Chapter 1. The survival of the most cultured
The question this is book is trying to answer, and explain, is about the relationship between genes
and culture. Genes determine what you eat, move, and what sound you make. There is a big
difference when we look at the genes of animals and humans. Genes of animals overrule the social
environment, while the genes of humans give a way to behave in the social environment. Unlike
other animals, humans are less dependent on our genes, to tell us what to do. Instead of using
information from the pool of DNA that we got for our parents, we get most of our survival
information from our culture. For example: the food we eat, how we dress, the products we make,
the language we speak, what religion we believe in, the people we consider as friends, or the
enemies we should fight and kill in war. Humans are influenced by their surroundings and based on
that we act and react.
All humans are born with a receptive mind that absorbs the first culture seen. They change their
living style based on a culture to survive.
What makes us different from other animals is that we cannot always understand our own kind,
because we speak a different language, or we have a different way to behave. The reason why
humans have cultural diversity is to protect our ideas.
We protest these by:
- to retreat into a small family group and only share knowledge with relatives.
- to develop a system that I can communicate with you and convince you that cooperation is
actually better that stealing.
The language provides a way to negotiate, to make deals, and to come to an agreement. The desire
to manage cultural resources enables diverse languages to evolve and also channels people in
different subgroups. Furthermore, we have the ability to observe, copy, pick the best practices, and
transfer them to others. Of course, animals can do this as well, but the difference is that we are
conscious of what we are copying and why we are doing it. We choose what we want to share.
Genes can only make changes to improve when we reproduce the next generation in a different
body, while cultural elements can jump directly from one mind to the other. Culture allows us to
acquire knowledge, belief, ideas and practicing by watching imitating and learning from others.
In the 19th century, Darwin started a theory called environmental determinism. It says that our living
environment is the reason why our societies developed differently. However, this theory was also
used to justify imperialism and racism. For example: Hitler’s idea of race superiority.
Human beings are rather active than passive who see numerous possibilities in nature and actively
shape it to suit our need for survival. We dried up rivers, flattened forests, reclaimed land from the
forest, and we are bringing extinction to animals and plants faster than they can evolve.
After culture and genes, we can also look at our brain which has lots
of neurons connecting with each other to form complex circuits that
carry electrical and chemical messages to make memories and
govern behavior. From a practical point of view, the culturally
patterned brain enables us to voluntarily take actions that are
appropriate in a specific culture.
, Our brain is able to grow and develop like a muscle, depending on the environment and the culture.
Studies have shown that the brains of men and woman work slightly different. However, research
established that the difference is not as big as a lot of people believe and this may be due to a
different size.
Our genes determine a lot of who we are and how we interact with others, but this is not
unidirectional, since our behaviors can change our DNA. Many diseases are preventable and are
reversible by adopting a new way that would gradually influence the expression of ‘bad’’ genes and
enhance the impact of good ones.
Behaviors are not the final point of the interaction. They are both the consequence and the driving
force of culture and environment. At the same time, behaviors are influenced by genes, but can also
modify genes. This brought the question that has not been answered for years is ‘whether human
nature is good or bad’. Earlier theorists expressed the essence of the human mind, with phrases such
as ‘’law of the jungle’’ ‘’survival of the fittest’’ ‘’every man for himself’’. However, recent studies have
a considered proof that human nature is not at all naturally evil.
What are we becoming now?
Technology systems are now becoming a problem and it caused more distance between people.
Traditional methods of exchange of information which we have known for thousands of years, have
been swept away. It not the change but the speed of change that has changed immensely.
The question this is book is trying to answer, and explain, is about the relationship between genes
and culture. Genes determine what you eat, move, and what sound you make. There is a big
difference when we look at the genes of animals and humans. Genes of animals overrule the social
environment, while the genes of humans give a way to behave in the social environment. Unlike
other animals, humans are less dependent on our genes, to tell us what to do. Instead of using
information from the pool of DNA that we got for our parents, we get most of our survival
information from our culture. For example: the food we eat, how we dress, the products we make,
the language we speak, what religion we believe in, the people we consider as friends, or the
enemies we should fight and kill in war. Humans are influenced by their surroundings and based on
that we act and react.
All humans are born with a receptive mind that absorbs the first culture seen. They change their
living style based on a culture to survive.
What makes us different from other animals is that we cannot always understand our own kind,
because we speak a different language, or we have a different way to behave. The reason why
humans have cultural diversity is to protect our ideas.
We protest these by:
- to retreat into a small family group and only share knowledge with relatives.
- to develop a system that I can communicate with you and convince you that cooperation is
actually better that stealing.
The language provides a way to negotiate, to make deals, and to come to an agreement. The desire
to manage cultural resources enables diverse languages to evolve and also channels people in
different subgroups. Furthermore, we have the ability to observe, copy, pick the best practices, and
transfer them to others. Of course, animals can do this as well, but the difference is that we are
conscious of what we are copying and why we are doing it. We choose what we want to share.
Genes can only make changes to improve when we reproduce the next generation in a different
body, while cultural elements can jump directly from one mind to the other. Culture allows us to
acquire knowledge, belief, ideas and practicing by watching imitating and learning from others.
In the 19th century, Darwin started a theory called environmental determinism. It says that our living
environment is the reason why our societies developed differently. However, this theory was also
used to justify imperialism and racism. For example: Hitler’s idea of race superiority.
Human beings are rather active than passive who see numerous possibilities in nature and actively
shape it to suit our need for survival. We dried up rivers, flattened forests, reclaimed land from the
forest, and we are bringing extinction to animals and plants faster than they can evolve.
After culture and genes, we can also look at our brain which has lots
of neurons connecting with each other to form complex circuits that
carry electrical and chemical messages to make memories and
govern behavior. From a practical point of view, the culturally
patterned brain enables us to voluntarily take actions that are
appropriate in a specific culture.
, Our brain is able to grow and develop like a muscle, depending on the environment and the culture.
Studies have shown that the brains of men and woman work slightly different. However, research
established that the difference is not as big as a lot of people believe and this may be due to a
different size.
Our genes determine a lot of who we are and how we interact with others, but this is not
unidirectional, since our behaviors can change our DNA. Many diseases are preventable and are
reversible by adopting a new way that would gradually influence the expression of ‘bad’’ genes and
enhance the impact of good ones.
Behaviors are not the final point of the interaction. They are both the consequence and the driving
force of culture and environment. At the same time, behaviors are influenced by genes, but can also
modify genes. This brought the question that has not been answered for years is ‘whether human
nature is good or bad’. Earlier theorists expressed the essence of the human mind, with phrases such
as ‘’law of the jungle’’ ‘’survival of the fittest’’ ‘’every man for himself’’. However, recent studies have
a considered proof that human nature is not at all naturally evil.
What are we becoming now?
Technology systems are now becoming a problem and it caused more distance between people.
Traditional methods of exchange of information which we have known for thousands of years, have
been swept away. It not the change but the speed of change that has changed immensely.
