Alfred Street (University of Auckland Store)
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Survival Of The Nicest : How Altruism Made Us Human And Why It Pays To Get Along
Paperback Edition: 1
The phrase survival of the fittest conjures an image of the most cutthroat individuals rising to the top. But Stefan Klein, author of the international bestseller The Science of Happiness, makes the startling assertion that the key to achieving lasting personal and societal success lies in helping others.
Klein argues that altruism is in fact our defining characteristic: natural selection favoured those early humans who cooperated in groups. With their survival more assured, our altruistic ancestors were free to devote brainpower to developing intelligence, language, and culture, our very humanity. As Klein puts it, We humans became first the friendliest and then the most intelligent apes.
To build his persuasive case for how altruistic behaviour made us human, and why it pays to get along, Klein brings together an extraordinary array of material: current research on genetics and the brain, economics, social psychology, behavioural and anthropological experiments, history, and modern culture. Ultimately, his groundbreaking findings lead him to a vexing question: if were really hard-wired to act for one anothers benefit, why arent we all getting along?
Klein believes weve learned to mistrust our generous instincts because success is so often attributed to selfish ambition. In Survival of the Nicest, he invites us to rethink what it means to be the fittest as he shows how caring for others can protect us from loneliness and depression, make us happier and healthier, reward us economically, and even extend our lives.
Pages : 272
Publisher : Scribe Publications
Publication date : 2014-08-25
Subjects: Non-fiction, Lifestyle, Sport And Leisure, Medicine, Health And Personal Development