“Sometimes, altruism isn’t about kindness — it’s about advertising.”

 A

This passage from The Ape That Understood the Universe highlights a concept called "Zahavian signaling", a form of costly signaling theory applied to altruism and mate selection.

Here’s a ZIST (Zoom-In Summary Thought) of the key points and implications:

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🐦 ZIST: Costly Altruism as a Fitness Signal

• Observation:
  Male Arabian babblers engage in seemingly self-sacrificial behaviors — standing guard (risking predation) or feeding others — even when not kin.

• Zahavi’s Theory:
  These acts are not selfless, but strategic signals of fitness.
  ➤ “Look how much I can afford to give — I must be strong, capable, high status.”

• **Key Concept – Costly Signaling:
  Just like a peacock’s tail, altruism is a costly display. It only works if it's hard to fake — the cost proves the quality of the individual.

• Mating & Dominance Payoff:
  ➤ Helpers win mates by showing off their fitness.
  ➤ They also intimidate rivals: “I’m better than you because I can afford to be generous.”

• Human Parallel:
  This may explain conspicuous altruism in humans — philanthropy, heroism, even online virtue signaling — as subtle (or not-so-subtle) mating and status displays.

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💡 Implication:

“Sometimes, altruism isn’t about kindness — it’s about advertising.”

This blends sexual selection with social psychology, showing how even our noblest acts might be deeply rooted in evolutionary strategy.

Would you like a visual or real-world example (like charity or social media behavior) that shows how this theory applies to humans?