6 weakness

When we hear the phrase "survival of the fittest", that usually imagine being large, muscular, quick. Or, at worst, endowed with remarkable intelligence. In fact, in terms of the evolution of the "strong" is an animal or plant that has managed to best fit the environment.
Each environment - their demands, so each passing rigorous selection creature nature has given an appropriate set of qualities. Lizard got a detachable tail and golden retriever - difficult to explain, but touching the ability to basketball. But you went to school, and so you know all this better than me.
For you, however, may be the news that some human qualities, from those that cause irritation and ridicule of others, were once essential survival strategies. And if it were not for these shameful in terms of modern man, "features", we would never have to win "game Shootout" entitled "Evolution».

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1. Shyness

Here we are, of course, do not mean those silent ones that prefer to conduct all negotiations exclusively with fists or weapons. It's about accidents, insecure sufferers for whom even look the other person in the eye - a big problem.
For them, invented many insulting and contemptuous nickname. Depending on the time and place of action - a company of teenagers in the '60s, the club poker fans in the 80s or Hollywood movies of the 2000s - they called him wimp, mumble, cowards, nerds ...
How shyness helped us survive:
Have you ever tried to look into the eyes of a gorilla? If you have tried and you are lucky to survive after that - my congratulations. In fact, the gorilla can not tolerate this. Eye contact and smile animal perceive clearly - as subtle a way to make it clear that the life you no longer cute. In a zoo even invented a special glass that visitors do not accidentally met with primate eyes.
Scientists believe that once upon a time, blushing cheeks and eyes were drooping dale one of the main methods of survival. Judge for yourself: how would you not want to look fearless macho body in certain situations automatically fills in your face and ears bright red paint. That will give better than any forecast how close you are to ensure that dirty loincloth. So, this quality was once particularly useful. Selected evolution, and she, whatever you say, it is visible.
Pathetic nashkodivshego first-graders - something like involuntary remorse. This is not symitiruesh and not hide. Scientists believe that because our ancestors signaled to some of the Bug with a club and a mad glint in gases: I'm sorry, they say, got excited, was wrong ...
Can, of course, no particular valor in such behavior was not. But all valuable organs remained intact. And this is the only victory that mattered in those days, when the safety of the gene pool was the main concern of the human race.
Those representatives of the ancient world that looked away and blushed before the big aggressive special, take their fair mined lunch, still alive, fruitful and multiply (short but glorious life came into vogue much later). A big man, that stranger streskal lunch, maybe won the battle, but the next day could easily run into another of the same thugs and end his days without issue. That's it. The meek shall inherit the earth. Losing.



2. Helpless babies


As children we all dreamed to grow quickly. And could not tolerate any derogatory uchi Pusey, "And who is this we maaaasenky-haosenky?" Almost to adulthood to talk to us as if we are still in need of breast-feeding. Well, with the breast, maybe too much, but in fact the nature and intended to after the birth of a long time we did not feel safe.
Most of the animals are quite independent within a few days after birth. What a week - and they are able to get their food, and even themselves become someone's dinner.
Human cub whole year remains absolutely helpless screaming Kul. And then a few years and only does that runs through the puddles, pulls in the mouth horrible, drawing on the wallpaper or porridge on the table ...
While the foal gets up on his feet in the first hour of life, and lions begin to mate at the age of four years, a person spends a lot of time trying to learn to do something more meaningful than translate diapers or depict angels for the family photo album.
What we need such a long childhood:
Do not be angry with sweet crumbs that ruin your entire flight his scream. Thanks to them we are today at the top of the food chain.
Probably, once our ancestors also on their feet and ready to breed shortly after birth. But, as we prefer to grow, increasing the volume of the brain for up to an incredible size of the animal world, they will need and fairly roomy skull. Large skull, in turn, require appropriate for the size of the birth canal. So there was a kind of "arms race": the larger skull offspring, the greater the mother's birth canal.
All is good, but only the process could not go on forever. Reached a point where further increases in infant animals could be worth their mothers walking ability. And in a world full of Man-eater, the ability to not only walk, but run fast - not a luxury. Therefore, the human race began to naturally select women who could move around and at a sufficient rate, and bring your treasure to a certain term nature. So we got a brain, the ability to manage a game console and women's hips do not fit in any of the hula-hoop.
The trade-off is that a large brain requires a lot of time to all its advanced features formed. Therefore, our children are born completely helpless and in need of parental care, a good two decades. But even in a long childhood and full minus, plus still more.
Long Childhood extends the period of effective teaching that is only possible in the first years of life. Old dog does not learn new tricks, it requires a puppy. And if by "tricks" we mean the development of language, or the ability to collect the Rubik's cube, then a couple of decades of helplessness is not so exorbitant fee.
Long Childhood - just price for their genius. Or, at least, for the opportunity to not look like a complete idiot. 3. Fear of being tickled


