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A comment on Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive function decline. Parent comment

Re:Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive... by jncfhnb on Sunday September 14, 2025 @03:40PM (#45242633)
> People forget that nature only optimizes for sexual reproduction and that’s pretty much it

Common misunderstanding.

Evolution optimizes for system success. Not individual gene propagation. Genomes are not agents with individual goals.

Many species, but especially social animals, have numerous behaviors and traits designed to prompt communal success rather than individual survival and reproduction

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Re:Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive... by carlosjobim on Sunday September 14, 2025 @04:20PM (#45242914)
That's why it's best to sow plants as close to each other as possible, as they will help each other thrive. Or maybe that leads to famine and disaster, as it usually does when people try to apply their personal political beliefs to nature.
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Re:Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive... by jncfhnb on Sunday September 14, 2025 @04:23PM (#45242936)
I struggle to see how that at all follows what I said
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Re:Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive... by gxs on Sunday September 14, 2025 @05:59PM (#45243680)
It may be more of a common over simplification than misunderstanding

Even saying it optimizes for system success is an oversimplification it just depends how far down the rabbit hole you want to go

My only intention was to communicate and stress that we aren’t “designed” in the way a lot of people think

But thanks for the clarification

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Re:Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive... by loa_in_ on Monday September 15, 2025 @01:08AM (#45246296)
Genomes have also no awareness, so they are perfectly selfish. It is closer to clockwork than an internet router.
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Re:Repetitive negative thinking is associated with cognitive... by jncfhnb on Monday September 15, 2025 @02:03AM (#45246579)
They are not “selfish” with respect to the individual. They are selfish with respect to the system.
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