William von Hippel

In the compelling popular science tradition of Sapiens and Guns, Germs, and Steel, a groundbreaking and eye-opening exploration that applies evolutionary science to provide a new perspective on human psychology, revealing how major challenges from our past have shaped some of the most fundamental aspects of our being. The most fundamental aspects of our lives—from leadership and innovation to aggression and happiness—were permanently altered by the "social leap" our ancestors made from the rainforest to the savannah. Their struggle to survive on the open grasslands required a shift from individualism to a new form of collectivism, which forever altered the way our mind works. It changed the way we fight and our proclivity to make peace, it changed the way we lead and the way we follow, it made us innovative but not inventive, it created a new kind of social intelligence, and it led to new sources of life satisfaction. In The Social Leap, William von Hippel lays out this revolutionary hypothesis, tracing human development through three critical evolutionary inflection points to explain how events in our distant past shape our lives today. From the mundane, such as why we exaggerate, to the surprising, such as why we believe our own lies and why fame and fortune are as likely to bring misery as happiness, the implications are far reaching and extraordinary. Blending anthropology, biology, history, and psychology with evolutionary science, The Social Leap is a fresh and provocative look at our species that provides new clues about who we are, what makes us happy, and how to use this knowledge to improve our lives.

The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy

The Social Leap

Um olhar novo e provocador à nossa espécie que fornece novas pistas sobre quem somos, porque fazemos o que fazemos e como podemos viver uma boa vida. Um olhar novo e provocador sobre a nossa espécie. A psicologia humana está repleta de contradições: esforçamo-nos para alcançar os nossos objetivos, mas quando somos bem-sucedidos, a nossa felicidade é passageira. Desejamos que os nossos amigos tenham uma boa vida, mas sentimos inveja se for boa demais. Reclamamos de chefes difíceis, mas não costumamos ser melhores quando assumimos a liderança. Estas incoerências podem parecer irracionais, mas cada uma é fruto da evolução com o propósito de servir uma função vital nas nossas vidas. De facto, os aspetos mais fundamentais da nossa psicologia foram moldados permanentemente pelo «salto social» que os nossos antepassados deram ao migrarem da floresta tropical para asavana. Na sua luta pela sobrevivência, deram prioridade ao trabalho em equipa e à sociabilidade em detrimento das proezas físicas, criando um tipo inteiramente novo de inteligência. Mesclando antropologia, biologia, história e psicologia com ciência evolutiva, O Salto Social é um olhar novo e provocador à nossa espécie que fornece novas pistas sobre quem somos, porque fazemos o que fazemos e como podemos viver uma boa vida. Os elogios da crítica: «Esqueça os bens materiais. A chave da felicidade pode estar onde menos espera. Repleto de conhecimento sobre o caráter humano, este livro faz-nos refletir sobre o que verdadeiramente importa.» — Kirkus Reviews

O Salto Social: A Nova Ciência Evolutiva Sobre Quem Somos, de Onde Vimos e o Que Nos Faz Felizes

Joseph P. Forgas

Martie G. Haselton

This book seeks to combine the study of human social cognition - the way we think, decide, plan and analyze social situations - with an evolutionary framework that considers these activities in light of evolutionary adaptations for solving problems of survival faced by our ancestors over thousands of generations. The chapters report recent research and theories illustrating how evolutionary principles can shed new light on the subtle and often subconscious ways that cognitive mechanisms guide peoples’ thoughts, memories, judgments, attitudes and behaviors in social life. The contributors to this volume, who are leading researchers in their fields, seek answers to such intriguing questions as: how can evolutionary principles help to explain human beliefs, attitudes, judgments, prejudice, and group preferences? Are there benefits to behaving unpredictably? Why are prototypical faces more attractive than atypical ones? How do men and women think about, and select potential mates? What are the adaptive functions of negative affect? What are the evolutionary influences on the way people think about and respond to social exclusion and ostracism? Evolution and the Social Mind offers a highly integrated and representative coverage of this emerging field, and is suitable as a textbook in advanced courses dealing with social cognition and evolutionary psychology.

William von Hippel

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