The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think
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Mergers and acquisitions, 127
Mezrich, Ben, 167
Microeconomics, 120
Microsoft, 127
Miller, Geoffrey, 14, 39, 154
Miller, Saul, 19
Millionaire Next Door, The (Stanley and Danko), 118
Minimum parental investment, 163, 165, 173
Misses, 80, 88
Modern work, skills of, 101
Modern world, decision making blinded by, 114–115
Modern world, decision making blinded by the, 210
Money mistakes. See Financial mistakes
Moore, Demi, 169
Morons, people as, view focusing on. See Behavioral economist perspective
Morrison, Jim, 138
Mortality levels/rates
from accidents/violence, 123, 173
from drug adverse reactions, 200–201
from medical errors, 97, 98
of rock stars, 138
and women’s age of first birth, 134
Mortensen, Chad, 28
Mossi people, 61
Mr. T, 198
Mswati III, 169
Multiple personalities, having, 24–27
See also Subselves
Murders. See Homicides
Murphy, Dwayne, 126
Mutualism, symbolic, 187, 189, 190, 194, 203
Mwanawasa, Levy, 75–76, 208
Mystery, 215–216
National Basketball Association, 118
National Football League, 118
Native Americans, 85
Natural frequencies, presenting statistical information in terms of, 103–105
Navarrete, Carlos, 36
Needs
fundamental, fulfilling our, spending on, 189–190
hierarchy of, 42, 43, 44
See also Subselves
Negotiation
in conflict, different approaches to, 51–53, 59
testosterone levels and, 127
Neil, Vince, 138
Nesse, Randy, 80–81
Neuberg, Steve, 46
Nisbett, Richard, 147
Nixon, Richard, 65
Nutrition for Life, 203
Offense and defense, importance of both, 86
On the Origin of Species (Darwin), 8
Onassis, Aristotle, 143–144, 155
Onassis, Jackie (Kennedy), 155
One-night stands, 89, 157, 164–165, 167, 177
Oppenheimer, Ernest, 195, 196
Opportunities, so-called, taking a closer look at, 204
Optimism, 92
Otero, Ray, 129–130, 131, 140, 141
Overconfidence bias, 77, 91–93, 94, 123
Ovulatory cycle, influence of the, 13–16, 19, 89–90, 93, 182
Page, Larry, 127
Paradox, large numbers, 109–111, 113
Parasitism
described, 187–188
examples of, 185–186, 188, 194–203
lesson about, 210
protection from, 203–205, 213
Parental investment, minimum, 163, 165, 173
Parenting effort, 121, 122, 124–125
Parents, inclusive fitness and, 57
Paternal uncertainty, 178
Pathogen detector system, 83, 93
See also Disease-avoidance subself
Personalities, having multiple, 24–27
See also Subselves
Persuasion, primed for, 27–30
Pharmaceutical industry, 199–201
Pitt, Brad, 89
Playboys, 89, 90, 156–157
Predators, protection from. See Self-protection subself
Predictable environments, influence of, on life history strategy, 136, 139
Predicting behavior, 16, 46, 48
Preferences
changing, 27–29, 34, 39–40, 46, 47–48
and inclusive fitness, 56–58
mate, 167–169, 170–171, 173
stable, 26, 46, 48
Prescription drug industry, 199–201
Prisoner’s dilemma, 53–55, 56, 58, 59, 62, 67, 69
Probability format, problem with, 97–98, 101–102, 103–105
See also Math problems
Promiscuity, 24, 156, 180
Proximate reasons
awareness of, 158–159
described, 11
focus on, 12
incomplete understanding of behavior provided by, 15–16
links between ultimate reasons and, being unaware of, 12–13, 150–151, 158–159
for men’s preference for young women, 168
and the ovulatory cycle, 14, 15
and ultimate reasons, as complementary, 15
Puberty, earlier onset of, 134
Pyramid schemes, 188, 203
Race relations, 72
Rags-to-riches-to-bankruptcy stories, 117–118, 119, 136, 138
See also Risk taking
Randazzo, Richie, 129, 130
Randeria, Shalini, 171–172
Rape, 17, 134, 138
Rational animals, people as, evolutionary view of. See Evolutionary psychologist perspective
Rational economist perspective
behavioral economists versus, 6, 7
as both right and wrong, 9
contributions of, and suggestions to improve upon, 213–214
examples of, 1–2, 3, 4
lesson about, 210–211
of man as rational, described, 3–4
See also specific ideas/concepts of rational economists
Reproductive costs, 163, 165
Reproductive effort, 120, 121
See also Mating effort; Parenting effort
Reproductive success, defined, 121
See also Mating opportunities/success
Resource allocation. See Life history theory
Resources
limited, dilemma over, 119
