Superstitions evolved to help us survive

[crocofish]

Here is an article from New Scientist that links superstition to evolution.  The premise is that belief in some superstitions may have given humans a survival advantage, so the capacity to believe superstitions was passed on to later generations.  "As long as the cost of believing a superstition is less than the cost of missing a real association, superstitious beliefs will be favoured."

It's an interesting concept that is some food for thought.  Do non-believers have some kind of survival disadvantage?  Perhaps, if there is a gang of pitchfork wielding evangelists in pursuit shouting "heathen".  

[curiosityandthecat]

Makes sense. It's something I've believed for quite some time. Believing that a werewolf or other monster lives in the forest makes one less likely to wander into a dark wood and be mauled by a bear. Sure, the werewolf isn't real, but the bear sure is.

[Will]

Good article.

Okay, everyone get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow were all going to evolve out of it~!

[myleviathan]

I totally agree that superstition and myth-making gives people an evolutionary advantage. It causes masses of people to organize on a global scale to work toward well-defined, singular goals. It offers emotional and financial support for members. It helps them cope with death and with chaos. In addition, having as many children you can is very much looked favorably upon in an attempt to outbreed the opposition. Obviously one day all of this will backfire with overpopulation and global war. But in the meantime, theists do have the evolutionary advantage. They're like ants: organized and determined on global domination.