Having a little pride in something you do is considered to be a good thing by society. But, too much pride, and some consider it to be obnoxious, or even a personality flaw. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Montreal have been spearheading a global study looking at the hypothesis that pride plays an important evolutionary role in human survival.
Dr. Daniel Sznycer is lead author of a new paper on the research study. He says that in ancient societies, it was important to have a demonstrated value in the community, so if you needed help others would provide it.
The researcher says the study looks at the role of pride in a number of societies across the globe. Sznycer says the new study shows that pride does appear to have been embedded in humans as part of evolution.
The new study aligns with previous research done involving Western cultures, backing the idea that pride is a built in survival tool in humans. The study involved UCSB, the University of Montreal, and researchers from Russia, China, Japan, Nigeria, and other countries.
The researchers say pride is a basic part of human nature, something that for better or worse evolved as a survival tool. They say while it is an important tool, balance is the key, or the result can be narcissists and alpha people who become intoxicated with their power, or clout.
The findings of the new study were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
