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Sure, I'm Offended— I'm Human!

People are extra sensitive these days, and science knows why

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 18, 2008 7:30 PM CDT

(Newser) – From Larry David to John McCain, we’re all getting a little touchy these days, writes Emily Yoffe in Slate: “People are like tuning forks, ready to vibrate with indignation.” While economists argue humans are rational, “it seems we live in a culture devoted to retribution on behalf of the thin-skinned,” writes Yoffe, who delves into the science behind our over-active tempers.

Researchers believe humans, guided by “the three R’s: respect, reputation, and reciprocity,” have a capacity for morality, but retaliate when slighted. Religion moderates, but it doesn’t trump our instincts. “A paradox of human life,” Yoffe observes, “is that the evolutionary forces that have made us cooperative and empathetic are the same ones that have made us prickly and explosive.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (4)]

John McCain says, "I've been known to forget occasionally the discretion expected of a person of my many years and station when I believe I've been accorded a lack of respect I did not deserve." (AP Photo/Scott Olson, Pool)

Comedian Larry David even celebrates his skill at giving and taking offense on his television show Curb Your Enthusiasm. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)

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Being on the alert for scoundrels is exhausting, and confronting those who violate social rules is potentially dangerous. But humans feel compelled to do it because without vigilance, fairness and cooperation break down. - Emily Yoffe, Slate

Sometimes it seems we live in a culture devoted to retribution on behalf of the thin-skinned. - Emily Yoffe, Slate

A paradox of human life is that the evolutionary forces that have made us cooperative and empathetic are the same ones that have made us prickly and explosive. - Emily Yoffe, Slate

You could say our lives as social beings are ruled by the three R's: respect, reputation and reciprocity. - Emily Yoffe, Slate

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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Sure, I'm Offended— I'm Human!