Evolved Expectations

I'm going to ramble a bit about my understanding of evolution and the continuum and dealing with novel experiences.

Liedloff's "continuum" is the theory that we have an evolved set of genetically encoded "expectations". These range from physical expectations (the rooting reflex being an *expectation* of nursing), to social/experiential expectations (expectation of busy tribal life). If continuum expectations are not met, then changes occur in the individual's psyche. Either coping/dysfunctional behaviors occur, or expected developmental changes do NOT occur.

For instance, women have a biological expectation of pregnancy. A woman who does not experience pregnancy has much higher risk for a variety of cancers. Pregnancy causes changes to the immune system, in a healthy way, that do not occur in a woman who never experiences it. This is not to say that every woman should have children, only that the female body has a continuum *expectation* of pregnancy. The body is designed for it and expected changes in the body do not occur if it is not experienced.

The continuum prepares for a set of expected behaviors. It does not follow that any life experience not "expected" is therefore somehow evil or damaging, nor does it mean that we are not evolutionarily prepared to deal with novel experiences.

We did not evolve riding in cars and we sure as heck don't have a biological expectation of experiencing them. This doesn't mean we aren't able to handle the experience. We don't withdraw into catatonic shock in the fetal position when we encounter a car or ride in one.

Our evolution, in fact, prepared us to handle a wide range of novel and unusual experiences. This part of why we have been such a successful animal (in terms of population growth and territorial spread).

Perhaps it will help to think of this in somewhat broader terms. We have a continuum expectation of physical activity: that activity can take the form of stalking an animal or playing soccer. One is not more continuum than the other. A social gathering around the fire in the jungle is not more continuum than a similar gathering in a living room or a sports bar.

TCCMaven

Evolved Expectations