Should we analyse our patterns of behaviour in the savannah and use this blueprint for our understanding and manipulation of behaviour now?
I experienced a brain-flare of indignation after reading an article in New Scientist regarding the 'neuroenhancement of love and the biological limitations of love'. The authors of this paper argue that for centuries we have biochemically altered the course of love through old tricks such as the Swedes' 'apple in the armpit' and now as we stand knee deep in biochemical blueprints of our physiological behaviours, we could use this understanding to curtail our devastating divorce rates (US divorce has surpassed death as the major cause of marital break-up, which has significant consequences, especially for children).
The said brain-flare of indignation stemmed from my current distaste of the 'Paleo' trend i.e. wittling down our basic natures to its finite parts and using this to rationalise new diets and behaviours. Are we to remain mired with the psychology that drives our ancestors, is this not a reductionist approach that corrals our potential to evolve as higher sentient beings?
This mentality is reflected in raw food diets, e.g. the Paleo caveman diet. Whilst I encourage a more sustainable and mindful approach to any way of living, I wonder if it would be better to keep these as simple reference points. By rigidly adhering to such archaic regimens, it forces use to lose contact with our body's own innate reference system and it's responses to the present moment in hand. The diet industry thrives on the conviction that our bodies are fat storing machines, and that we must work against them with "diets" that restrict our communication with the body. Of course it is easier to follow any pattern of restriction and 'lose weight' but then where is the joy of the moment in such a pre-determinist approach? No wonder most diets don't work or are embarked upon with such disdain that people "give up" or "give in" to cravings. Cravings are the way the body tells you it is lacking a particular nutrient, so if you get sugar cravings give it sugar, but the right type, i.e. whole-grains for sustainable energy.
Do we want to live in a society that adheres to its primal roots, or one that respects and confers but advances beyond them? Even a tree, rooted in the ground will sprout seeds that offer an advanced and more successful survival. It was man's instinct to stay safe in tribes, but those first pioneers who thought outside the box, who stepped into the unknown and carried our species to the farthest reaches of the earth, were the ones that gave birth to our current way of life. This mode of thinking is what makes us human, why are we stepping back into the box (or should that be Savannah)?
Instead of looking at Paleo times to rationalise and augment our current behaviour, it could be more beneficial to keep them as references. A raw food diet is essentially natural and unprocessed, so incorporating more of this into our lives would be beneficial, but chugging green smoothies all day long ignores another aspect of food which contributed to our social evolution such as cooking.
In the case of the article I initially quoted, the authors claim 'evolutionary considerations give us a clue to the emotional aspects of non-attachment'. Using drugs to promote love (based on observations on voles?) could reduce relationship friction and reinforce bonds made through initial lust, giving rise to more stable relationships. Whilst I can hardly disagree with the fact that 'stepchildren are abused and even killed at rates 40-100 times greater than children residing with their genetic parents'. I hardly think that such biochemical tinkering should be justified on the grounds of giving those 'lower on the tree of life a chance to climb higher...and allow those less attractive to compete on other traits'.
As we veer into an age of hyper-awareness, the ethics of how we use such knowledge is more pertinent than ever. Otherwise we may be faced with a future where courtship involves clubbing each other over the head (verbally known as NLP), whilst sipping green smoothies laced with our 21st Century love-potions.