Half Sigma’s Instinct Hierarchy is based on Maslow’s Need Hierarchy, concepts I’ve previously written about in my blog, and a comment someone recently left here.

I think it’s more correct than Maslow’s hierarchy. Note that all of the higher level instincts exist to support the lower level instincts. You need to be alive in order to have sex and reproduce. Conforming to your tribe means they won’t kick you out so you won’t die alone in the wilderness. More status means more resources for your children and better access to mates.

What Maslow calls “self-actualization” is just having a higher level of status compared to merely not being a loser.

It’s sad that we’re just a bunch of animals trying to reproduce. Actually, if there’s anything unique about humanity, it’s that we get so caught up in the higher level instincts that we sometimes do that to the detriment of the lower level instincts. This explains why birth rates are severely declining. On the other hand, it simply might be the case that instincts which in our past led to more children now lead to less children in a society in which conformity means NOT having a big family and in which status is at odds with having children because children are expensive and get in the way of purchasing positional goods.