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Notes -
Neuroticism specifically has some pretty clear advantages when it comes to surviving in times of adversity when those around you are untrustworthy or dangerous. This makes it pretty hard to select against; Once the neurotics find out what you are doing, they are going to hide away and work hard to minimize it showing.
I guess modern society and social media is kind of doing it though. The neurotics can seek safety in their room bathed in light from their screens whilst minimizing interaction with the outside world. Meanwhile, the western world is safe enough that most risk takers are likely to survive and will have many opportunities for procreation if that is what they desire. Caution may have been a winning strategy a hundred years ago, but now it seems like taking risks is the way to go, as you can bank on modern medicine saving your life if something goes wrong. If the modern west continues unimpeded for a thousand years, perhaps neuroticism will be considered a weird mental illness, and our descendants will all be men of action. I wonder what kind of society they would create.
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