re: #239 ckkatz

I guess that we humans are not always at the top of the food chain.

But we used to address this by killing off anything that we thought might challenge us. We do not do this as much anymore.I wonder if we will be moving back in that direction.

What sayest you, the Alabama resident?

This is a theme discussed in Homo Sapiens: a Brief History

namely that it was not that long ago when we were much lower on the food chain and that is reflected in our behavior and character: always on the lookout for threats, real and potential to the point of paranoia.

Apex predators like lions can be very violent but they have a rather calm, what we would call “regal” nature because they are assured of their position in the food chain.

Look at how we are not only cruel and violent but seem to delight in cruelty. And the worse cases are often petty tyrants and tinhorn dictators who are insecure in their power and see potential conspirators all around them. And bullies are often sociopaths who suffer from an inferiority complex and want to pass the pain down.