Читать книгу Introducing Anthropology - Laura Pountney - Страница 50

Another feature of human beings that distinguishes them from all other primates is their much more complex social lives. However, in the long evolution of human beings, it is only in the past 10,000 years that farming, herding, cities, trade and warfare emerged.

On a more basic level, sharing food, caring for infants and building social networks helped early humans meet the daily challenges of survival. The concern for the well-being of others and a willingness to help them is key to what makes us humans; this is sometimes known as altruism. Over time, early humans began to gather near fires and shelters to eat and socialize. As human brains became larger and more complex, growing up took longer, requiring skilled care and attention and the protective environment of a home. Expanding social networks led, eventually, to the complex social lives of modern humans. Interestingly, another feature of humans is that they usually maintain lifelong ties with their children. The systems of kinship and marriage that preserve the links between parents and their offspring and across generations are further major differences between humans and other primates.

altruism The ability to put the needs of others before your own