uncertainty over, 135, 179
willingness to provide, demonstrating, 163, 172
Restricted strategists, 156, 157
Risk aversion
as a calculated bias, 45, 82
money mistakes and, 81–82
Risk taking
described, 16–20
inclusive fitness and, 56
mate-acquisition game and, 173, 174, 175
mating effort and, 123, 125–127, 128, 173
types of, as financial strategies, 130–131
See also Fast strategy
Roberts, Julia, 147
Rock, Chris, 200
Rock stars, early death of, 138
Role-playing, presumption in, 48–49
Romantic subself. See Mate-acquisition subself
Ronay, Richard, 17
Roney, Jim, 154
Rowling, J. K., 214, 215
Saad, Gad, 157
Safe environments, influence of, on life history strategy, 136, 139
Sanabria, Federico, 59
Santos, Laurie, 9
Sapolsky, Robert, 37–38
Scarcity ploy, 196, 197, 203
Schaller, Mark, 35, 83, 84
Schmitt, David, 164
Science, appeal of, 215–216
Scientific management, principle of, 69
Secord, Paul, 179–180
Segal, Nancy, 56, 57–58
Self-actualization, 44
Self-interest
described, 3–4
lesson about, 210–211
putting aside, 73
See also Subselves
Self-protection subself
advance warning system of, 78, 93
advertising preferences of, 28–29, 30
described, 33–34, 212
fulfilling the needs of, spending on, 189
hierarchy of needs and, 43
and loss aversion, 47
mating effort and, 123
parasites of, 199
parenting effort and, 125
and rules of the game, 66–68
somatic effort and, 122
and tension between subselv
es, 49
See also specific aspects related to the self-protection subself
September 11, 2001, 140
Sex detector systems, 86–90, 93
Sex differences. See Men; Women Sex ratios, 179–182, 183
Sexton, Alison, 149
Sexton, Steve, 149
Sexual economics
conspicuous displays and, 153
mate preference and, 170
of reproduction, 163–164, 165
See also Mate-acquisition subself; Mate-retention subself; Men; Women
Sexual mistakes, avoiding, 166
Sexual revolution, 180
Sharif, Ismael Ibn, 169
Sherman, William Tecumseh, 64
Shiwiar tribe, 95–96, 100, 104, 106, 108–109, 110–111
Siblings
and inclusive fitness, 56–57, 57–58, 59–60
twin, 56, 57–58, 62
Simpson, Jeff, 135, 156
Singh, Bhupinder, 64, 65
Singh, Rajinder, 169
Single parents, 117, 133, 136
Singles ads, 173
Sizemore, Chris, 25
Slow strategy
attitude of people following the, toward fast strategists, example of, 140
and conspicuous consumption, 157
described, 119, 121
environmental factors leading to, 136–137, 138, 139
fast strategy versus, 128–129
as a financial investment strategy, 131
genetic factor in, 133
low variance of, 137
mate-acquisition subself and, 156, 157
restricted, 156, 157
and sexual supply and demand, 181
types of people following, 132–133
Smith, William Kennedy, 17
Smoke detector dilemma, 79–80
Smoke detector principle
described, 80–81, 87
flip side of the, 88
money mistakes and the, 81–82
“Sociology of Bride Price and Dowry” (Randeria and Visaria), 171–172
Sociopathy, indicator of, 68
Somatic effort, 120, 121, 122, 132
Southwest Airlines, 71–72, 213
Sperry, Roger W., 25
Spielberg, Steven, 186
Spitzer, Eliot, 161, 167, 209
Split-brain patients, 25
Sports Illustrated (magazine), 118
Stable preferences, 26, 46, 48
Statistical computations. See Math problems
Status subself
conspicuous consumption and, 143–144, 148–150, 151
described, 37–39, 212
fulfilling the needs of, spending on, 189
going green and, 148, 149, 150, 151
hierarchy of needs and, 43
mating effort and, 122, 123, 124
overconfidence bias and, 91–93
parasites of, 198
and rules of the game, 64–66
selling to, marketing strategy in, 191, 192
See also specific aspects related to the status subself
Stepparents, inclusive fitness and, 57
Stress response, 138–140
Subselves
compatibility between, 49
different responses from, 26–27, 82–83
game theory and rules for different, 60–67, 73
knowing your evolutionary needs and, to avoid overspending, 205
lesson about, 211–212
making complex problems relevant to our, 105–106, 108, 109
money and, 44–45
multiple, existence of, 26
number of, and how they work, 30–32
others exploiting our, 186–187
and persuasion, 27–30
remembering, way of, 42–44
versus roles, 48–49
selling to, marketing strategies in, 190–194
shut out of the decision-making process, 204
tension between, 49
types of, described, 32–42
