At some
point in our lives, each of us will have the urge to strike another human
being. Ironically, for me, that moment occurred when I was attending a
symposium on the evolution of ethics. The symposium was hosted by the weird and
whacky folks in the philosophy department and featured an array of papers on the
evolutionary basis of moral behavior. It was fascinating. That is, until a particularly long-winded academic began spewing jargon-laden oration
like a linguistic volcano, some of which he admittedly concocted for the purpose
of his argument. As he unsuccessfully defended his theory, I sat amidst his
bewildered colleagues and all I could think about was punching him in the face.
Later,
when I had cooled down (aided by a hefty dose of gin), I got to thinking about
my irrational reaction, which got me thinking about aggression in general. Why
are we aggressive? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were all
peace-loving, tree-hugging, tofu-munching hippies? Maybe. But then again,
perhaps aggression played a critical role in humans becoming human. Let’s
explore.
Aggression
is part and parcel of the range of emotions displayed by humans. Anger,
happiness, sadness, and empathy aid us in navigating our social spheres and are
critical components of human interaction. But aggression was fundamental to humans’ eventual domination of the planet, for without a bit of
aggression, we may never have achieved complex civilization.
All of
nature competes to some degree. The phrase, “survival of the fittest,” coined by
Herbert Spencer but often mistakenly attributed to Darwin, was a simplistic way
of saying that those who compete more successfully (thereby leaving behind more
offspring) will most likely nudge out their less successful counterparts. And
humans are no different. We, like other animals, have struggled to survive
throughout our evolutionary history. Fortunately, through a series of lucky anatomical
and physiological twists, we evolved a bigger brain, which gave us an
unprecedented edge over our competition. 
When we
first stumbled upon the nutritional benefits of meat, it was most likely as
timid scavengers, fighting for the best scraps. As our technology progressed,
those simple clubs used to fend off fellow carnivores developed into efficient
weapons that not only protected us from said carnivores, but allowed us to add
them to the menu. And the more aggressive we were as hunters, the more meat
there was to go around.
Our
aggression would have naturally been directed toward each other. Competition
for resources, be they hunting territories, water holes, or mates would have
compelled humans to compete. Let’s face it, you’re not going to get the girl by
simply squatting outside your cave, hoping she wanders by. Aggressive males
would have had more opportunities to mate (as they do today), thereby
out-breeding their docile comrades. But aggression wasn’t restricted to males.
Aggressive females would have been more successful at protecting their young,
attaining provisions, and going after those aggressive males - nothing is sexier than the alpha male.
As
populations expanded and communities gained complexity, aggression enabled some to rise to power, others (the docile) to occupy the lower strata.
As societies grew, so did their need for resources, and the best way to acquire
resources is by conquering your neighbors. Once again, aggression wins. This
pattern not only held for the ancients, it still holds today. Human history is
littered with the corpses of the conquered and the powerful have never achieved
power as shrinking violets. They do it through sheer force.
Aggression
may even be hardwired, for we know it originates in the amygdala, that
small clump of neurons located deep in the brain that also plays a role in fear and pleasure. Experiments have shown that our good friend, dopamine –
that lovely biochemical that rewards us during sex – is also triggered during
aggression. Like they say, it’s a thin line between love and hate…
Scientists
are still trying to tease out the complex relationship between the brain, its
neurotransmitters, and the genes responsible for human aggression. But one thing is certain: without aggression,
you probably wouldn’t be sitting here, reading this blog. The culture in which
you live, the society in which you thrive was built upon the shoulders of aggressors.
The meek
shall inherit the earth??
I don’t think so…
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I don’t think so…
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