“Destructive masculine running amok.” Read an article yesterday about men shaving off their eyelashes to look more masculine. Let’s understand we are an animal. Primatologist Robert Sapolsky has studied baboons for decades. Long story short, remove the dominant oppressive males from a troop and the transformation is miraculous. The troop transforms from a stressed out one eye open on the lookout for aggression to a surprisingly calm and more connected (more social grooming) one. Turns out that it is nurture, not nature that sets the tone for a troop of baboons. As has been witnessed by the calm continuing in subsequent generations. DNA driven male aggression was not necessary for the troop’s survival. The culture (nurture) changed with the absence of the male aggression. Why do we like the sound of running water or enjoy a crackling fire in the fireplace? Ask our DNA. The female of our species had to be communal in order to care for offspring that was/is amazingly vulnerable (for years) as compared to other offspring of all other animals. Cooperation in order to survive is in our female DNA. 300,000 years of male dominance in our species. I believe Homo sapiens has evolved in such a way that our ancient male DNA is not aligned with the realities of this current world. While the alpha male may have been instrumental in the survival of our ancient species, it is the DNA of the female that is required moving forward. Yes, there are heinous female Homo sapiens. But I believe they are conforming mostly to male behavior in order to have some form of power. I believe this macro look at the animal that we are is incredibly important in understanding what is going on in the 21st century. As well as formulating solutions for the survival of our species going forward.
“Destructive masculine running amok.” Read an article yesterday about men shaving off their eyelashes to look more masculine. Let’s understand we are an animal. Primatologist Robert Sapolsky has studied baboons for decades. Long story short, remove the dominant oppressive males from a troop and the transformation is miraculous. The troop transforms from a stressed out one eye open on the lookout for aggression to a surprisingly calm and more connected (more social grooming) one. Turns out that it is nurture, not nature that sets the tone for a troop of baboons. As has been witnessed by the calm continuing in subsequent generations. DNA driven male aggression was not necessary for the troop’s survival. The culture (nurture) changed with the absence of the male aggression. Why do we like the sound of running water or enjoy a crackling fire in the fireplace? Ask our DNA. The female of our species had to be communal in order to care for offspring that was/is amazingly vulnerable (for years) as compared to other offspring of all other animals. Cooperation in order to survive is in our female DNA. 300,000 years of male dominance in our species. I believe Homo sapiens has evolved in such a way that our ancient male DNA is not aligned with the realities of this current world. While the alpha male may have been instrumental in the survival of our ancient species, it is the DNA of the female that is required moving forward. Yes, there are heinous female Homo sapiens. But I believe they are conforming mostly to male behavior in order to have some form of power. I believe this macro look at the animal that we are is incredibly important in understanding what is going on in the 21st century. As well as formulating solutions for the survival of our species going forward.