Most of our social nature is like that of other primates - we're mostly out for ourselves.
Jonathan HaidtThe most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction.
Jonathan HaidtIndividuals who could not form cooperative alliances, on average, died sooner and left fewer children. And so we are the descendants of the successful cooperators.
Jonathan HaidtSocieties that exclude the exoskeleton of religion should reflect carefully to what will happen to them over several generations. We donโt really know, because the first atheistic societies have only emerged in Europe in the last few decades. They are the least efficient societies ever known at turning resources (of which they have a lot) into offspring (of which they have few).
Jonathan Haidt