Interesting way to put it, that the one thing we all have in common is our selfishness.
I've been reading a book by a biologist who studied social behavior across species, in ants, termites, apes, humans, etc. He wrote that no animal has ever shown a concern for its entire species, much less concern for other species. He stated that humans are no different, except for a small minority of us who seem to have an unusual amount of empathy. He does argue that social animals show altruism for their kin or those they consider to be "on my side". But this is rarely a universal altruism, and when you run the biostatistics, there's no reason for DNA to evolve universal altruism. Instead there's a tension between actions that benefit the self and actions that benefit others in our social group.
The foreign aid budget of the US is only 0.2% of our GDP LOL, and we're still the largest GDP in the world. Only 2% of US residents listed the environment, pollution, or climate change as our #1 problem when asked during June 2022. Only 1% listed the gap between rich and poor. Another 1% listed foreign policy or foreign aid. 40% listed the economy, especially the high cost of living. Most people just want more stuff for themselves and their families — that's definitely what unites all of us.
no subject
I've been reading a book by a biologist who studied social behavior across species, in ants, termites, apes, humans, etc. He wrote that no animal has ever shown a concern for its entire species, much less concern for other species. He stated that humans are no different, except for a small minority of us who seem to have an unusual amount of empathy. He does argue that social animals show altruism for their kin or those they consider to be "on my side". But this is rarely a universal altruism, and when you run the biostatistics, there's no reason for DNA to evolve universal altruism. Instead there's a tension between actions that benefit the self and actions that benefit others in our social group.
The foreign aid budget of the US is only 0.2% of our GDP LOL, and we're still the largest GDP in the world. Only 2% of US residents listed the environment, pollution, or climate change as our #1 problem when asked during June 2022. Only 1% listed the gap between rich and poor. Another 1% listed foreign policy or foreign aid. 40% listed the economy, especially the high cost of living. Most people just want more stuff for themselves and their families — that's definitely what unites all of us.