Human history is replete with political and economic crises, environmental
disasters, wars, injustice, and destruction. It is also characterized by outstanding
endeavors such as impressive artistic works, technologies, acts of altruism, gratitude, and cooperation. These highly paradoxical facets are all results of mankind, a
species which has evolved on the principles of biological and cultural selection in
interaction with the surrounding environment.
The evolution of the brain, the emergence of the mind, and the social nature of
man have contributed to the development of a third paradigm, psychological selection, which interacts with biological and cultural instructions in adapting man to
his living environment. Psychological selection represents the process according to
which individuals select and replicate in time information coming from their environment, both shaping their life trajectories and actively contributing to the cultural
and biological trends of their species. This is the topic the present book is about:
psychological selection and the active role of individuals and communities in molding their survival on earth. In developing this topic, we will resort to our lifelong
commitment as psychologists to the understanding of the contradictions in human
nature, trying—like all other human beings—to give sense to human actions and
behaviors, and envisaging the ways in which individuals’ potentials and resources
can contribute to social empowerment and to the creation of a peaceful and thriving
global community.