[GenXer]

Originally Posted by Megabrode

Back to the original question: the role of evolution in vehicle choice. For most of our history as a species, we were hunter-gatherers. Men largely hunted, women gathered. To find new prey and collectables, we wandered constantly. The last hunter-gatherers on Earth, Tanzania's Hazda people, clearly demonstrate these truths.

A modern car, in effect, is both a hunting tool and a means of migration. After attaining our current form -- homo sapiens -- in the Olduvai Gorge, we slowly populated most of the habitable planet by tracking, killing, and consuming animal life as well as eating non-poisonous plant life along the way. If we'd had motorized vehicles, I suppose that process would have occurred more quickly.

Then came agriculture, allowing us to settle down, divide the labor more finely, engage in new or highly specialized pursuits, and thus do far more than hunt, gather, wander, and procreate.

Yet our primordial instincts endured. In fact, we've never lost our primitive needs to hunt, gather, wander, and of course procreate.

Today's hunters may do exactly that: hunt, i.e. kill living creatures, now for the thrill of it -- for the satisfaction of an overwhelming primordial need -- rarely for survival. Gatherers, in contrast, seek and acquire "things" of value to them. They're "consumers," not necessarily of edibles. Thoreau, ruminating in his clapboard hut, lamented "the mass of mankind" who devote themselves to acquiring things, often on soul-sucking credit, and hence "live lives of quiet desperation."

Today's hunters, mostly male, buy fast cars capable of chasing down the fleetest prey and compulsively demonstrate their primitive core identity by habitually exceeding posted speed limits. Consider: How many women are members of M3post.com? Why are insurance rates higher for men than for women?

Today's gatherers, mostly female, demonstrate their evolutionary priorities by...you guessed it...shopping. Consider: How many men loathe being dragged to a mall on a lovely Saturday perfect for a twisty road in the foothills? How many women express mortal fear or complain of car-sickness should they accompany their husbands or boyfriends on these excursions?

Modern gatherers drive SUVs, cross-overs, minivans (less so these days), and -- please take no offense -- quite often pickup trucks. All these vehicles are designed for seeking acquisitions and transporting them back to camp or to a more fruitful campsite.

Lest you think I'm stereotyping the sexes, I'll make the obvious point that men, women, and those who identify as neither all possess both hunting and gathering instincts in widely varying proportions. Why else would a man buy a pickup and immediately install an aftermarket gun rack? Why else would a woman buy an SUV capable of 0-60 in 3.9 seconds? Why else are most billionaires men? How else could Danica Patrick lead the field in the Indy 500? The primordial needs to hunt and gather remain strong in all of us.

Do you know how hard it is to strap a deer carcass to the back of your M4 ?

[Maynard]

What is really shown by the bulk of psychological research is that the concept of personality traits is grossly overstated and over-relied upon in explaining human behavior. Situational context and recent experiences are WAY more influential in determining behaviors. A great example is a series of studies they did with seminary students, which clearly demonstrated that their willingness to help someone in need was directly related to whether they were late to class, not how hurt or needy the person seemed, or how strongly they endorsed altruistic beliefs.

[H2O_Doc]

Originally Posted by Maynard

What is really shown by the bulk of psychological research is that the concept of personality traits is grossly overstated and over-relied upon in explaining human behavior. Situational context and recent experiences are WAY more influential in determining behaviors. A great example is a series of studies they did with seminary students, which clearly demonstrated that their willingness to help someone in need was directly related to whether they were late to class, not how hurt or needy the person seemed, or how strongly they endorsed altruistic beliefs.

Context matters and probably should in a survival sense. Responding to context has probably been pretty important to our survival. But that's a whole other gnarled question. For example, why will we ignore someone in need when there are others around when we would help if the context was changed was no one else around? Context. But that answer just leads to more questions.

[TrevorM3]

daaaa fuck is this thread

[maul3d]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

daaaa fuck is this thread

ROFL.

Next subject, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

TrevorM3, you'll be donating your car to someone in need.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

daaaa fuck is this thread

[Megabrode]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

daaaa fuck is this thread

OK, OK. Hoping not too much longer in solitary.

[TrevorM3]

hahah, that book that someone posted didd look interesting though. wont lie.