Why are we so violent?

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Today at a glance:

• Why are we so violent?

• Social Learning Theory

• Business Idea and more…

Why are we so violent? (Social Learning Theory)

So I was watching some video on Youtube, and in that video, there was a story of World War 1 of The Christmas Truce: this is the real event that happened in which the French, German and British soldiers had a ceasefire just to celebrate Christmas. for that time they ventured into the No-men land, had prisoner exchange, and few days after things went back to as they were.

This raises the question: Where did the violence go?

The Roots of Violence

Violence is a trait found in many animals, including humans. It serves purposes like protecting territory, hunting, and establishing dominance.

However, we always see that violence comes at a cost, leaving physical and psychological scars. Aggressive people often face a riskier life, fewer social connections, and increased stress. (which is so not good for them).

I Thought Violence Is Inate in Human Beings. (I was wrong!)

While violence may seem inherent, primatologist Robert Sapolsky's research suggests otherwise.

He studied baboons, who share 94% of our genetic code. Sapolsky observed that violence isn't necessarily a natural state but a learned response to the environment.

A troop of baboons, once violent, transformed into a peaceful community after a tuberculosis outbreak wiped out the most aggressive males. The new generation, raised by females and gentler males, exhibited less combative behavior. This peaceful troop thrived through collaboration, demonstrating lower stress levels, better health, and improved survival rates.

However, Sapolsky himself acknowledges that human behavior is complex. It cannot be explained by one single factor such as "one part of the brain, one childhood experience, one hormone, one gene, or anything”.

The Social Learning Theory

This theory suggests that most of behaviour is conditioned by the environment, and people learn by observing and imitating others. Just like the Baboons, human behavior is shaped by family, media, and social influences.

When exposed to violence, people may adopt aggression, but if they see cooperation and empathy, they learn peaceful ways to interact. All this depends upon the conditioning you get; it is said you are the average of the 5 five people in your life you interact most with, and I believe it is true.

In the modern world context, it is easy to choose the five people of your life. We have plenty of resources and content around the greatest performers of the world

Actionable Steps

• Be conscious about your environment: cut out negativity as it will influence your behaviour

• Choose your 5 people: carefully choose your ideal who you want to emulate in your life.

Updates:

• Business Idea: solve for embedded finance in the Indian market $25 billion opportunity, Eg, Acko in Amazon

• Recommendation: Art of seduction: Robert Green In Diary of a CEO podcast.

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