The Enemy Within: Evolution's Role in Human Conflict
Briefly

Human behavior is often hostile and irrational, rooted in evolutionary past that favored in-group loyalty and suspicion of outsiders for survival. As group-living primates, our ancestors thrived on cohesion and aggression to ward off threats and compete for resources. This evolutionary mechanism led to two aggression types: reactive, which is impulsive, and proactive, which involves organized group conflicts. The modern tendency to categorize individuals into 'us' versus 'them' is a result of our brain's evolution, amplifying differences based on various social identifiers. Understanding these behaviors can help build peaceful societies.
Human behavior today is influenced by instincts from our ancestors that were crafted to meet survival needs. This wiring can complicate navigating contemporary life.
Aggression, seen as an adaptation for securing resources and resolving disputes, persists in modern society despite its origins in prehistoric survival situations.
The human brain is inherently structured to form coalitional alliances, leading us to categorize individuals into 'us' versus 'them,' amplifying differences.
Understanding the evolutionary origins of human behavior can aid in creating more harmonious societies, as it reveals the roots of conflict and cooperation.
Read at Psychology Today
[
|
]