voluntarily waking up your own, 212–213
See also Affiliation subself; Disease-avoidance subself; Kin-care subself; Mate-acquisition subself; Mate-retention subself; Self-protection subself; Status subself
Sugiyama, Larry, 95–96, 108, 109
Sundie, Jill, 28, 59, 154, 156–157
Supply and demand, sexual, 179–182
Swanson, Gloria, 1, 4, 17
Symbiotic mutualism, 187, 189, 190, 194, 203
Talking versus writing, 99–101
Taylor, Frederick Winslow, 69
Teenagers/young adults
causes of death among, 123, 173
equality matching and, 62
fast versus slow strategies and, 128–129
mating effort and, 122–123, 125–128, 173
rating, as competent, 128
status subself and, 38
Testosterone, 18, 19, 123, 125, 126, 127, 183
Theory of the Leisure Class, The (Veblen), 143
Theresa, Mother, 38
Three Faces of Eve, The (movie), 24–25
Tiffany & Co., 199
Time (magazine), 192
Tipping
exploiting, 188
sex differences in, 173, 174
Too Many Women? (Guttentag and Secord), 179–180
Topline Strategy Group, 147
Toyota Prius, reason for buying, uncovering, 147–149, 150–151
Trade-offs, making, 19, 119–120, 120–121
Trivers, Robert, 60
Trivial altercations, 123–124
Trudeau, Kevin, 201–203, 204
Trump, Donald, 168
Trust, 69, 186, 194, 195
Trust game, 70–71
Truth-seeking, accuracy and, 77–78
Tversky, Amos, 5, 97, 111, 112, 113
Twins, 56, 57–58, 62
Tybur, Josh, 14, 83, 148, 154, 157
Tyson, Mike, 118, 135–136, 138
Ultimate reasons
as commonly overlooked, 12, 159
described, 11–12
exploring, for conspicuous consumption, 151–157, 158
links between proximate reasons and, being unaware of, 12–13, 150–151, 158–159
and the ovulatory cycle, 14, 15
and proximate reasons, as complementary, 15
valuable insight provided by, 16, 20
See also Evolutionary challenges, the need to solve
Ultimatum game, 55, 66
Unpredictable environments, influence of, on life history strategy, 134–136, 137, 139–140, 141
Unrestricted strategists, 156, 157, 166
US presidents, expectations of, 64, 65–66
Utility, 12, 20, 146, 191
Van den Bergh, Bram, 148
Veblen, Thorstein, 143, 145, 151
Vigilant subself. See Self-protection subself
Violence, 17, 33, 57, 123–124, 134, 135, 138, 173, 179, 180
Virginity, 163
Visaria, Leela, 171–172
Vohs, Kathleen, 157, 163–164
von Hippel, William, 17
Vongas, John, 157
Wall Street game. See Game theory
Wall Street model. See Market economics
Wall Street (movie), 3
Wall Street traders, 1, 16, 45, 56, 67, 126
Walmart, 198
Walt Disney Company, 51–52, 72–73
Wang, X. T., 113, 114
Wason task, 106–107, 108–109
Wayne, Ronald “Ron,” 93, 127
Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite (Kurzban), 25
Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes (Belsky and Gilovich), 81
Wiesel, Elie, 186
Wilson, Margo, 123, 124
Wilson, Tim, 147
Winehouse, Amy, 138
Women
bride price paid for, 162–163, 171, 182
and conspicuous consumption, 154–155, 159, 182
dowry of, 162–163, 171–172
as esc
orts, men paying for, 161–162, 163, 167
and first professions of love, 165–167
as first-time mothers, age of, 124, 132, 134
generous tipping and, 173, 174
jealousy and, 178, 179
mate-acquisition game for, 173, 174–176
mate-retention game for, 176–177
mating effort and, 122, 123, 132
and men’s risk taking, 17, 19–20
and onset of menstruation, age of, 134, 135
ovulatory cycle of, subconscious influence of, 13–16, 19, 89–90, 93, 182
parenting stage and, 124, 125
preference of, for men with financial prospects, 170–171, 173
pregnant, and the disease-avoidance subself, 36
ratio of men to, and sexual supply and demand, 179–182
risk taking and, 175
sex detectors of, and the mate-acquisition subself, 88–90, 93
sexual economics and, 153, 163, 164
standards of, for partners, 164–165, 177
testosterone levels of, 123, 125
and their response to insults, 39
young and beautiful, men’s preference for, 167–169, 170, 171, 173
World According to Garp, The (Irving), 6
World Health Organization, 35, 86
World Series of Poker, 125–126
Wozniak, Steve, 61, 62, 63–64, 91, 93, 127
Writing, talking versus, 99–101
Young adults. See Teenagers/young adults
Young beautiful women, men’s preference for, 167–169, 170, 171, 173
Zambian aid fiasco, 75–76, 85–86
Zepter Luxury International, 199
Zuckerberg, Mark, 127
Zuckerman, Mort, 186