Richard Dawkins: The Importance of Doing Useless Things | Big Think

Richard Dawkins: The Importance of Doing Useless Things
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From poetry and ballet to mathematics and being clever, life is laden with frivolous pursuits that hold no bearing on our ability to survive. Yet, insists Richard Dawkins, if it weren’t for the development of these impractical activities, we wouldn’t be here.
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RICHARD DAWKINS:

Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist and the former Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. He is the author of several of modern science's essential texts, including The Selfish Gene (1976) and The God Delusion (2006). Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Dawkins eventually graduated with a degree in zoology from Balliol College, Oxford, and then earned a masters degree and the doctorate from Oxford University. He has recently left his teaching duties to write and manage his foundation, The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, full-time. 
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TRANSCRIPT:

Question: Why do humans engage in so many impractical activities?

Richard Dawkins: There are many things that humans do that have nothing to do with contributing to the survival of the individual, at least nothing obvious to do with it. So when we do mathematics and when we do poetry and when we do ballet dancing and all the things that make life worth living, it's very hard to make the case that this contributes to individual survival; it clearly doesn't. What you can make a case for is that the possession of the kind of brain that's capable of doing those things contributed to individual survival in our ancestral past. So it's not the mathematics itself; it's not that doing algebra helps anybody to survive. But having the kind of big brain that incidentally proves itself capable of doing algebra -- having that kind of big brain probably did improve our survival, whether because it literally made us better at -- I don't know -- catching prey or finding nuts or something of that sort. Or whether, in accordance with the sexual selection theory you just mentioned, it's attractive to the opposite sex.

Question: Can you elaborate on the theory of sexual selection?

Richard Dawkins: This is a theory of a man called Geoffrey Miller, who is a very interesting evolutionary psychologist. And he -- we do have a bit of a puzzle as to why the human brain did get so big, really rather suddenly; it's actually one of the more rapid pieces of evolution that we know. Over the last three million years or so the human brain has swelled up enormously. And there are various theories as to why this should be. Geoffrey Miller's theory is that, as you say, the mind is a kind of human peacock's tail, and "being clever is sexy" would be one way to put it. But it would manifest itself in the ability to -- I don't know -- remember epic poetry or something of that sort. I mean, there are all sorts of different ways in which, in particular cultures, it might manifest itself.

Recorded on: October 21, 2009

[matildegd]

"Being clever is sexy" - Richard Dawkins. I love it.

[HyenaHouseENT]

Big Think please pick a better thumbnail... Dawkins looks ghastly in the current one 👻💀

[Gryffixchannel]

"...bellydancing, and all those things that make life worth living"
- Richard Dawkins, 2011

[blackmagichour]

There's a difference between "living" and "survival".

[GauravMishra-komn]

I clicked on the link thinking Dawkins would vindicate me clicking selfies all day. Alas.

[sirfizz]

I love his implication that mathematics is one of the things that makes life with living. It's only on rare occasion that i personally do math for fun, but i really appreciate the passion some folks have for math. They tend to be brilliant folks!

[Jeremyramone]

reminds me of the fantastic quote by Oscar wilde, "all art is useless"...we attach a value to the art we admire or take fancy to, it is the act of appreciating beauty or wonder that stimulates our minds to create more of the same or inspires us to be creative ourselves. thanks prof. dawkins, you are the best, cheers from san diego!

[managerialelitetoaster]

But it is the mathematics. Could the MRI have been created without calculus?

[TheManofFest]

Doing useless things that interest ourselves is actually a strong way to keep our minds fluid

It is our drive to entertain ourselves or do interesting things that gives us our intelligence, and work out the true potential of such a large brain

[henriqueyoh]

I thought he would talk about procrastination. This video was useless for me. This comment is useless. I am useless.

[danishpride]

"Mathematics makes life worth living."

Haven't heard that before.

[HallsteinI]

If I could, I'd give about 1 or 2 years of my own life span to this man. A good soul he is.

[Karpify]

He said just the practice of algebra is not intrinsically useful, but our capability to reason with the world through math has been immensely useful.

[MattRyan]

Good vid but I think doing things that make life worth living has a decent influence on one's survival.

[Aldo]

I would argue that the pursuit of practically all pastimes like these is intrinsically linked to our survival; Our major strength as a species is not so much our wonderful brains but our social ability, the pursuit of most pastimes bolsters a persons perception of their own value within their social circles while also expanding their social circles through common interests. This increase in a persons social competence is of huge benefit to their chances of procreation within the social framework that is society.

[EmmaCherina]

I don't think looking at cat videos on the internet all day makes me any more attractive.. Better get some real hobbies

[Paulelele]

I agree for the most part. I think a lot of people seem to have this unhealthy obsession with pragmatism. If something doesn't have a direct positive outcome, they don't bother with it. Fortunately, not every one thinks like that, because if they did, we would still be living in mud houses.

[TheRussRave]

"The Importance of Doing Useless Things"
A topic that Prof Dawkins ought to be an expert on!

[alexanderleeart]

how does algebra not directly help with survival? and I would make the same argument for everything else he mentioned; for example art/entertainment allows people to take a break from the world and refocus on what's important in their lives, thus making them more productive and more likely to survive.

Or is he simply arguing that the ability to do these specific things was not chosen by natural selection?

[Crazylalalalala]

no bro, what he said is that the brain that can do those things is whats really important not the things themselves.

the ability to figure shit out is where its at.