Survival of the Friendliest: Understanding Our Origins and Rediscovering Our Common Humanity

Humans evolved in small, egalitarian groups that valued social currency and punished those who tried to monopolize power. For thousands of generations, these groups spread across the world, but the advent of agriculture marked the beginning of despotism. The ability to produce and store large quantities of food led to larger societies where autocrats could hide within anonymous populations, stirring subgroups to fight each other for control. This new social structure laid the groundwork for tribes, kingdoms, empires, and nation-states, where power struggles became the norm.

As societies grew, they were often ruled by the most powerful subgroups, leaving less powerful or minority groups voiceless and oppressed. People fought against this hierarchical order for centuries, but even successful rebellions typically resulted in new despots taking power. This cycle continued until the Industrial Revolution, when some Western European societies began forming constitutional democracies. The English Bill of Rights in 1689 limited the king’s power and established free elections and freedom of speech in Parliament, setting a precedent for other countries to follow. These democracies built checks and balances into their systems, ensuring that those out of power were never completely powerless and fostering a norm of power-sharing and compromise.