Is Capitalism really Human Nature?

@basilfawlty89 Human nature was built by millions of years of evolution. You are right about tribal organisation, however. Humans work best within small in groups.

@pianoplayingsteve exactly. But primitive man is the closest to our nature. There was no monetary value, there was no private ownership, tribes worked as a community.

@pianoplayingsteve [quote]Humans work best within small in groups.
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It depends on what you mean by 'works best '. I'd hate to live all my life in a small group, subject to the narrow minded and xenophobic.

@basilfawlty89 Yes indeed, the expressions of our recent evolutionary past in how this affects how we traverse modernity has always been of great interest to me. I believe that there are natural laws, evolution being one, that govern reality and will always be there with strong influence, regardless of what we do.

I half agree and disagree with you. I believe that individual members could say "this thing is mine", else how could any individual member concentrate enough resources into their own possession to in turn create things for the tribe as a whole? I believe they did things as I'd like to do things. They would do things that would primarily benefit them as an individual, but would also make sure that their actions do not directly sabotage the wellbeing of the tribe as a whole.

@ninalanyon If you have a small group in which you help each other to some degree. For example, you provided each other with your services at a cheaper rate than those outside of your group, and/or you contributed food items to communal in group meals, and/or for example you may share your home gym with your in group, whilst another may provide car lifts to other members of the in group. You'll quickly find yourself as an individual, as would every member of the group, becoming a lot better off than if you were an isolated individual.

@pianoplayingsteve An awful lot of ifs and maybes. Anyway the contrast is not between being a member of a small group and being an isolated individual but between being a member of a small group and a member of a large group.

[quote] City residents tend to suffer from more asthma, allergies and depression – but they also tend to be less obese, at a lower suicide risk and are less likely to get killed in an accident

City-dwellers live longer than their countryside counterparts and are happier as seniors[/quote]
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180531-where-are-the-worlds-healthiest-places-to-live

@ninalanyon There was a single use of "if", and no "maybes" in my entire post, what are you talking about?

I'm not sure how your link relates to the contrast you are talking about.

@pianoplayingsteve Larger groups off greater freedom and better quality services. I was thinking of the ifs and maybes of being representative of rather more. The point about larger groups is that you get to pick and choose and don't have to rely simply on the accidents of the few members of your group being friendly and helpful.

@ninalanyon "don't have to rely simply on the accidents of the few members of your group being friendly and helpful." I would rather help raise up the individuals of the small group who have made mistakes, who can then in turn help me with my mistakes, than just ditch them for someone new out of convenience.

@pianoplayingsteve That's great when it works. I take it you have never been the one in a small class who has been shunned or excluded.

@ninalanyon Yes, I have. I have a severe deformity that was very noticeable as a child, and then ontop of that probably the worst acne someone has ever had, my face is now incredibly scarred up and I still get bad acne at 30. I know what it's like to be, feel and treated differently. Not to mention how exclusionary certain people can be if you dont agree with them politically on every issue in existence, as if it's an unquestionable religion to them.