The Softening

Modern man has always hated to view himself as violent. In a long running attempt to break from our primeval past we separate ourselves from the animal, distancing our connections with the challenge of survival through our use of intellect. 

Its a stretch under any circumstances, unless you are religious. Then its easy. But from a purely objective standpoint, to view our species as anything other than an animal that has mastered tool use is to view it as something abnormal to nature. 

This article attempts to do just that. With few signs of mass burials, specialized weapons, or other signs of war, the authors conclude that early man was a benign creature living in flowers bed and rubbing their bellies with peace buttons . . . well not that bad. But that we didn't wage inter-speicies war.

I don't know. I'm very skeptical about such studies. My first question would be what was the population density, followed by when were these incidents that were studied? And multiple more.

I tend to follow the Robert E. Howard approach to the human: "Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they can be impolite without having their skulls split."

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