As in a Russian doll, however, the outer layers always contain an inner core. Instead of evolution having … - Frans de Waal

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I was lucky that my mother had a very well-adjusted perspective of the world, and never pressured me to do anything I didn't want to do.

Frans de Waal

As in a Russian doll, however, the outer layers always contain an inner core. Instead of evolution having replaced simpler forms of empathy with more advanced ones, the latter are merely elaborations on the former and remain dependent on them. This also means that empathy comes naturally to us. It is not something we only learn later in life, or that is culturally constructed.

Mean, Later In Life, Empathy, Learn, Constructed

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If you are a cooperative animal, you need to watch what you get. If you, or even a whole community, invest in something but then a few individuals receive a much larger return, it's not a good arrangement. If it happens consistently, it's time to look for an arrangement that is more beneficial. That's why we're so sensitive to how rewards are being divided.

Animal, Community, Good, Happens, Return, Sensitive

You should know as much as you can about the human species if you have a hand in designing human society. I'm not saying that you can derive moral rules from nature - that's deriving an ought from an is, as the philosophers say - but you do need to know what kind of animals we are if you want to design a stable society.

Animal, Design, Hands, Moral, Say, Species

Humanity is actually much more cooperative and empathic than [it's] given credit for.

Cooperative, Credit, Given, Humanity

Armies are a purely human invention. Most soldiers who go to war nowadays don't even do it because they're inherently aggressive.

Armies, Army, Invention, Purely, Soldier, War

If you want to design a successful human society, you need to know what kind of animal we are. Are we a social animal or a selfish animal? Do we respond better when we're solitary or living in a group?

Selfish, Successful, Animal, Group, Kind