Flattery, begging, and lying: An evolutionary perspective

The concepts of flattery, begging, and lying, while seemingly distinct, are deeply intertwined at their core. A flatterer often praises someone for personal gain, with their compliments potentially being untrue. Similarly, a beggar might use fabricated stories to evoke sympathy and financial assistance, even from those more fortunate. These three behaviors share a common thread and possess evolutionary underpinnings that can be observed even in less developed species.

Examining the evolutionary process reveals that flattery, begging, and lying do not require highly advanced cognitive functions. These behaviors were present in animals and persist today, suggesting they may have been passed down through evolution to humans. The author finds the dishonesty of bee-eaters particularly interesting. These birds face a primary predator, hawks, and a lookout perched high in a tree emits a special hawk signal if one approaches, causing other bee-eaters to hide. However, a lookout might issue a false signal upon spotting a desirable insect, allowing it to capture the prey while others remain hidden. To maintain the credibility of their warnings, these birds do not overuse this deceptive tactic, employing it only at intervals.

This avian behavior might remind readers of deceptive signals in commerce. For instance, rumors of a company's impending bankruptcy can cause people to sell their shares cheaply. Often, the company's owners might initiate such rumors to acquire shares at a lower price, with the company ultimately not failing. Similarly, a bank once offered exceptionally high interest for money deposited for a year without withdrawal. When people eagerly deposited funds, rumors of the bank's collapse emerged shortly before the year's end. This prompted depositors to withdraw their money prematurely, forfeiting the promised high interest. The bank's branch in Kızılay remained open late, repaying customers without interest, a move that seemed honorable despite the alleged impending failure. Was this rumor not also a form of false hawk signal?

One might observe a powerful chimpanzee eating a desirable food item while other chimpanzees gather around, extend their right palms, and emit soft whimpering sounds. This scene strongly resembles begging behavior. Because the dominant chimpanzee occasionally shares its food with those around it, this begging behavior has persisted for thousands of years. One might conclude that since flattery, subservience, begging, and lying have existed in the animal kingdom for millennia and were passed down through evolution, their presence in humans is natural. However, this reasoning is flawed, as humans possess far more developed cognitive abilities than these other creatures.