Jez's Blog

Last year in Anthropology class, we have learned that chimpanzees are our closest relatives among all primates. There were studies, and experiments that show the similarities between humans and chimpanzees' behaviors. It is especially obvious when comparing a human child (around 3~5 years old), with a young chimpanzee. This is because that despite the advanced feelings and thoughts that we develop as we grow older, many of our, the chimpanzees and ours, initial abilities are very similar, or even the same. We seek for what we desire, and what we need.

30 minutes ago, I had an argument with my father. He assumed that I would need advices about college from a friend of him who scored above 600 (almost a full score) in his TOEFL test. However, I had, and still have, no idea about what I am going to talk about with my father's friend. And so, the problem is that my father is offering me "help" when I do not need it. The argument immediately reminded me of a video which I watched in Anthropology class last year. The video is a document of an experiment, which tests chimpanzees' resorting ability. In the experiment, if I still remember, the chimpanzee would have to remove a heavy weigh in order to get the fruit underneath it. The weigh is too heavy to be removed by the chimpanzee alone. The chimpanzee realizes this, so he seeks for human, the instructor's help. With the instructor's help, the chimpanzee successfully get the fruit he wants. And so, when the experiment is repeated with the same method, the chimpanzee does the same thing all over again. The result supports that chimpanzees will seek for help if they realizes that they need the help in order to achieve their goals (to get the fruit in this case).

If humans and chimpanzees are so much alike, then I believe that we will also seek for help when we know that first of all, we need help, and secondly, that with the help, we will be able to achieve our goals. So, I will seek for help if I need it, and if I know it can really help me. This is not being stubborn or being immature. It is just a matter of evolution. Besides, why helping someone who does not need the help? Thanks, but saving the time and the awkwardness may be more constructive.



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