In this blog post, we explain through group selection theory that altruistic behavior is not simply a loss for the individual, but an evolutionary strategy for the survival and prosperity of the group.
We encounter many “good people” in the world. People who readily give a thousand won to beggars on the subway, people who donate to the Salvation Army’s red baskets at the end of the year, and people who take time out of their week to volunteer are just a few examples of how many people help each other and live their lives. These “good people” can also be found in classrooms. It is very common to encounter “good people” around us, such as students who carry books for a friend with a broken leg or students who come to school early every morning to clean the classroom. Why do these so-called “good people” behave in such an altruistic manner? Few people will recognize them for their donations, and it would be more beneficial for them to spend the money on an extra cup of coffee or a piece of fruit. In the classroom, it is better to go home alone than to be late for class because of helping an injured student, and even if you come early in the morning to clean the classroom, everyone will just make a mess again. The acts of kindness performed by these people actually require sacrifice and expense on their part. So why do they do these things?
The theory that explains these behaviors is called “group selection theory.” This theory is similar to “survival of the fittest,” in which individuals who adapt well to a given environment survive, while those who do not adapt well are eliminated and disappear. The difference between group selection theory and survival of the fittest is that the unit of survival is not the individual but the group. Individually, these people may not be able to adapt well to the environment, but if the group to which they belong is well suited to the environment, the group will survive and the individuals will also survive. Imagine an island where people who cannot bend their arms live together. Selfish people do not share food with others when it is available, but only eat what others give them, while altruistic people share their food with others. In this case, the altruistic people will continue to feed the selfish people, and the selfish people will continue to eat for free, so in the end, the selfish people will survive. If there were two islands, one with many selfish people and the other with many altruistic people, what would happen? As mentioned above, selfish people would survive on each island, but when comparing the two islands, the people living on the island with altruistic people would live a much more prosperous life. This is because groups of selfish people only seek their own interests, which weakens the competitiveness of the group, while groups of altruistic people help each other, which strengthens the competitiveness of the group. After several years, the group that survives will be the island where altruistic people gather. Group selection theory is the theory that, when viewed individually, selfish people have an advantage, but when viewed as a group, groups with many altruistic people have an advantage.
This phenomenon can be easily found in our surroundings. Let’s say there are altruistic students who come to school early in the morning to clean the classroom, and selfish students who don’t clean and just wait for other students to clean up after them. The altruistic students will clean every day, and the selfish students will do whatever they want to do during that time. As time goes by, the altruistic students will see that the selfish students are enjoying a much more comfortable school life, and they will stop being altruistic or start acting selfishly. In other words, the altruistic students did not survive in a situation of survival of the fittest. However, what would happen if the group survived, as in “group selection theory”? Let’s think about it again, assuming that a clean classroom is a more stable environment than a dirty classroom. After a week, one classroom will look clean and the other will look like a pigsty. Let’s take another example: swimmers with similar abilities. The selfish group will only think about their own swimming techniques and practice. On the other hand, the altruistic group will watch each other’s swimming techniques, point out their shortcomings and areas for improvement, and give each other feedback. If the two groups compete in a swimming competition later, the altruistic group is much more likely to win.
It seems that altruistic people should be eliminated by selfish people, but there are many altruistic people in the world. When viewed up close, altruistic people seem foolish and fall behind in competition. However, when viewed from a broader perspective, altruistic people are those who have made much wiser choices than selfish people when it comes to the survival of the group. Group selection theory provides a good explanation for the existence of altruistic people.
