The evolution and adaptation of the human brain first occurred through a microevolution. As humans struggled to survive their brains grew and developed according to environmental changes; which are not always synonymous with a physical habitat. Charles Lindholm (2007), a renowned professor of anthropology, describes culture as an evolutionary force through which the human brain grows and develops. Although a rather abstract concept, culture is much more than it seems because …show more content…
19). Had Augustine not made the initiative to move away from the norm, he would have been left behind, failing to properly adapt within the existing societal standards. Nonetheless, it was perfectly normal that instead he chose to adapt to his own ideology for culture, “the variability of individual psychological tendencies within a population is critical to understanding the processes of social stability and change” (LeVine, 2010, p. 12). His efforts allowed others like him to make the conscientious choice to progress into a different society thus creating an immensely distinct establishment from the polytheistic regime. Soon, the vast majority of ancient Greco-Rome followed suit; those that chose not to adapt were left behind as the old culture wilted away. Although culture is a dynamic force that will never remain stagnant, kinship is a seemingly impenetrable tie that withstands time. Relationships of all types unite people; they create a feeling of belonging, acceptance, and commitment, these factors have developed an evolved brain belonging to one of the world’s most social creatures — humans. “Personal being [is] deeply linked to ancestry” (Lindholm, 2007, p. 23). Human’s possess the ability to recall connections as far back as early childhood, this raw emotion allows the mind to expand …show more content…
Individuality is described as “the culturally patterned psychological tendencies of the individual combined with the person’s innate dispositions and specific environmental conditions to create individual differences in how cultural patterns are realized in behavior” (LeVine, 2010, p. 12). The way in which we explore the self and experience the world creates physical changes in the brain that are carried out through adaptations through microevolution. Regardless of the era, society and ego keep influencing development, adaptations, and evolution within the human realm. “The image of life as an evolutionary development toward an end point has remained central to our present-day self-concept and to our large notion of progress” (Lindholm, 2007, p.22). As long as we continue to explore what it means to be human and dare to challenge societal norms, our species will thrive without a