Monday, September 04, 2006
JSH: Grooming behavior
Human beings are primates, so it's not surprising to see primate behavior in the way things go with postings and I find it fascinating!!!
Like look over arguments I have with posters, and you'll find an interesting pattern: I make an argument, some poster replies supposedly refuting it, and some other poster comes in, thanks them in some way or another, praising them for their supposed superior knowledge.
It's just primate grooming behavior.
Of course, at times I come back in, destroy the reply and may even show it reflects a very poor knowledge of basic logic or mathematics, but it doesn't matter as the purpose of the behavior on Usenet is the same as in the wilds with other primates: to reinforce an accepted dominance hierarchy.
Neat!!!
In many ways, human beings are more primate—that is they show more in common with other primates like gorillas and chimpanzees—than they are human.
Like look over arguments I have with posters, and you'll find an interesting pattern: I make an argument, some poster replies supposedly refuting it, and some other poster comes in, thanks them in some way or another, praising them for their supposed superior knowledge.
It's just primate grooming behavior.
Of course, at times I come back in, destroy the reply and may even show it reflects a very poor knowledge of basic logic or mathematics, but it doesn't matter as the purpose of the behavior on Usenet is the same as in the wilds with other primates: to reinforce an accepted dominance hierarchy.
Neat!!!
In many ways, human beings are more primate—that is they show more in common with other primates like gorillas and chimpanzees—than they are human.
# posted by James Harris @ 16:49 
