“You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours.”

For a long time, humans have observed that animals live in groups: Wolfs in packs, fish in schools, birds in flocks, etc. However, I used to believe they did this just for the sake of it, or even simply to have company (as naïve as that may sound). However, Dawkins explain that animals do not live in groups just because, there is a whole bigger reason, and this can be traced to nothing else but selfishness. When they are surrounded by many of the same species, animals are less likely to be eaten, thus allowing them to propagate their own genes.

Although Dawkins avoids using human beings as models, his own examples clearly demonstrate that humans are no exceptions. True, I do not hang out friends to make sure they protect me from harm, and this is probably because society has managed to protect us and removed many of or primitive habits. But still, it hasn’t eliminated our instincts and there are both subconscious and conscious things that humans do, that can be traced back to selfishness.

For example, most people I know dislike being left to sit on the corner in places like the cinema. I had never asked myself why, but this is probably due to an instinctive feeling of vulnerability we dot give much thought to.  Perhaps this makes us feel more prone to danger without even realizing. Similarly, a friend once told me that many people subconsciously sit facing the door because their instincts want them to be on the look out, and this certainly applies to Dawkins theory. If they had their back to the door, any threat could approach without them noticing, so their primordial instincts lead them directly to a seat facing the door (I’m not saying it applies to all cases, but it does apply to many).

Just like there are ways in which we subconsciously want people around us to protect us, there are also ways that we are fully aware of. For example, people feel safer when walking on the street when another person is with them. However, many have probably not stopped to think that if they were attacked in any way, let’s say mugged, their companion would have no way of protecting them. It’s almost as if they were alone, yet we feel safer with someone by our side. Maybe deep, deep down, very subconsciously, we are hoping that they’ll be attacked instead of us, just like animals do…?

There are also bodyguards, who are hired to protect a person who is more prone to danger. However, these bodyguards are also selfish and won’t do it just for the sake of it. In exchange for protecting a person, they receive money, which Dawkins acknowledges as a “formal token of delayed reciprocal altruism.” (Page 188) So even though many people believe we are the exception to animal savagery and primordial instinctiveness, we are not. We might even be more similar to animals than we initially though.

Vocabulary

Reciprocal altruism (P. 166): Doing a favor to another, expecting to later benefit from this.

Selfish herd (P. 167):  A herd of selfish individuals

Cave Theory (P. 169): The theory that an animal of a certain species warns others about a danger for the purely selfish reason of avoiding others from catching the predator’s eye.

Never Break Ranks Theory (P. 169): The theory that an animal warns others of the same species about a danger to avoid being left as the only one and thus losing the advantage of living in a group.

Symbiosis (P. 181): Also known as mutualism, this is the “relationship of mutual benefit between members of different species.”

Sucker (P. 184): An animal that helps another even if the other won’t help in return, “indiscriminate altruists.”

Cheat (P. 184): “Gain benefits without paying the costs.”

Grudger (P. 185): Only help those who help them in return.

Evolutionary Stable Strategy (P. 185): A strategy that is prone to defeat others and evolve.