144
" That natural selection has opted for social inequality in our species certainly doesn’t make inequality right; and it makes it inevitable in only a limited sense. Namely: when groups of people—especially males—spend much time together, some sort of hierarchy, if implicit and subtle, is pretty sure to appear. Whether we know it or not, we tend naturally to rank one another, and we signify the ranking through patterns of attention, agreement, and deference—whom we pay attention to, whom we agree with, whose jokes we laugh at, whose suggestions we take. "
― Robert Wright , The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are - The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology
145
" Thus the service performed by the new paradigm isn’t, strictly speaking, to reveal the baseness of our moral sentiments; that baseness, per se, counts neither for nor against them; the ultimate genetic selfishness underlying an impulse is morally neutral—grounds neither for embracing the impulse nor for condemning it. Rather, the paradigm is useful because it helps us see that the aura of rightness surrounding so many of our actions may be delusional; even when they feel right, they may do harm. And surely hatred, more often than love, does harm while feeling right. That is why I contend that the new paradigm will tend to lead the thinking person toward love and away from hate. It helps us judge each feeling on its merits; and on grounds of merit, love usually wins. "
― Robert Wright , The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are - The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology
149
" cuando me pongo a reflexionar sobre algún enigma, algún interrogante, si presto mucha atención, noto que hay algo agradable en el hecho de reflexionar, una especie de zanahoria inalcanzable que me mantiene divagando por donde sea que me lleve ese enigma en busca de una solución y, si consigo llegar a una solución, siento, a modo de recompensa, una especie de estallido culminante de satisfacción. Como John Ruskin lo expresó en el siglo XIX, «la curiosidad es un don, la capacidad de sentir placer con el conocimiento». "
― Robert Wright , Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
153
" In this sense, yes, we are moral; we have, at least, the technical capacity for leading a truly examined life; we have self-awareness, memory, foresight, and judgment. But the last several decades of evolutionary thought lead one to emphasize the word technical. Chronically subjecting ourselves to a true and bracing moral scrutiny, and adjusting our behavior accordingly, is not something we are designed for. We are potentially moral animals—which is more than any other animal can say—but we aren’t naturally moral animals. To be moral animals, we must realize how thoroughly we aren’t. "
― Robert Wright , The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are - The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology
157
" Reciprocal altruism brings its own agenda to the presentation of self, and thus to the deception of self. Whereas status hierarchies place a premium on our seeming competent, attractive, strong, smart, etcetera, reciprocal altruism puts its accent on niceness, integrity, fairness. These are the things that make us seem like worthy reciprocal altruists. They make people want to strike up relationships with us. Puffing up our reputations as decent and generous folks can’t hurt, and it often helps. "
― Robert Wright , The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are - The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology
