Some things that stay the same

Here are a few things that remain constant in time so far:

• Most primates (us included) organize themselves in groups
• Groups composed of primates have hierarchies
• Hierarchies (in humans) are explicit to different degrees, depending on culture and other contextual elements
• Groups think in “us vs. them” - we do this, they do that; we have good manners, they don’t; we are good, they are bad; and so on
• This “us vs. them” mentality helps establish the group’s identity and reinforces its existence
• Each individual (human) in the group may also be part of other unrelated groups
• The hierarchical position of the same individual may differ greatly within each group he’s part of
• Each individual within the group acts in his/her self-interest first and foremost
• Individual interests include increased rank in the hierarchy
• Higher hierarchical rank relative to other in-group members provides access to more, better resources
• Resources include choice of sexual partners, food, shelter, esteem from others, money, and more
• When primates bond, oxytocin gets released, often eliciting sensations of warmth and safety
• When primates experience something unexpected, scary, the amygdala is primarily activated and in charge of immediate reactions
• The pre-frontal cortex in humans is responsible for longer-term, culturally-influenced thinking and decision-making
• The skin is the largest organ in the human body