Failure of the mind, Part II

5/18/2002

In the last part of this essay, I concluded that:
Individuals of our species always chose the option that might bring them the maximum amount of happiness. Happiness orientated behavior of individuals ensure the specie’s survival under natural conditions. But if our species is not under natural conditions, happiness orientated behavior become less efficient at ensuring the specie’s survival. In this part of the essay, I will discuss the cause of such inefficiency.

Excess production results in products not used to fulfill basic needs in long run. One of the human race’s drastic diversions from the nature is excess production. Individuals of our race always produce more then just enough to fulfill his or her basic needs, if the condition permits. Since most individuals of our species are doing more then just surviving, we can conclude such excess exist, despite the difficulty to draw a fine line between basic needs and desires.
It is also possible for other vertebrate to have excess production. Not all other vertebrate spend all their time and resources into fulfilling basic needs. Decoration in many animals’ nests can proof such possibility. But for some unknown reason, excess productions exist exclusively in human.
It is not clear if excess production causes specialization or vise visa. But it is clear that their origins are somewhat related. Excess production permits a part of population to divert from producing necessities, and become specialized. And with specialization, productivity of entire group is increased so they can produce beyond the demand of basic needs.
Specialization also occurred in other species such as ants and bees. There are two major differences between specialization in human and in other species. First of all, our specialization is not genetic. In the other words, none of us are born specialized. The other difference is that our specialization is related to excess production, which is not observed in other species. If excess production is a diversion from the nature, specialization related to excess production is also a diversion from the nature.

Inefficiency of Entertainments

Specialization opened the possibility of production of entertainment service or products. Other animals seemed to entertain themselves as well, but few of them donate resources to produce entertainments. Production of entertainment is related to happiness orientated behavior. Entertainment is designed to give additional happiness to its consumer. But because resource spent in entertainment does not improve the race’s chance of survival, therefore it can be considered inefficient for the species.
Cigarette can be used as en example of entertainment. Cigarette is discovered to make certain part of the population happier. But it is unlikely that resource used in producing cigarettes effectively ensure the survival of our species.

Inefficiency of distribution

If existence of certain concept or entity would make an individual happier then otherwise, then it is valuable to the individual. In most practical circumstances, we act to maintain concepts or entity we value because such actions are likely to make us happier. However, resource might be required to maintain these values. Your family is an example of your value: the existence of your family is likely to make you happier; therefore you value your family and will attempt to maintain its existence. Most humans weight their values more then values of the others. For example, both of us value our families, but it is more likely that I will value my family more then yours then otherwise.
If every individual attempt maximization of happiness, the resources are unlikely to be distributed to ensure the maximum chance of survival of the species. Most individuals weight their value over the values of the others. When they make decisions regarding distribution of resources, it is expected that every individual would attempt to direct as much resource into maintenance of their own value as possible. Since they might value different concepts or entities, the resulting distribution is likely to be random if the size of population is large enough. Since the resources have to be distributed in a very particular way to ensure the specie’s maximum chance to survive, random distribution is unlikely to satisfy such need.

Confrontations

Because of specialization, people often bind together to achieve higher output. When a decision is made regarding certain aspect or action of the group, it often applies to every member of it. Resource is more likely to be directed to maintain one’s values if he or she is bind to other individuals holding similar values. Resources are spent to maintain the value of the majority in most cases. Existence of group also causes each member to value the group as a whole, because whenever the value of the group is maintained, the value of individual is likely to be maintained as well.
Confrontation occurs when two or more groups holding drastically different value wishes to use the same resource. Each is likely to attempt controlling the resources and leave others none because most people would prevent their values from being compromised for values of others. If both or all involving groups attempt to control the resource, a confrontation occurs. A confrontation can be against the goal to survive because one group might wish to subdue or destroy the other groups in order to process the resource. Further, confrontation in our history has led to specialized weapon production, which is not necessarily the most effective way to ensure our survival.

So we can conclusions that:
Diversion from natural conditions and happiness oriented behavior causes Confrontation, Inefficiency of distribution and Inefficiency of Entertainments, which are inefficient for the survival of our species.

Replies:

some thoughts on the main points, by Todd, 06/22/02

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