Failure of the mind

Failure of the mind

By Guo Yi
5/9/2002

Behavioral evolution

“Survival to the fittest” – Darwin

“The process in nature by which, according to Darwin's theory of evolution, only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characters in increasing numbers to succeeding generations while those less adapted tend to be eliminated.”

Evolution theory is rather obvious. If a species does not succeed in surviving, it must become extinct. Therefore, existing species are better adapted to survive then those that had become extinct. Because of evolutions, every species seemed to be “designed” to adapt to their environment to maximize its chance to survive.
We have observed numerous physical adaptations of a species to its environment. Reasons for physical adaptation are obvious. Here I want to illustrate the possibility that certain animals, including us, are capable of adapting to their environment mentally. We can consider this aspect as “Behavioral Evolution”. Such evolutions might be genetic, but they do not have to be, since information can be transmitted between animals of same species. Behavioral Evolutions might occur at a higher rate then physical evolutions because mutations of genetic materials are not always necessary.
Since I can not find any evidence of existence of such evolutions right now, I may illustrate it theoretically. Certain animal behavior such as mating and nest building of birds are observed to be inhered. Assume birds of one species tend to mate and build their nests in spring. Then assume that a dramatic climate change occurred and food supply distribution pattern drastically changed. Breeding in spring is no longer most suitable. Assuming natural variation of behavior existed in the bird population, that is, most birds breed in spring, but some do not. Because breeding period is inhered, birds who breed later or earlier might be more successful and transmit their behavior to larger number of offspring then those who breed in spring .When the population is stabilized again, the distribution of the birds breeding time will have a different mean, which will fall around the new best breeding time, while the distribution pattern may as well undergo a certain degree of change.

Behavior resulted from such evolution must have the following properties:
• Behavior resulted from such evolution must be inhered and can pass from generation to generation.
• Such behavior will generally benefit the species as a whole under natural circumstance, rather then any specific individual.

I have found something amusing about these properties. Our emotions, which has been quite mystic until now seemed to contain such properties.
• Emotional behavior existed in generation after generation of humans, so we can suggest it might be inhered.
• Under natural circumstances, emotional behaviors can benefit interest of the species at cost of individual physical interest.

So we might conclude that emotional behaviors are results of behavioral evolutions. Here, I must emphasize that only under natural conditions, behaviors resulted from such evolutions are always beneficial to the species.

Emotion as the control mechanism

If I give a poll here about point of life, majorities of answer are expected to be “to live happily”. From my past experience, most of people live to be happy, and many their actions are associated with achieving such a goal. There is a simple question I could ask to test such hypothesis: “Will you rather do something that won’t make you happy?” A statistical analysis can be applied to find the percentage of people prefer to do things that make them happier. But I have no data here.
I have theorized that emotion might be involved in determining happiness. Emotions, not emotional reactions, are often related to one’s happiness. An angry or sad person can hardly be happy. And anyone could believe someone in love is generally happier then otherwise. But I have not gathered any evidence regarding If only emotion is involved in determining the state of happiness.
If overwhelming majorities agree their actions should make them happier, we can conclude that humans’ behavior tends to move themselves to most emotionally advantageous situations available. These situations are not always physically advantageous to the acting individual. Because emotions are involved in measurements of happiness, they can be considered as control mechanisms of our minds from a more mechanical point of view.
An analogy can explain the situation well. Assume there is a furnace designed to maintain its internal temperature around a certain point. A thermometer is employed to detect the temperature within the furnace, and the furnace’s actions will tend to move the internal temperature to a specific point, and in this case, the thermometer is a control mechanism, it is responsible for controlling the action of the furnace.
Back to our topic, moving towards emotionally advantageous situations, under natural conditions; tend to improve the chance of survival of the race. As proved in a previous paragraph.
• Individual human tend to act so they become happier.
• Happiness is measured by emotion.
• Trying to be happy as individual actually maintain the interest of the race under natural conditions.

Failure of mind

I have emphasized “under natural conditions” though out my essay, because Natural selection only act on a population under natural conditions. That is, assume that the population has no ability to modify environmental parameters.
Anyone could agree that our race is presently, not under natural conditions. The technology we have learnt for last 10,000 years allows us to change environmental parameters quite effectively. Our race is presently not been act on by natural selection, therefore, certain aspects of us that have been derived from evolution may not continue to work.

The most alarmingly, the control mechanism that guides all animals so well is failing in us. We could determine this problem with statistics. By attempting to be happy, your action will less likely to be in human race’s best interest today then 10,000 years ago. Although I do not have sufficient data here to prove the existence of such problem, some statistical analysis can be carried out by authorities of interest.
• You are still trying to be happy.
• Your actions would benefit the race under natural conditions.
• Your action might not benefit the species if the race is not under natural condition.
• Statistical analysis could prove existence of such a problem.

The problem is likely to be big, because even we can recognize the problem; we are unlikely to be able to fix ourselves. Trying to resolve this problem is not likely to make anyone happier.

Replies:

Behavioral inheritance and its putative role in evolution, by Todd, 05/10/02 An example from reptile "culture", by Todd, 05/15/02 Another source: human behavior and ecological inheritance, by Todd, 05/29/02 Ask todd, by Guo Yi, 06/16/02 Re:Ask todd, by Guo Yi, 06/16/02 ... and love's the only engine of survival, by Todd, 06/17/02 Failure of the mind, Part II, by Guo Yi, 06/16/02 some thoughts on the main points, by Todd, 06/22/02

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