Selfish traits not favoured by evolution, study shows

[dipsydoodle]

Evolution does not favour selfish people, according to new research.

This challenges a previous theory which suggested it was preferable to put yourself first.

Instead, it pays to be co-operative, shown in a model of "the prisoner's dilemma", a scenario of game theory - the study of strategic decision-making.

Published in Nature Communications, the team says their work shows that exhibiting only selfish traits would have made us go extinct.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23529849

Evolutionary instability of zero-determinant strategies demonstrates that winning is not everything http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2013/130801/ncomms3193/full/ncomms3193.html

[Berlum]

1. Attention RepubliBaggers, Inc. (R)

[Mojorabbit]

5. Yep nt

[raccoon]

2. Then how come there are so many Republicans and libertarians? nt

[Hydra]

4. It's a short term issue

Where we currently are in society overwhelmingly favors selfish and destructive to others behavior. As the number of people doing that rises, they'll wind up destroying the conditions that allow them to thrive using that strategy.

Meanwhile they'll destroy a lot of other non-selfish people in the process. It's the price we pay for not reining them in or excluding them from our social systems and breeding pool.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

[corkhead]

3. let's just hope the republicons don't take us down with them.