Category Archives: Ch.14) The Pacts Within a Pack

Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the … Continue reading →

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. (Matthew 12:30) To social animals, group living has exceptional survival value. Group strength and integrity are serious business. Who is a loyal member of … Continue reading →

Group membership and loyalty brings to mind the topic of identity formation in adolescence. As one version of psychological theorizing goes, we can view identity as not only consisting of perceptions and concepts about “what I am,” but also “what … Continue reading →

“Wild chimpanzees are masters of the political game: they seem to be constantly calculating the costs and benefits of forming an alliance with one member of the community while snubbing a second and deceiving a third.” (51) Group harmony relies … Continue reading →

In terms of today’s world, it seems there is quite a range in how seriously people ‘invest’ in their religions. This likely reflects the perceived consequences of participating or not. Why get passionate about something of mere ornamental value? A … Continue reading →

“The more one accepts what is materially false to be really true, and the more one spends material resources in displays of such acceptance, the more others consider one’s faith deep and one’s commitment sincere.” – Scott Atran (55) What … Continue reading →

THE BENEFITS OF ALLIES In the so-called “higher” primates a social proximity to the more powerful can bring an increase in personal power. Call it trickle-down status. Or status-by-association. Consider this anecdote – J.B. for example, large and aggressive in … Continue reading →

And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him. (1 Chronicles 11:9) “[O]ften in chimpanzee societies, and almost always in human societies, the social scale cannot be ascended alone; a common first step is to … Continue reading →

“So us-versus-them among chimpanzees is a socially constructed distinction in which even well-known individuals become enemies if they happen to hang out with the wrong crowd or live in the wrong area.” – Franz de Waal (17) Any uncircumcised male, … Continue reading →

[T]hat is the way they set out, each with his clan and family. (Numbers 2:34) [We] wait eagerly for our adoption as sons… (Romans 8:23) If we can call a gene selfish it is due to the fact that successful … Continue reading →

“Initially Evered won these dominance conflicts. Eventually, however, Figan formed a close alliance with his elder brother and the cooperative team was able to defeat Evered conclusively.” – Jane Goodall (25) “In fact, religion can be, and historically has been, … Continue reading →

Alliances between individuals serve as a social glue. Dyads with sticking power are the building block of group formation and maintenance. But what adhesive mechanisms give alliances staying power? Consider chimpanzees, noted for their aggressive and violent outbursts. How do … Continue reading →

Previously I spoke of a social glue that begins in dyads and ends in groups. However, the glue metaphor isn’t quite right. Those bonds tend to be inflexible. In contrast, a primate’s means of pulling individuals close and keeping them … Continue reading →