We often tell our girlfriends not to settle for anyone that isn’t perfect; if he makes us shed a tear, then gone with the wind he should be.
A new study has shown that shedding a few tears and settling for “Mr. 50 Percent” is actually a better evolutionary strategy than holding out for “Mr. Perfect,” according to the website KWGN.com.
Researchers at Michigan State University reportedly found that human beings’ nature to have the tendency to take the safest bet when stakes are high is actually a positive thing as waiting for the perfect someone might increase the risk that the person will never mate at all.
“Primitive humans were likely forced to bet on whether or not they could find a better mate,” stated Chris Adami, MSU professor of microbiology and molecular genetics and co-author of the paper.
He added, “They could either choose to mate with the first, potentially inferior, companion and risk inferior offspring, or they could wait for Mr. or Ms. Perfect to come around. If they choose to wait, they risk never mating.”
For the study, Adami and his co-author Arend Hintze reportedly used a computational model to trace risk-taking behaviors through thousands of generations of evolution with digital organisms, according to the Times Gazette. The organisms were reportedly programmed to make bets in high-payoff gambles, which eventually reflect the life-altering decisions that natural organisms must make.
The art of decision making may reportedly be affected by the size of one’s community.
“Settling early for the sure bet gives you an evolutionary advantage, if living in a small group,” stated Adami.
Hintze added, “We found that it is really the group size, not the total population size, which matters in the evolution of risk aversion.”
The results of the recent study don’t reflect on everyone, so those adamant on looking for “Mr. Perfect” should not be discouraged.
“We do not all evolve to be the same. Evolution creates a diversity in our acceptance of risk, so you see some people who are more likely to take bigger risks than others. We see the same phenomenon in our simulations,” stated Adami.
