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 Originally Posted by wufwugy
Nobody really knows an exact answer to that question. Indeed one of the most logical ways to answer that question is to look at practices and ideas that have survived. We might not know what in a framework that has survived is creating fitness, but we do know that the framework is associated with survival and most probably fitness.
I don't think you can evaluate cultural memes the same way you do physical traits because one can be voluntarily changed and the other cannot. One obvious reason why religions are evolutionary beneficial because they all place a high value on reproduction. But they could also be a byproduct of pattern recognition. Those who seek patterns and explanation might fare better than those who do not, but those who do will also find patterns and explanations where there are none (yet). It's like the teeth of the babirusa. They're keeping twigs and thorns out of your eyes, and the ladies love them, but they also grow into your brain causing you to die a slow suffering death. The lord giveth...
I hate to prod you on this, but can you give me any specific examples?
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