The Science Behind @helpie: Why Nice Guys Finish First

Is actually the same science behind our evolutionary success and the same science that proves beyond any doubt that "nice guys finish first." Sadly, it is the same science that's used to explain the opposite viewpoint...

_{source: @helpie}

For those of you that don't know about us yet, @helpie is a small but fast growing community dedicated to help starting bloggers that make quality content on Steemit grow, thereby helping to promote quality content on the platform. But that's just a slogan, don't get caught up on that; within @helpie there's always lively discussions going on about what exactly constitutes "quality content", nothing is set in stone and everybody that's invited is encouraged to join the discussions.

What really makes this community special is the underlying principles they adhere to which, without getting into specifics, all amount to just being cooperative, to realize that together we have a better chance at raising each other up, than we have on our own fighting to raise up ourselves, and to comprehend that The Golden Rule really is more than just a fancy sentence from The Bible.

Of course we don't forget that Steemit is also an economy, complete with it's own coins. And all of us come here for the money too, let's not beat around that obvious bush. And the fact that our prevailing economic reality is one where the general consensus is that we should all just look after our own needs only, where greed and selfishness are considered acceptable, even strictly necessary for an economy to work, makes the existence and success of @helpie stand out even more. In a world where compassion is seen as a weakness and a lack of selfish competition is regarded as a sure death of any economic model, @helpie is a rare shining example of the scientific facts that prove the exact opposite.

The funny thing is that both the theory of evolution and game theory are used to prove that "greed works", when both, if explained correctly, prove that "nice guys finish first". Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins wrote a book in 1976 called "The Selfish Gene"; a very unfortunate choice for a title, as he would learn later. This title was jumped upon by proponents of laissez-faire capitalism to popularize the notion that "survival of the fittest" meant that it is beneficial for members of our species to be selfish, that "greed is good".

_{source: Meme Center}

This biological and supposed "scientific" affirmation of the merits of selfishness was of course also hailed as a confirmation of the existence of an "invisible hand above the market", that ensures some sort of economic equilibrium if we only tend to our own needs. Of course we already exposed that for the myth it is in an earlier post of mine.

In fact, Dawkins argued the opposite:

"Dawkins uses the term "selfish gene" as a way of expressing the gene-centred view of evolution as opposed to the views focused on the organism and the group [...] From the gene-centred view, it follows that the more two individuals are genetically related, the more sense (at the level of the genes) it makes for them to behave selflessly with each other."
_{source: Wikipedia}

Dawkins got so fed up with these right-wing free-market evangelists, that he cooperated with the BBC to make the documentary "Nice Guys Finish First". This could have been the title of this article, as it is the very reason why @helpie is such a nice place to be and such a resounding success. Nice guys (and gals) rally do finish first! "Nice guys finish first" was also added as a separate chapter in his book "The Selfish Gene" in publications from 1989 onward.

Dawkins even uses prisoner's dilemma, a popular game from game theory to prove that corporation and not selfishness is the best strategy for all involved. When Dawkins runs simulated agents on a computer version of this game, all the best strategies are are of the tit for tat variation. Tit for tat is an English saying meaning "equivalent retaliation", and in the prisoner's dilemma game means that you "do to the other as he has done to you"; sounds like some sort of Golden Rule to me...

Watch this short video for a short and clear explanation of how this works exactly, and know that this experiment has been repeated again and again, on computers and with real people since 1980 all over the world over a vast number of people and cultures:

_{Nice Guys Finish First}

Adam Smith was appealing to the capitalist's adherence to The Golden Rule when he coined the phrase "Invisible Hand". Evolutionary biology points at the same Golden Rule as the best strategy for survival of the species. Game theory proves that The Golden Rule is the best strategy for all parties concerned. And now @helpie, being the collection of nice guys and girls it is, proves the same. Be nice to each other. Help each other instead of just helping yourself.

Don't forget to stay yourself, be the best self you can aspire to be; having consideration with and empathy for others is not an invitation to sacrifice your individuality, nor forget about your own happiness and prosperity. Just never forget that your individuality takes shape in and is shaped by the community of people you are part of.

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Thanks for stopping by and reading. If you really liked this content, if you disagree (or if you do agree), please leave a comment. Of course, upvotes, follows, resteems are all greatly appreciated, but nothing brings me and you more growth than sharing our ideas. It's what Steemit is made for!

I am a proud helpinaut! @Helpie is looking for new members! Helpie has been growing nicely and we are always on the lookout for new valuable members. We are very supportive and community oriented. If you would like to be scouted for @helpie , please drop a comment on THIS POST or contact @paintingangels on discord at paintingangels(serena)#3668.

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