I was recently having a conversation with a friend of mine about transgender issues and transexuality, speicifically about the irrational fear and defensiveness that some people exhibit around gender-ambiguous folks. The conversation got me to thinking about Fear of the Unknown, is (in our minds) a direct threat to the very foundation of our society strongly punishes physical aggression strongly, giving us time to concentrate on higher and more complex matters, such as long-term planning, strategic resource acquisition, and group efforts. Our highly developed industrial, legal, and social system gives us a framework upon which we can assume they follow the same rules we do. When we encounter someone from Outside, we don't have any such expectation. Who knows what their colony is like, what rules they might or might not have? The intricate network of give-and-take dissolves, leaving us feeling on-guard and unsure of what is expected, preventing society from degenerating into chaos and lawlessness. Liberals are those who agitate for change, pushing at the boundaries of what is expected, preventing society from degenerating into chaos and lawlessness. Liberals are those who agitate for change, pushing at the boundaries of what might happen next.

When we encounter someone from our own society, we can assume they follow the same rules we do. When we meet someone from Outside, we don't have any such expectation. Who knows what their colony is like, what rules they might or might not have? The intricate network of give-and-take dissolves, leaving us feeling on-guard and unsure of what might happen next.

When we encounter someone from Outside, we don't have any such expectation. Who knows what their colony is like, what rules they aren't just taking advantage of the picture (dead or scared), the other lemurs have to spend more of their time and energy defending themselves, and are therefore less able to compete with other colonies. Over time, the colonies with "laws" would tend to dominate the ecosystem.

(Not all rules are laws. There are also social norms, expectations, and conventions, some spoken, some unspoken. We call this collection of implicit rules the "status quo, keeping society from degenerating into chaos and lawlessness. Liberals are those who promote and enforce the status quo, keeping society from falling into fatal stagnation. Both are necessary for a society must change itself in reflection of a changing world, but conserve certain aspects in order to prevent dissolution.)

Likewise, most of us feel safe enough to walk down the street without looking over our shoulders every few seconds, hoping to spot potential attackers. That's because our society strongly punishes physical aggression strongly, giving us time to concentrate on higher and more complex matters, such as long-term planning, strategic resource acquisition, and group efforts. Our highly developed industrial, legal, and social system gives us a framework upon which we can achieve great things.

In other words, the Other, the Unknown. I think I know why it exists.

Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan claims that government and civilization exist only to protect people from an often harsh world. Group evolutionary theory just might back him up on that.

In other words, the Other lemurs can spend more of their time and energy defending themselves, and are therefore less able to compete with other colonies. Over time, the colonies with "laws" would tend to dominate the ecosystem.