A self-serving approach to life might lead to all kinds of success, but it often does so at a cost to others' well-being. There's another way, writes glenngeher
From this perspective, we can think of two broad paths to success in life. A selfish approach to life, for better or worse, can have its merits when it comes to success. History is full of all kinds of figures who found success by moving simply toward their own selfishOn the other hand, humans evolved in small, tight-knit communities in which social reputation mattered quite a bit.
In this context, demonstrating genuinely other-oriented, caring behaviors has the capacity to facilitate one's own success in an ultimate sense.Human behavior is complex—people utilize a broad suite of behavioral strategies in their efforts to succeed in life. Based on the principle of strategic pluralism, it turns out that multiple—and often wildly different—strategies have the capacity to lead to successful outcomes. Knowing all this, when it comes to the strategy that works best for you in life, realize that there are choices to be made. Sure, a self-serving approach to life might lead to all kinds of success, but it often does so at a cost to the welfare of others. On the other hand, a genuinely other-oriented approach to life has the capacity to also facilitate one's own success while, at the same time, cultivating the success of others and of one's broader community. Via eons of evolutionary pressures, both strategies have made it into the human behavioral repertoire. In large part, the strategy that you utilize as you navigate the obstacles of life is up to you.1Gangestad, S.W., & Simpson, J. A. . The evolution of human mating: Trade-offs and strategic pluralism. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23, 573–644. 2Jonason, P. K., Kaufman, S. B., Webster, G. D, & Geher, G. . What lies beneath the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen: Varied relations with the Big Five. Individual Differences Research, 11, 81-90. 3Kaufman, S.B., Yaden, D.B., Hyde, E., & Tsukayama, E. . The Light vs. Dark triad of personality: Contrasting two very different profiles of human nature. Frontiers in Psychology. 4Geher, G., Di Santo, J., & Planke, J. . Social reputation. In T. Shackelford , Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Science. New York: Springer.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Two People Killed After Vehicle Hits Light Pole in OceansideTwo people were killed Saturday when their vehicle crashed into a light pole and caught fire on state Route 76, police said.
Read more »
Helicopter crashes into ocean near Miami Beach, two people transported to hospitalTwo people were transported to a hospital after a helicopter crashed into the ocean near the Miami Beach shore on Saturday, according to a tweet by Miami Beach Police.
Read more »
Religious leaders reflect on Lent after two years of COVID | Faith MattersReligious leaders reflect on Lent in a time of COVID.
Read more »
Only four Kmarts are left in the U.S. and two are in New JerseyThere's a death watch for the nation's last Kmarts. We visit one of the last ones still open, in New Jersey.
Read more »
Oppo Find X5 series listing reveals the two phones support 15W wireless chargingThe Find X5 and Find X5 Pro have appeared on the WPC certification website, just days ahead of their official announcement.
Read more »
Biden plans to impose new sanctions on trade and financing in two pro-Moscow territoriesPresident Joe Biden plans to impose new sanctions on trade and financing in the two pro-Moscow territories in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to recognize as independent on Monday.
Read more »