The Many Roots of Our Suffering: Reflections on Robert Trivers (1943–2026)
Summary
Steven Pinker reflects on Robert Trivers's pivotal contributions to evolutionary psychology and sociology, highlighting concepts such as parent-offspring conflict, reciprocal altruism, and self-deception, and tracing how these ideas reshaped our understanding of human behavior. The piece also chronicles Trivers's complex life, including bipolar disorder, Jamaica years, and erratic personal conduct, arguing that genius and flawed humanity often coexist in scientific revolutions. Pinker presents a nuanced portrait of Trivers as a brilliant yet contradictory figure who catalyzed a new way of thinking while remaining deeply human.