I call the notion that we are nothing but killer apes the Beethoven fallacy. Beethoven was disorganized and … - Frans de Waal

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Because we all know one of the main factors of war is the element of surprise. And what could be more surprising than the First Batallion Transvestite Brigade? Airborne Wing.

Frans de Waal

I call the notion that we are nothing but killer apes the Beethoven fallacy. Beethoven was disorganized and messy, and yet his music is the epitome of order.

Apes, Disorganized, Killers, Music, Nothing, Order

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If you are a cooperative animal, you need to watch what you get. If you, or even a whole community, invest in something but then a few individuals receive a much larger return, it's not a good arrangement. If it happens consistently, it's time to look for an arrangement that is more beneficial. That's why we're so sensitive to how rewards are being divided.

Animal, Community, Good, Happens, Return, Sensitive

You should know as much as you can about the human species if you have a hand in designing human society. I'm not saying that you can derive moral rules from nature - that's deriving an ought from an is, as the philosophers say - but you do need to know what kind of animals we are if you want to design a stable society.

Animal, Design, Hands, Moral, Say, Species

Humanity is actually much more cooperative and empathic than [it's] given credit for.

Cooperative, Credit, Given, Humanity

Armies are a purely human invention. Most soldiers who go to war nowadays don't even do it because they're inherently aggressive.

Armies, Army, Invention, Purely, Soldier, War

If you want to design a successful human society, you need to know what kind of animal we are. Are we a social animal or a selfish animal? Do we respond better when we're solitary or living in a group?

Selfish, Successful, Animal, Group, Kind