In The Beginning . . .

In the Beginning we were frightened, solitary, and nocturnal creatures.

Then 50 million years ago, we drew together into groups,

And left the dark of night to bask in the sunshine together.

The fear of leaving (or being left) by one another

Subdued the primal urge to fight or flee from one another

Sufficiently for it to settle for the continuous, triangular negotiations of politics:

When four possible triangles among four individuals socially compete,

One ends up at the apex of a stable social pyramid: all four members

 Are bound together by bonds of dominance and submission.

Within any primate group, all permutations of these triangles

Crystalize into the simple geometric form of nested pyramids.  

Beyond all else, we primates specialize in navigating our groups.

ChatGPT assisted:

Once frightened and alone we roamed,

Nocturnal creatures, scared to the bone,

But time had passed, and we drew close,

Into groups, we found our repose.

Basking in the sun’s warm embrace,

Together, we ventured out of the dark space,

Now trembling lest we be left behind,

Our primal instincts, we learned to bind.

Four individuals in a social game,

Competing for power and fame,

A stable pyramid, the ultimate aim,

Where dominance and submission reign.

Tags: hierarchy, In the beginning, self-domestication