The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think (43 page)

Page, Larry,
127

Paradox, large numbers,
109–111
,
113

Parasitism

described,
187–188

examples of,
185–186
,
188
,
194–203

lesson about,
210

protection from,
203–205
,
213

Parental investment, minimum,
163
,
165
,
173

Parenting effort,
121
,
122
,
124–125

Parents, inclusive fitness and,
57

Paternal uncertainty,
178

Pathogen detector system,
83
,
93

See also
Disease-avoidance subself

Personalities, having multiple,
24–27

See also
Subselves

Persuasion, primed for,
27–30

Pharmaceutical industry,
199–201

Pitt, Brad,
89

Playboys,
89
,
90
,
156–157

Predators, protection from.
See
Self-protection subself

Predictable environments, influence of, on life history strategy,
136
,
139

Predicting behavior,
16
,
46
,
48

Preferences

changing,
27–29
,
34
,
39–40
,
46
,
47–48

and inclusive fitness,
56–58

mate,
167–169
,
170–171
,
173

stable,
26
,
46
,
48

Prescription drug industry,
199–201

Prisoner’s dilemma,
53–55
,
56
,
58
,
59
,
62
,
67
,
69

Probability format, problem with,
97–98
,
101–102
,
103–105

See also
Math problems

Promiscuity,
24
,
156
,
180

Proximate reasons

awareness of,
158–159

described,
11

focus on,
12

incomplete understanding of behavior provided by,
15–16

links between ultimate reasons and, being unaware of,
12–13
,
150–151
,
158–159

for men’s preference for young women,
168

and the ovulatory cycle,
14
,
15

and ultimate reasons, as complementary,
15

Puberty, earlier onset of,
134

Pyramid schemes,
188
,
203

Race relations,
72

Rags-to-riches-to-bankruptcy stories,
117–118
,
119
,
136
,
138

See also
Risk taking

Randazzo, Richie,
129
,
130

Randeria, Shalini,
171–172

Rape,
17
,
134
,
138

Rational animals, people as, evolutionary view of.
See
Evolutionary psychologist perspective

