Meanwhile, those who collaborated and bonded with others
enjoyed increased safety, mating opportunities, and access to
resources. As Charles Darwin noted, “In the long history of
humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most
effectively have prevailed.” As a result, one of the deepest human
desires is to belong. And this ancient preference exerts a powerful
influence on our modern behavior.
We don’t choose our earliest habits, we imitate them. We follow the
script handed down by our friends and family, our church or school,
our local community and society at large. Each of these cultures and
groups comes with its own set of expectations and standards—when
and whether to get married, how many children to have, which
holidays to celebrate, how much money to spend on your child’s
birthday party. In many ways, these social norms are the invisible
rules that guide your behavior each day. You’re always keeping them
in mind, even if they are at the not top of your mind. Often, you follow
the habits of your culture without thinking, without questioning, and
sometimes without remembering. As the French philosopher Michel
de Montaigne wrote, “The customs and practices of life in society
sweep us along.”
prevailed private exist exert exerts a powerful influence on
In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed
The customs and practices / customized sweep along