Being the strongest alone doesn’t guarantee victory３

 

“Indeed, we—the Shinsengumi—were the strongest. At our peak, we overpowered both the fierce Satsuma and the mad Choshu with sheer strength. But then the Shinsengumi split in two and fought each other, while the Satsuma and Choshu joined forces to become one. We cut down those who were different, and cast out those who didn’t fit in, leaving only a handful of the strongest in the end…

Of course, we lost. That’s how it is.

…Being the strongest alone doesn’t guarantee victory…”

This is a quote from Saito Hajime, the captain of the Shinsengumi’s third unit, and Nagakura Shinpachi, the captain of the second unit, in Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc.

 

 

Do you think kindness is inherited?

When I was in the first grade, I watched a special on TV about bonobos, a species said to be the closest relative to humans, and I remember feeling a deep sense of fear.

Bonobos, a species closely related to chimpanzees, are considered one of the closest living relatives to humans. Bonobos possess the following characteristics:

  • They avoid conflict and have the intelligence to communicate with humans and the ability to care for others.

  • Females hold social status equal to or higher than males.

  • Females take the initiative in social relationships.

Chimpanzees do not share these characteristics.

It’s not well-known, but chimpanzees can be extremely violent. They may kill in conflicts and even engage in cannibalism.

Why do such differences arise between chimpanzees and bonobos, the species most closely related to humans and nearly identical in appearance?

Chimpanzees and bonobos originally belonged to the same species. However, when the Congo River began to flow through their habitat, the species split. The two groups stopped interacting, and over time, each evolved separately.

Chimpanzees lived north of the Congo River, while bonobos lived south of it.

The north side, where chimpanzees lived, was home to competitors like gorillas that shared the same food sources, and it was a land with scarce resources due to dry conditions. To survive, chimpanzees needed strong, aggressive males to lead them. This high level of aggression was passed down through generations as a survival strategy.

In contrast, the south side, where bonobos lived, had no competitors like gorillas and was abundant in resources. There was no reason to fight, so males who were gentle with females and offspring left more descendants. As a result, the trait of kindness was passed down through generations of bonobos as a survival strategy.

An experiment demonstrates the kindness of bonobos. When two unfamiliar bonobos were placed in adjacent cages, and only one was given food, the bonobo displayed a remarkable behavior. It opened the door to its cage and invited the unfamiliar bonobo inside to share the food. This shows that bonobos can show kindness to unfamiliar individuals, a trait typically only seen in humans.

What is the greatest gift parents can give to their children?

While giving love, spending time with them, and listening to their feelings are undeniably the most important gifts, these are long-term gifts that should be given over months, years, or even decades.

However, there’s one great gift that can be given from the moment a child is born: living in a good environment.

As seen in the differences between chimpanzees and bonobos, the environment can greatly influence the traits that are inherited. Kindness can be inherited.

It’s not hard to imagine that a child growing up in a clean environment, where people exchange ideas rather than conflict, and where the community’s behavior is of a high standard, will be kinder than a child growing up in a dirty, conflict-ridden place with low community standards.

Moreover, living in such an environment can help eliminate gender biases, encourage conflict avoidance, and foster a caring attitude towards strangers, much like bonobos.

When individuals raised in such environments meet and pass on their genes to the next generation, or when those who weren’t raised in such environments but have learned and strived to live in better environments do so, cities and neighborhoods where raising children is easier and more desirable are formed.

This is my personal belief: high rent prices include a premium for kindness. Conversely, low rent prices reflect a deficit in kindness.

Kindness is inherited.”