn't putting him in classes with midwits and forcing him to learn stupid shit that is far beneath him.
#3
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@7000series
Why are people smart?
They are not. Maybe I am, but the rest of humanity is just slightly above apes.

many humans waste extreme mental effort on fruitless labors like art and debate
Debating is necessary to reach the truth on moral issues which are crucial for making society function. Even kings had people who debated to give them better advice.

Art is also necessary, at least some forms of it, because people cannot just work all day. They need to rest, relax and enjoy as well.
#4
zedvictor4
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@WyIted
How to solve World hunger.

Eradicate the cause of hunger.

Kid needs to learn how to be  a practical psychopathic global tyrant with a globally effective super-weapon.

Fuck supply routes.


#5
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@zedvictor4
Yes killing off all hungry people would work as well. You are right there is more than one way to skin a cat
#6
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@WyIted
A Zedku for Wylted


Hymn sheet sing song,

Screeching Cat,

Skin him,

Stew him,

Sat on his mat.


Short term response to a long term situation,

Protein packed population,

Skin on,

Dehydrate em,

Make biscuits and bake em.


Feed em to the hungry,

Feed em to the poor,

And when they're gone,

Kill em

And bake some more.
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#7
7000series
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@TheGreatSunGod
Debating is necessary to reach the truth on moral issues which are crucial for making society function.
Debating is necessary to reach moral truth, however moral truth is not necessary for success. The relationship actually goes the other way. Genghis Khan took a sixth the globe using mass imprisonment and psychological warfare.

Art is also necessary, at least some forms of it, because people cannot just work all day. They need to rest, relax and enjoy as well.
People do not need art to relax or entertain themselves. For proof of this, just turn your brain off, and turn on Netflix. I would generously estimate that four percent of the shows on Netflix are art by any metric.
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#8
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Their primary concern is with social hierarchy and they actually mimic true learn by memorization of facts. Because being able to pass tests is more valuable to them than knowledge. Unfortunately geniuses have to attend the same schools as them but geniuses should honestly be forced to go to school but be in charge of solving their own problems.
Here's the thing. . . Every week, I hold conversation with approximately two dozen different people while not online, and all of them are undoubtedly "midwits". Where is this mysterious genius class that you talk of, and where can I find them? I mean, I can reason that they exist, because otherwise we wouldn't have atomic warheads or algebraic topology, but I still cannot find them.

By the way, this is a response to Wylted's post. For some reason, I cannot mention him up top because I get the error message "Wylted is not active"
#9
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@7000series
Debating is necessary to reach moral truth, however moral truth is not necessary for success
It is if you consider reaching truth as success.

People do not need art to relax or entertain themselves
Many people would disagree, as they do need it, and art is usually payed for by people who want it.
#10
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@7000series
Basically, humans primarily use their brains to woo other humans. With this in mind, could it be possible that problem solving is a secondary function of the human brain? Tell me what you think.
Problem creating is a secondary function of the human brain. Planting the seeds of disagreement.

46 days later

#11
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@7000series
I'd figure people are smart because it is advantageous to survival.

Smart people survive, propagate, design clever devices and laws that let their close genetically related tribes survive and prosper.

I'd think some people are driven to be smart out of nature or nurture,
Just hit that genetic number,
But even people without a genetic interest in thinking pursuits, might still pursue intelligence I suppose.
Happen upon intelligence as something admired or a mechanism to stand above others.
. . .

I don't think intelligence is the 'only advantageous trait to survival of a species, lots of winning ways out there in the animal kingdom.
. . .

I 'suppose some people might want to be intelligent because others admire it,
But foremost I'd figure intelligence is a means to ends,
Being intelligent opens a lot of doors to our wants. Make good decisions, avoid bad ones.
And people often value their habits. Intelligence can be a habit.
. . .

I suppose displays of intelligence 'can be wasteful,
Like E-Sports video game competitions,
Not sure I'd put such people at the 'top of the reproduction ladder,
And really I watch 'games more than the people.
. . . Various sports like football, don't really serve a purpose in themselves, but one wouldn't say the primary purpose of the human bodies physical capabilities is to woo mates?
. . .

I think human socializing 'is problem solving.

'Especially for earlier humans in less safe societies.
Learning signs and rules, recognizing what to do, how much.
Knowing who to trust, who to bribe,
Meeting strangers, sizing them up, knowing when to throw in with others.
Recognizing who is going to take advantage of you or treat you fair.
#12
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@Lemming
'Especially for earlier humans in less safe societies.
Learning signs and rules, recognizing what to do, how much.
Knowing who to trust, who to bribe,
Meeting strangers, sizing them up, knowing when to throw in with others.
Recognizing who is going to take advantage of you or treat you fair.
Gun ownership changes all that. America is a good example.
#13
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@Shila
How so?
#14
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@Lemming
How so?

