Quote:
Originally Posted by InfiniteNow
Jealously seems to have conferred selective benefit. You should check out the work of David Buss, specifically, his text "The Dangerous Passion." Covers this issue quite well.
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If I read every potentially poorly reasoned argument someone directed me to I would have a lot less free time on my hands for next to no increase in knowledge. No doubt what you say is true in some regard - since without jealousy more capable animals would sit by while less capable ones mated.
But these issues are far less signifigant when considering intelligent beings. If there is any major measure of capability among us, it is iq / complex reaction time. But this has already been correlated with lower rates of reproduction. So, even if IQ helps wins disputes over mates, it doesn't help society as a whole. If a capable mate is sought after and won by someone with a high IQ, they are less likely to mate thus wasting the capabilities of the person sought after.
