• jbrains@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Compassion. Its existence is most improbable.

    That’s probably not how you meant the question, but it’s the meaning that comes to my mind.

    • mlfh@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Altruistic behavior in social creatures improves the fitness of the group, and has positive evolutionary pressure. Strong, cohesive groups pass on their genes, so actually pretty probable!

      • jbrains@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        On one hand, yes, absolutely; on the other hand, when the chips are down, we seem to choose violence over compassion and cooperation. Given how difficult living likely was in the distant past, I would have guessed that compassion would have died in the crib.

      • jbrains@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Thank you. I know of it, but haven’t read it. I probably know a very superficial version of the argument, but I might find a full-length description of it more credible. Even so, it seems more fortunate than inevitable to me.