Our Evolutionary Quest for We Spaces
Charles (Kalev) Ehin, Ph.D.
August 5th, 2021 for Enlivening Edge Magazine
As suggested by Peter Gray and other anthropologists our hunter-gatherer ancestors progressively practiced a system of “reverse dominance” that prevented anyone from assuming power over others. This was opposite to the alpha male and female patterns of some of our primate cousins.
Regrettably, the introduction of agriculture about 12,000 years ago and with it the accumulation of wealth by some and not others, gradually brought into play what I call “sanctioned dominance.” I propose, we are now finally in a “reverse dominance reclamation phase.” Human nature didn’t actually change when we began to settle down and till the soil, and now it is reasserting the “reverse dominance” pattern.
I explore how “We Space” Theory brings to light our evolved predispositions for the practice of “reverse dominance” or self-management in this short article.
Read it Here on Enlivening Edge Magazine