Dr. Bill von Hippel

And all it is, is if it's the case that not everybody has the exact same number of kids, and if it's the case that not everybody's kids survive at the exact same rates, now we have room for evolution. Because there's variability. Something about me caused me to have lots of children that survived in the next generation. And something about this other guy caused him not to have any, maybe.

And all it is, is if it's the case that not everybody has the exact same number of kids, and if it's the case that not everybody's kids survive at the exact same rates, now we have room for evolution. Because there's variability. Something about me caused me to have lots of children that survived in the next generation. And something about this other guy caused him not to have any, maybe.

And so whatever there is about me that's heritable will be well represented in the next generation. And about him, poor guy, even if he's wonderful, those traits are gone. And so evolution just works with whatever's there.

And so whatever there is about me that's heritable will be well represented in the next generation. And about him, poor guy, even if he's wonderful, those traits are gone. And so evolution just works with whatever's there.

And the things that make you a success, either because they're just useful in that environment or they're a new mutation that turns out to have great value, they become overrepresented in the gene pool. And so evolution can create things that are species typical. All of our species have that. We all have two eyes. You know, that's just part and parcel of being human.

And the things that make you a success, either because they're just useful in that environment or they're a new mutation that turns out to have great value, they become overrepresented in the gene pool. And so evolution can create things that are species typical. All of our species have that. We all have two eyes. You know, that's just part and parcel of being human.

And then it can make variability within humans. And there's tons of variability in our size, our stature, all sorts of things about us.

And then it can make variability within humans. And there's tons of variability in our size, our stature, all sorts of things about us.

There's lots of tiny answers to that question, but they don't necessarily link together very well. So people say, you've probably heard, oh, express gratitude. That'll make you happy if you express gratitude. Why? Why should that make you happy? If there's a good reason for it, then it makes sense that we should do it and it should have some kind of a lasting effect.

There's lots of tiny answers to that question, but they don't necessarily link together very well. So people say, you've probably heard, oh, express gratitude. That'll make you happy if you express gratitude. Why? Why should that make you happy? If there's a good reason for it, then it makes sense that we should do it and it should have some kind of a lasting effect.

And so every single thing that people tell you, this will make you happy, there has to have been a reason. It must have done something for our ancestors. Or it's what my colleague Robert Trivers calls a phenotypic indulgence, which means it mimics something that was good for our ancestors. So, for example, you know, video games are popular. pretty novel, right?

And so every single thing that people tell you, this will make you happy, there has to have been a reason. It must have done something for our ancestors. Or it's what my colleague Robert Trivers calls a phenotypic indulgence, which means it mimics something that was good for our ancestors. So, for example, you know, video games are popular. pretty novel, right?

They may mimic things that were super important for our ancestors and give us the same endorphin rush or whatever, even though they're not actually necessarily good for us anymore. Junk food is the same. It's loaded with fat, salt, sugar. Those are the kinds of things that our ancestors sought all the time. We don't need them anymore, but they were super important back then.

They may mimic things that were super important for our ancestors and give us the same endorphin rush or whatever, even though they're not actually necessarily good for us anymore. Junk food is the same. It's loaded with fat, salt, sugar. Those are the kinds of things that our ancestors sought all the time. We don't need them anymore, but they were super important back then.

And so it makes us happy when we eat those things.

And so it makes us happy when we eat those things.

So the big thing that I think we're getting wrong is the balance that we maintain between autonomy and connection. And we can talk about why this is, but the big thing that we've got wrong right now is doing what I want to do right now rather than connecting. Autonomy is all about self-governance. What do I feel like doing right now? And everybody's going off in their own direction.

So the big thing that I think we're getting wrong is the balance that we maintain between autonomy and connection. And we can talk about why this is, but the big thing that we've got wrong right now is doing what I want to do right now rather than connecting. Autonomy is all about self-governance. What do I feel like doing right now? And everybody's going off in their own direction.

And this is not good for us. It's not good for our happiness. It's not good for us in a host of different ways. That mistake is particularly problematic if you live in the West, if you're well-educated, and if you live in cities, and if you're wealthy. So if you're Western, wealthy, urbanite, well-educated, you've got that problem in spades.

And this is not good for us. It's not good for our happiness. It's not good for us in a host of different ways. That mistake is particularly problematic if you live in the West, if you're well-educated, and if you live in cities, and if you're wealthy. So if you're Western, wealthy, urbanite, well-educated, you've got that problem in spades.