The "intoxication thesis": The evolutionary benefits of getting drunk
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The "intoxication thesis": The evolutionary benefits of getting drunk
"I spoke with Slingerland about his book Drunk, in which he outlines his "intoxication thesis." Slingerland argues it's quite common to think that getting drunk is an evolutionary mistake. Some early Homo sapiens drank too much fermented fruit juice and discovered it was pretty fun. So they told their mates and, altogether, they clinked their frothy ciders and sang bawdy songs about hunting and gathering."
"The reason that masturbation is the "classic example" of an evolutionary mistake is that there's a very obvious and simple answer as to why an orgasm feels great - it is nature's reward for doing what our genes really "want" us to do: copy themselves into the next generation. This is what evolutionary biologists call the "adaptive target" of the orgasm. Have sex, reproduce, copy your genes, and you'll get this surge of dopamine, oxytocin, and lovely, lovely endorphins."
Getting drunk is often labeled an evolutionary mistake because alcohol is toxic and the body is not designed for intoxication. Intoxication can, however, produce social rituals, shared pleasure, and cooperative behaviors that enhance group cohesion and intergroup advantages. Early humans consuming fermented fruit may have discovered communal intoxication reinforced social ties through singing, shared celebration, and cooperative activity. The orgasm/masturbation example shows reward systems can be exploited for non-reproductive ends; similarly, alcohol can hijack evolved mechanisms to yield benefits for well-being, social complexity, and reproductive success despite biological drawbacks.
Read at Big Think
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