In 2023, a total of 46,728 people died from gun-related injuries in the US. This includes gun murders and suicides, as well as deaths involving law enforcement, accidental shootings, and those where the circumstances were undetermined. Suicides accounted for 58% of these deaths, while homicides accounted for 38%.
#15
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@Shila
Yeah, but I don't worry about my neighbor stealing my food during a famine,
I don't worry whether my neighbor will have my back if some lion attacks,
I don't worry about the next city over sending a raiding party of warriors to kill me, enslave me, or take all my stuff.

I think the existence of guns in America is fine,
Doesn't take a 'gun to kill someone, plenty of other methods easily available, some 'worse than guns.
#16
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@Lemming
Yeah, but I don't worry about my neighbor stealing my food during a famine,
I don't worry whether my neighbor will have my back if some lion attacks,
I don't worry about the next city over sending a raiding party of warriors to kill me, enslave me, or take all my stuff.

I think the existence of guns in America is fine,
Doesn't take a 'gun to kill someone, plenty of other methods easily available, some 'worse than guns.
In the United States, guns are deeply embedded in the culture, with a high rate of ownership and a legal framework that protects the right to bear arms. The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees this right. 
While gun ownership is common, it's also a source of ongoing debate, particularly regarding gun violence and the need for stricter regulations.
 




#17
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@Shila

I think evolution supports guns and even nuclear weapons.
#18
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@FLRW
I think evolution supports guns and even nuclear weapons.
Guns and nuclear weapons are not found in nature. They are man made.
#19
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@Shila
Everything that occurs within a Universe at any given moment, is naturally occurring.

It cannot be anything else.


Guns and nuclear weapons did evolve.

Just as AI will evolve and take over the running of things.
#20
Shila
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@zedvictor4
Everything that occurs within a Universe at any given moment, is naturally occurring.

It cannot be anything else.


Guns and nuclear weapons did evolve.

Just as AI will evolve and take over the running of things.
Neither guns nor nuclear weapons are created by nature. Guns are man-made tools designed to propel projectiles, and nuclear weapons are also entirely human-made devices that utilize nuclear fission or fusion reactions. 

Guns:
  • Guns require human ingenuity and fabrication to create a barrel, firing mechanism, and ammunition.
  • Natural materials like metal ores are extracted and processed, but the process of shaping and assembling them into a firearm is entirely a human activity. 

Nuclear Weapons:
  • Nuclear weapons rely on fissile materials like uranium-235 and plutonium-239, which are found in trace amounts in nature. 

  • However, the process of enriching and concentrating these isotopes to the required levels for a nuclear explosion is a complex and sophisticated human endeavor. 

  • Nuclear weapons also require specialized materials for their design and construction, including the casing, triggers, and delivery systems. 

  • The Union of Concerned Scientists explains that while uranium can be mined from natural deposits, only a small fraction is usable for weapons. 

  • Plutonium is produced as a byproduct in nuclear reactors, requiring further separation and enrichment. 

  • The Nuclear Museum highlights J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in developing the atomic bomb, demonstrating the human effort involved in nuclear weapon design and construction.

#21
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@Shila
Ah.

So you are saying that Humans and their processes and their ability to manipulate are not natural.

So if humans are not natural, then what are they?
#22
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@7000series
Basically, humans primarily use their brains to woo other humans. With this in mind, could it be possible that problem solving is a secondary function of the human brain? Tell me what you think.
Survival is the primary goal of human brains.
#23
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@Shila
Actually, sex is the primary goal of human brains. What we know from science is that and the brain is the largest and most important sex organ.  Chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin, help guide human behavior.  And yes, people do say that I look like Alexander Friedmann.
#24
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@FLRW
Actually, sex is the primary goal of human brains. What we know from science is that and the brain is the largest and most important sex organ.  Chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin, help guide human behavior.  And yes, people do say that I look like Alexander Friedmann.
Survival is the primary goal of human brains. Procreation (sex) guarantees the survival of the human race?
#25
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@Shila

Procreation (sex) guarantees the survival of the human race?
Obviously !
#26
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@FLRW
Procreation (sex) guarantees the survival of the human race?
Obviously
And nuclear technology in which you made a career also stands for Mutually Assured Destruction. Why didn’t you just stay with sex?
#27
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@Shila

I am working on a new fusion reactor.
#28
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@Shila

OK, OK, I will just stay with sex.
#29
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@FLRW
New fusion reactors will revolutionize things.

Will they come in various sizes, or just a regular 12 inch model.

I don't see the 4 inch being particularly popular.

Might end up with a stockpile of short fusion reactors.

Of course, just like breast implants, the mentally unstable will demand the biggest one possible, with little thought of stowage and day to day operational issues.


#30
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@Shila
The survival of the human race is not guaranteed.

And sex does not necessarily guarantee any thing other than the possibility of a temporary cessation of an hormonal itch...Wherein one will extract a variable period of illusory entertainment, and a brief moment of physical pleasure.

Sex is a programmed con trick.

And whereas a Mayfly will be sexually active for one or two Earth days, we if we are lucky will last 50 Earth years or so.

Why?

Why indeed.