David Pinsof

Evolutionary social scientist, co-creator of @cah, co-host of Evolutionary Psychology (the podcast), blogs about bullshit at

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@bsgallagher I need a cope to manage my terror of terror management theory.

[Rob Sica @robsica]

"modern environmental features often appear unprecedented, yet they still map onto the same fundamental social challenges—cooperation, alliance formation, threat management, and status competition—that shaped human psychology over evolutionary time" https://t.co/99QF1XaTSF

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@robsica High praise. What’s the book called?

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@robsica I do feel sad to see my beloved French squad fall short on this topic. If they have a weakness, imo, it’s an overemphasis on cooperative game theory relative to other kinds of game theory (e.g., coordination, alliances, zero-sum competition).

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@mboudry @slatestarcodex Better psychologist too.

[Maarten Boudry @mboudry]

Humans are not simply “good” or “evil.” Some of the worst atrocities in history are driven by moral conviction: empathy, solidarity, and a perceived duty to protect one’s own group. A fascinating new study on armed groups in Congo shows that many people who participate in genocidal violence are not psychopaths, but ordinary individuals motivated by loyalty, empathy, and the belief that they are doing good for their community.

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@StefanFSchubert Okay, I see. But you haven’t given an argument for that view, which is why I was confused. So consider me, an evolutionary psychologist, unpersuaded.

[Maarten Boudry @mboudry]

Are the Brooms Multiplying Yet?
The Sorcerer's Apprentice and the Evolution of AI

Citing @lucsteels @WillRinehart @hendrycks @sebkrier @DavidPinsof @simonfriederich @Noahpinion @s_r_constantin

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@mboudry I mostly agree, but 1) most citizens have little incentive to learn counterintuitive economic truths (compared to economists + intellectuals), 2) it's hard to coordinate a coalition around a counterintuitive truth, and 3) markets are zero-sum insofar as status/power are zero-sum.

[Public Opinion Quarterly @poqjournal]

Does partisanship affect justifications of political violence?

Berntzen et al. find that both Democrats and Republicans are more likely to justify identical acts of political violence when the victims are from the opposing party.

Read now: https://t.co/a070u2lg2J

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@robinhanson Also, the thing they want must be bad, and you’re bad for wanting it.

[Zachary Elwood @apokerplayer]

Cards Against Humanity co-creator and evolutionary psychologist David Pinsof has some deep theories on status-seeking, humor, and more. I think you'll like this one.

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@Oliver_S_Curry Makes sense if religiosity is more about reproductive morals than cooperative morals (e.g., https://t.co/siulu4ZmTj). Would love to see a meta analysis of the relationship between religiosity and sexual / reproductive variables.

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

Had a great time chatting with Zachary Elwood on People who Read People. Youtube: https://t.co/QJxD4Hkfss Podcast:
https://t.co/hRqgN0lyVz

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@NTFabiano Another plausible interpretation: delusionally optimistic people are also delusionally optimistic about their mental health.

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@DrGipps Why couldn't an "animal appetitive world-exploring essentially-sensorimotor etc system" be a computer?

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

I really don’t understand why cognition “built on embodied perception” and the brain simply being a computer are mutually exclusive.

[PsyPost.org @PsyPost]

A new paper challenges the traditional idea that the brain is simply a computer. Instead, it argues that human cognition and personality are built on embodied perception, relying on our ability to maintain a "grip" on reality. https://t.co/NcNV4DmNuA

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@koenfucius I suspect this is why people in politics are motivated to paint their opponents' views as not merely different but wrong: to mobilize others against them.

[David Pinsof @DavidPinsof]

@ilinxing See e.g.: https://t.co/NKC77lcFBZ