Well what can we say about the people who can not tolerate even a light touch to certain parts of the body, so as not screamed wildly and not wet your pants? We certainly do not want to say that in itself the fear of tickling makes you prim young lady, but you must admit, it's hard to imagine Bruce Willis, who squirms and begs for mercy, bow to a horrible "tickling monster." Besides, it is impossible to tickle someone and talk at the same time normal and not a nasty cartoon voice.
As the fear of being tickled helped our ancestors survive:
Seen as playing a dog? They growl menacingly, rush at each other, trying to grab each other's throats. Game animals often look as if on the brink of a brutal murder. Now imagine how animals look from our schekotochnye pranks:
A man pulls his hands to his neck and ribs of another, and that in this time of piercing screams and begs to stop. In certain circumstances, such a scene might seem an attempt to murder anyone.
It turns out, tickling - a special tool to develop the instincts of self-defense. Those parts of the body, which are particularly sensitive (ribs and neck) often the most vulnerable to attack. Therefore, when primates tickled their kids, they really taught them to defend themselves, and to do it in a safe and fun way.
Moreover. Ancient people who were particularly sensitive to all sorts of rustling, creeping and tickling stimuli to react quickly to predators, reptiles or insects parasites that significantly prolongs their life. The remaining risk either be eaten or infected persons. In this respect, the fear of being tickled with honor has passed all tests and proved to be one hundred percent effective method of self-preservation.
4. picky eaters


Imagine that you have a lunch break, and you went to a regular snack cafe. The audience gathered there very different. On one side - sports, smart guys, on the other - sweating fat men with blurred as jelly, bodies. Between them, of course, eat their donuts and cops whispering gay, but for our imaginary experiment, they are not important, so we just will not pay attention to them.
Now carefully look at the plate any of fit. What do you see? Something resembling a burger, pizza or hot dogs? And now look, what to eat fat men. This is hardly salads and green tea. So where we decided that choosy in meal - a sign of weakness?
How picky eaters saved mankind:
The man who turn up his nose on certain products seems inferior. Even if he does not suffer from food allergies. However, as shown by scientific research, the most finicky eaters - is unhappy carriers of genes that once enabled humanity to survive. For these people, there is even a special term superdegustatory.
It turns out that their language is much more taste buds than in the languages ​​of ordinary people. These "favorites" have a unique feature to define the taste of a weak solution of Phenylthiocarbamide (bitterness used to study the sense of taste; approx. Mixednews). Superdegustatorov on this substance acts as a beer on the evil stepfathers - it makes everything inedible.
Before there was the Office of the Food and documentaries with revelations on "that we eat really," these people were our only hope to distinguish good from berry deadly. In the complete absence of other mechanisms for determining the poisons our discerning friends have been to their communities a real superhero.
This quality was so helpful that genes superdegustatorov and to this day continue triumphal procession through the body is not too grateful descendants. At that time, as other nuggets (those, for example, they could hear the sounds 20 times louder than the others) has disappeared.
Of course, sitting at a table with superdegustatorom - else test. But taking into account all of the above, we just have to patiently bear their tediousness and stop them coming up with sarcastic nickname. 5. Allergy