Rational economist perspective

behavioral economists versus,
6
,
7

as both right and wrong,
9

contributions of, and suggestions to improve upon,
213–214

examples of,
1–2
,
3
,
4

lesson about,
210–211

of man as rational, described,
3–4

See also specific ideas/concepts of
rational economists

Reproductive costs,
163
,
165

Reproductive effort,
120
,
121

See also
Mating effort
;
Parenting effort

Reproductive success, defined,
121

See also
Mating opportunities/success

Resource allocation.
See
Life history theory

Resources

limited, dilemma over,
119

uncertainty over,
135
,
179

willingness to provide, demonstrating,
163
,
172

Restricted strategists,
156
,
157

Risk aversion

as a calculated bias,
45
,
82

money mistakes and,
81–82

Risk taking

described,
16–20

inclusive fitness and,
56

mate-acquisition game and,
173
,
174
,
175

mating effort and,
123
,
125–127
,
128
,
173

types of, as financial strategies,
130–131

See also
Fast strategy

Roberts, Julia,
147

Rock, Chris,
200

Rock stars, early death of,
138

Role-playing, presumption in,
48–49

Romantic subself.
See
Mate-acquisition subself

Ronay, Richard,
17

Roney, Jim,
154

Rowling, J.
K.,
214
,
215

Saad, Gad,
157

Safe environments, influence of, on life history strategy,
136
,
139

Sanabria, Federico,
59

Santos, Laurie,
9

Sapolsky, Robert,
37–38

Scarcity ploy,
196
,
197
,
203

Schaller, Mark,
35
,
83
,
84

Schmitt, David,
164

Science, appeal of,
215–216

Scientific management, principle of,
69

Secord, Paul,
179–180

Segal, Nancy,
56
,
57–58

Self-actualization,
44

Self-interest

described,
3–4

lesson about,
210–211

putting aside,
73

See also
Subselves

Self-protection subself

advance warning system of,
78
,
93

advertising preferences of,
28–29
,
30

described,
33–34
,
212

fulfilling the needs of, spending on,
189

hierarchy of needs and,
43

and loss aversion,
47

mating effort and,
123

parasites of,
199

parenting effort and,
125

and rules of the game,
66–68

somatic effort and,
122

and tension between subselves,
49

See also specific aspects related to the
self-protection subself

September 11, 2001,
140

Sex detector systems,
86–90
,
93

Sex differences.
See
Men
; Women Sex ratios,
179–182
,
183

Sexton, Alison,
149

Sexton, Steve,
149

Sexual economics

conspicuous displays and,
153

mate preference and,
170

of reproduction,
163–164
,
165

See also
Mate-acquisition subself
;
Mate-retention subself
;
Men
;
Women

Sexual mistakes, avoiding,
166

Sexual revolution,
180

Sharif, Ismael Ibn,
169

Sherman, William Tecumseh,
64

Shiwiar tribe,
95–96
,
100
,
104
,
106
,
108–109
,
110–111

Siblings

and inclusive fitness,
56–57
,
57–58
,
59–60

twin,
56
,
57–58
,
62

Simpson, Jeff,
135
,
156

Singh, Bhupinder,
64
,
65

Singh, Rajinder,
169

Single parents,
117
,
133
,
136

Singles ads,
173

Sizemore, Chris,
25

Slow strategy

attitude of people following the, toward fast strategists, example of,
140

and conspicuous consumption,
157

described,
119
,
121

environmental factors leading to,
136–137
,
138
,
139

fast strategy versus,
128–129

as a financial investment strategy,
131

genetic factor in,
133

low variance of,
137

mate-acquisition subself and,
156
,
157

restricted,
156
,
157

and sexual supply and demand,
181

types of people following,
132–133

Smith, William Kennedy,
17

Smoke detector dilemma,
79–80

Smoke detector principle

described,
80–81
,
87

flip side of the,
88

money mistakes and the,
81–82

“Sociology of Bride Price and Dowry” (Randeria and Visaria),
171–172

Sociopathy, indicator of,
68

Somatic effort,
120
,
121
,
122
,
132

Southwest Airlines,
71–72
,
213

Sperry, Roger W.,
25

Spielberg, Steven,
186

Spitzer, Eliot,
161
,
167
,
209

Split-brain patients,
25

Sports Illustrated
(magazine),
118

Stable preferences,
26
,
46
,
48

Statistical computations.
See
Math problems

Status subself

conspicuous consumption and,
143–144
,
148–150
,
151

described,
37–39
,
212

fulfilling the needs of, spending on,
189

going green and,
148
,
149
,
150
,
151

hierarchy of needs and,
43

mating effort and,
122
,
123
,
124

overconfidence bias and,
91–93

parasites of,
198

and rules of the game,
64–66

selling to, marketing strategy in,
191
,
192

See also specific aspects related to the
status subself

Stepparents, inclusive fitness and,
57

Stress response,
138–140

Subselves

compatibility between,
49

different responses from,
26–27
,
82–83

game theory and rules for different,
60–67
,
73

knowing your evolutionary needs and, to avoid overspending,
205

lesson about,
211–212

making complex problems relevant to our,
105–106
,
108
,
109

money and,
44–45

multiple, existence of,
26

number of, and how they work,
30–32

others exploiting our,
186–187

and persuasion,
27–30

remembering, way of,
42–44

versus roles,
48–49

selling to, marketing strategies in,
190–194

shut out of the decision-making process,
204

tension between,
49

types of, described,
32–42

voluntarily waking up your own,
212–213

See also
Affiliation subself
;
Disease-avoidance subself
;
Kin-care subself
;
Mate-acquisition subself
;
Mate-retention subself
;
Self-protection subself
;
Status subself