If even chimpanzees — with genes almost identical to humans’ — have more aggressive males than females, is there hope for humans changing ourselves before we kill ourselves? Yes Our hope lies in the instinct to adapt Within all of as, males and females, is the potential for killer-protector and the potential for nurturer-connector 71 When Vikings got approval for being nurturer-connectors rather than killer-protectors, they soon adapted
and became nurturer-conneaors. The change was not impossible because killing to protea was just their method of adapting to what gave them approval.
Conversely, within each female is the potential for aggressiveness: females competing to see a rock star are more aggressive than males competing to see a rock star. What runs deeper than our propensity for aggressiveness or passivity’ is our ability to adapt to what makes us survive: to live in Beverly Hills or a concentration camp. . . to be an ambassador one day or a hostage the next. .