David Buss

"Our moral intuitions are shaped by the social worlds our ancestors inhabited."

"Attachment styles in adults reflect strategies that were adaptive in childhood."

"The psychology of attraction contains universal patterns despite cultural variation."

"We are driven by goals that once enhanced survival and reproductive success."

"The emotional pain of social exclusion signals the importance of group belonging."

"Evolution shaped us to be sensitive to the thoughts and intentions of others."

"Our capacity for self-deception may help us deceive others more effectively."

"The family remains the primary unit through which evolutionary interests are pursued."

"Status seeking is deeply embedded in human motivation because it solved ancestral problems."

"We must recognize the limits of conscious reasoning in shaping our preferences."

"The signs we look for in potential partners reveal our deepest evolutionary concerns."

"Cooperation and competition both emerge from the same evolutionary logic."

"Our capacity for empathy evolved because it solved problems in ancestral groups."

"The mind contains specialized mechanisms for handling different types of social problems."

"We are motivated to protect our reputations because reputation affects our life outcomes."

"Age matters in mate selection because it correlates with fertility in women."

"The fear of abandonment reflects ancestral vulnerabilities to social exile."

"Conflict resolution strategies vary because they reflect different evolutionary pressures."

"Our sense of fairness emerged because it facilitated cooperation among non-relatives."

"The psychology of commitment reflects mechanisms evolved to deter mate poaching."

"We seek partners who can provide both genetic and material benefits."

"The human mind contains adaptations for navigating complex social hierarchies."

"Our preferences for partners correlate with traits that predicted survival in ancestral times."

"Mate value is an observable reality that affects reproductive outcomes."

"The capacity for moral judgment evolved in the context of small-scale societies."

"We are sensitive to indicators of reproductive value because they affect our fitness."

"Violence emerges from psychological systems designed for defense and resource competition."

"The bonds between parents and children contain elements shaped by natural selection."

"Our social emotions—pride, shame, guilt—serve coordinating functions in groups."

"The mind's default assumptions about relationships reflect ancestral mating patterns."