If you're one of the millions of allergy sufferers, you do not need to explain what a worry, when your body even on normal pollen reacts hysterics.
As allergies helped us survive:
People tend to treat allergies as a weakness. The irony is that in fact the opposite is true. Allergies - overreaction of the body to an external stimulus, "abuse of authority" of the immune system. A sort of immune analogue Steven Seagal of the early '90s, which is pursuing a villain, he could, without batting an eye, injure two dozen passers tucked under the arm.
When alien harmful substance penetrates your body, she immediately recognized the special antibodies. After that mobilizes the immune system to fight the aliens white blood cells (leukocytes). Read the white blood cells and antibodies Batman and Robin in the war against disease. Cough, runny nose, the temperature - it's a tactic with which the pair displays the body of all sorts of rubbish. To combat the evil they have come up with many ways. One of the favorite - drown villains in sputum and then literally vychihat them out of your body.
Sometimes, though, the valiant superheroes solve boredom unleash all his righteous anger too noisy neighbors below. Or, as in the case of allergies to dust and pollen. Our body is attacking them with the same fury as the common cold. And if successfully defeated the disease can be considered a goal scored, the allergy is reminiscent of Forrest Gump, who captured the ball, rushing through all the football field, knocked down a brass band, and, unable to stop runs and runs through the city.
A long time ago, when people lived nomadic tribes and earn their living by collecting roots, fruits and nuts, the world around them was rife with dangerous pathogens. To deal with them the ancient people and became very aggressive generated antibodies capable to repel most vicious bacteria.
At the time, it can, and it was great. In any case, the human race still exists. The problem is that these antibodies are not going away after the causative agent has been defeated and destroyed. No one will say this overstayers guest that his job he has done and for a long time tilting at windmills, trying to relive the glory days gone by and pretending saves lives. 6. Tears


"Do not cry, you're a boy!", "What are you crying like a girl?" Or "Men do not cry!" Almost from the cradle boys are taught that tears - the inheritance of a female and a sign of weakness. This man can not afford anything beyond buying men's tears (and then only as a last resort). If no one has died and you do not win the Olympic Games, the eyes should be kept dry and that's it.
As tears helped us survive:
Tears - not just a lubricant for eyes or bait for the "Oscar". Scientists believe that they are designed by nature as a sly warning system that provides Cry-Baby strategic advantage in a fight with the harsh reality of the Neanderthal.
Imagine that you live in the ancient world, and you are in danger. Maybe you got hit a mammoth tusk furious or, say, a leg cramp cramped. Whatever it was, without any help you can not cope. What to do? Need a signal that will give your friends know - you something is wrong. Shouts and squeals not fit: firstly, surrounded by enemies, and secondly - they are transferred to the Neanderthal exclusively as "finish me».
You have two options. First - to stay where you are and meet the fate like a man. Second - tears. And not some "buying men's tears" and the bright, shining tears flowing copiously your pallid, lopsided face pain. They also served an SOS to your countrymen.
But these benefits are not limited to tears. Today we know that they normalize blood pressure, has an antibacterial effect, promote healing of injuries, increase the body's resistance to infections, reduce the risk of migraine, stomach ulcers, and hypertension; have anti-stress effect ... Solid benefits. And, of course, the tears are still universal "extreme communicator».
By the way, going back to our ancestors, the guy whose eyes light moisturizing with emotion, were significantly more likely to impress a girl. Even now, as you know, tears are unfailing strategic weapon in the battle for the favor of the opposite sex. Well, in those days, when the first people were just starting to climb the ladder of evolution, the ability to cry on emotional experiences was a serious achievement.
No other animal cries of longing and unrequited love. Tears of the beast pure reflex - they moisturize the eye and perform a number of other physiological functions.
So tearfulness can be considered one of the main qualities that separate us from the animal world.

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