--- Robin Hanson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Let me propose a signaling story. The young try more to signal to > each other that they would be good allies and mates, while the old > are already matched more and need to get along. The young need to > show that they know how to be and are capable of being cooperative, > but they also need to show that they are tough, will defend their > allies, etc.
Some adults in tough neighborhoods place much value in "respect," and the slightest offense that seems disrespectful is countered with immediate hostility: verbal threats or violence. Many adults remain unsophisticated in that they do not filter emotions and actions but blurt out the feelings that pop into their minds and often react without first poindering the outcome. Children are this way. They are therefore deliberately taught how to behave in polite society: that one does not hit others or call them bad names. Those so trained learn to be "cool" in reaction. The natural human capacity for sympathy with others is a trait that needs to be developed in order to become part of one's character. Children learn to achieve greater self-control partly from experience but in large part also by being deliberately taught by adults. This pattern then becomes a habit and "second nature". So it seems to me that cooperation is something that, in part, needs to be taught as manners. It is a matter of becoming more conscious and sophisticated in human relations. It does not always happen just from mere experience in interaction, since some never learn cooperation. Fred Foldvary ===== [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com
