Natural Selection of Complacency?

[InfiniteNow]

In the "nature vs nurture" argument I would place complacency firmly in the nurture corner.

A wonderful post Bill. Thank you. :wink:

 

But.... ;)

 

I cannot so easily dismiss the interplay between nature and nurture. I have learned and been repeatedly reminded that the two are inseperable, so, for me anyway, this begs for an answer to the issue of why some people seem more "predisposed" toward complacency, whereas some people are more predisposed toward activity and/or being driven?

 

In some ways, your post makes me rethink my question, as per my paragraph above, it certainly cannot be all genetic. We are the sum total of our genetic predisposition and aggregate of life's experiences. What makes us who we are and what we tend toward is how those all come together.

 

In a sense, all of this generates in me further hope that individuals can be taught to recognize and move past complacency, participating in life for the betterment of our society and culture. These individuals would likely stand out when it comes to mate selection, and be more prone to have offspring... thus bringing the genetic impact of this issue into greater focus.

 

I would still like to hear others thoughts, but am now more inclined to redirect my question...

 

How can we assist in lessening the effect and frequency of complacency in today's global society?

[hallenrm]

I would still like to hear others thoughts, but am now more inclined to redirect my question...

 

How can we assist in lessening the effect and frequency of complacency in today's global society?

 

the only way dear infinitenow, is not to be complacent in the presence of infants at least. this is my conclusion from my earlier discourse in the thread on extra genetic sources of information.:confused: :xx:

[InfiniteNow]

the only way dear infinitenow, is not to be complacent in the presence of infants at least. this is my conclusion from my earlier discourse in the thread on extra genetic sources of information.:) :)

Do you mean to imply that the only way to end the suffering of others is to end the suffering within ourselves? Oops... went all buddhist there for a moment. Let me restate.

 

Do you mean to imply that by acting as example, ending complacency in each of ourselves, that others may also do the same through some sort of modelling behavior, and eventually a critical mass will be reached whereby complacency is no longer noticable?

 

 

Cheers. :eek2:

[HydrogenBond]

If go back to the original topic of natural selection of complacency, maybe the natural role of complacency is to limit the rate of evolution. Almost all of natural evolution takes long periods of time to occur. From dinosaurs to mammals to humans took hundren million years. If all humans were full of activity, some things may go so fast that conservative biology would fall behind. For example, natural instinct is assumed by many not to exist any longer. It may not exist consciously but it is part of conservative biology. Eventually the potential will increase to where there is a need to get back to basics. This is maybe where complacency comes in.

 

A slightly different example are steriods to make the muscles evolve faster than natural. This has a down side that catches up with those so inclined. Eventually they stop the fanatisism to nurse a bad liver.

[hallenrm]

If go back to the original topic of natural selection of complacency, maybe the natural role of complacency is to limit the rate of evolution.

 

But, as I have argued earlier in this thread, it gives a positive direction to evolution; helping in the elimination of the lazy!!

[HydrogenBond]

There is a saying that haste makes waste. Sometimes sitting and thinking, apparently doing nothing useful of superfisically productive, can lead to better ways of doing things. Personally I am lazy. This causes me to sit and think of easier way to do the same thing.

[Ganoderma]

a math professor told me "The best mathematician is a lazy one."

 

personally i think that complacency has at least soemthign to do with money and our whole system of doing things and trading. if you have to do everything for yourself i doubt you would get much sleep compared to now.

 

someone mentioned that we may have lost our "instincts". Take a hike with very little with you, a survival trip. make it last a couple weeks. doesnt matte rif forest or desert, i think you will learn about your instincts. i spent much of my teen years doing this and i can say that yes we learn and use knowledge a lot, but when **** hits the fan something kicks in...

[hallenrm]

There is a saying that haste makes waste. Sometimes sitting and thinking, apparently doing nothing useful of superfisically productive, can lead to better ways of doing things. Personally I am lazy. This causes me to sit and think of easier way to do the same thing.

 

That's not complacency indeed!!

[InfiniteNow]

Maybe it's a mechanism which has evolved to prevent us all from getting heart disease... a way to disregard some of the events in the world which can only be described as horribly atrocious... A survival mechanism for our mental well-being... :cup:

[TheBigDog]

Maybe it's a mechanism which has evolved to prevent us all from getting heart disease... a way to disregard some of the events in the world which can only be described as horribly atrocious... A survival mechanism for our mental well-being... :cup:

I would say yes on all counts. In a society that give us so many causes to fight for, and so may specialties to try, and so many things to learn, and so many ways to be entertained, then we need to learn how to tune much of it out so that we can focus and enjoy and specialize. Even being a generalist is a specialty anymore. Without the ability to disregard some things and simply trust that others are attending to them we would go crazy from all the opportunities we have to care.

 

Bill

[InfiniteNow]

Maybe it's... :cup: