Born to cooperate: Majority or minority?

Alms to the Poor      (Public Domain)

Those who work hard to maximize resources for so-called “cheats” who cannot (or will not) often feel as though altruists are in the minority.  However, mathematicians are now saying otherwise.

“Hardwired” altruists actually need to dominate a society in order to insure its long- term survival.  Researchers from three universities (Bath and Manchester in England, and Princeton in the United States) “developed a mathematical model” to predict what occurs when “cooperators” and “cheats” interact.

Because “more cooperation means more food for all and a larger population,” cooperation has prevailed over the ages.  Cultures based upon selfishness tend to diminish and disappear over time.  Although altruists may seem to lose in the short run, they as a group remain viable long after counterparts have faded into oblivion.

Resources

http://www.newswise.com/articles/researchers-discover-altruism-is-favored-by-chance

Copyright August 10, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All rights Reserved