Grand Unified Theory of Human Behavior

[madscience]

(A work in progress.)

All human behavior can be explained thus:

Humans always act in what they perceive to be their own best interest.This is complicated by the fact that humans are able to imagine indirect consequences of their actions, and are therefore able to delay pleasure. Most humans instinctively understand the principle of reciprocity

Comments

[glowing_fish]

It is a good enough theory, as long as you don't believe it.

[madscience]

I've been trying to come up with a counterexample for years...

[biggingerdave]

if that is true, why are you sharing your insights with us global unwashed, instead of doing something more self-interested ;)

Seriously though, where would adoption come in this world-view? Giving up precious time and resources to give a fellow person a hand-up is not really enlightened self-interest, whichever way you look at it.

[madscience]

As intellectual creatures, passing on our genes takes a back seat to passing on our knowledge. I want to adopt because I consider myself genetically defective, and I care more about making sure my intellectual progeny are physically healthy than I do about them being my own genetic offspring. I mean, heck, they could be AIs for all I care. It's still all about me, because a person's progeny and legacy are their immortality.

[drbunsen]

You know, if you stretch (c) far enough, it pretty much covers everything

[madscience]

Yeah, I need a more detailed explanation.

[drbunsen]

No, I get it.

It occurred to me after posting that a lot of misunderstandings of human behaviour could be attributed to attempts to extend the explanatory power of (C) inappropriately, without taking the rest of your model into account.

A clichéd form of that would be "So, why do you want to be clinically depressed?"

[drbunsen]

BTW, I always thought the Golden Rule was explicitly not about reciprocity, but about treating others *as* you would *wish* to be treated. More as a guide to effective altruism - ie, treating others' needs as though they are as important as, and qualitatively similar to, your own - than as an implicit guarantee of return.

Because FSM knows you can treat people right and they can still walk all over you.