What are the Evolutionary Advantages of Self-Awareness?

[Sunstone]

What are the evolutionary advantages of self-awareness?

Apparently, most animals do not possess self-awareness, but some do. Dolphins, elephants, the great apes, (including humans), some species of crow, among other animals, show evidence of self-awareness. But how did self-awareness evolve as a genetically inheritable trait? Were the same selective pressures at work in the evolution of self-awareness in every species that possesses it, or were there cases of parallel evolution? And why is the universe's most self-aware creature a 17 year-old boy being interviewed by the father of the girl he is about to go on a first date with?

EDIT: Before this gets out of hand, it should be understood that the sort of self-awareness I am referring to would involve such tasks as successfully identifying oneself in a mirror.

 

[Secret Chief]

most animals do not possess self-awareness

Source?


Random search:

"...there are three types of self-awareness in animals; the first being, bodily self-awareness. This sense of awareness allows animals to understand that they are different from the rest of the environment; it is also the reason why animals do not eat themselves. Bodily-awareness also includes proprioception and sensation. The second type of self-awareness in animals is social self-awareness. This type of awareness is seen in highly social animals and is the awareness that they have a role within themselves in order to survive. This type of awareness allows animals to interact with each other. The final type of self-awareness is introspective awareness. This awareness is responsible for animals to understand feelings, desires, and beliefs."

-Good ole wiki.

 

[Sunstone]

Source?


Random search:

"...there are three types of self-awareness in animals; the first being, bodily self-awareness. This sense of awareness allows animals to understand that they are different from the rest of the environment; it is also the reason why animals do not eat themselves. Bodily-awareness also includes proprioception and sensation. The second type of self-awareness in animals is social self-awareness. This type of awareness is seen in highly social animals and is the awareness that they have a role within themselves in order to survive. This type of awareness allows animals to interact with each other. The final type of self-awareness is introspective awareness. This awareness is responsible for animals to understand feelings, desires, and beliefs."

-Good ole wiki.

With form of self-awareness do you think I am referring to?

And do you seriously believe I blindly follow Wiki?

 

[Secret Chief]

With form of self-awareness do you think I am referring to?

I don't know.

And do you seriously believe I blindly follow Wiki?

No. It was, as I said, a random example suggesting that most animals do have a level of self-awareness. Perhaps not the one you have in mind.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I don't see self-awareness as black and white. While I don't have the time at the moment to pull up individual studies, If I recall correctly, there are several levels of gray between self-awareness as described in the OP (such as the ability to recognize one's self in the mirror) and complete ignorance of self.

I think it's more of an evolutionary process and that different species are at different points in their evolution of self-awareness.

 

[Secret Chief]

I don't see self-awareness as black and white. While I don't have the time at the moment to pull up individual studies, If I recall correctly, there are several levels of gray between self-awareness as described in the OP (such as the ability to recognize one's self in the mirror) and complete ignorance of self.

I think it's more of an evolutionary process and that different species are at different points in their evolution of self-awareness.

I agree. ( These days, I fail the mirror test )

 

[Sunstone]

I don't see self-awareness as black and white. While I don't have the time at the moment to pull up individual studies, If I recall correctly, there are several levels of gray between self-awareness as described in the OP (such as the ability to recognize one's self in the mirror) and complete ignorance of self.

I think it's more of an evolutionary process and that different species are at different points in their evolution of self-awareness.

I've edited the OP to clarify the kind of self-awareness I am referring to.

 

[HonestJoe]

What are the evolutionary advantages of self-awareness?

A singular characteristic doesn't have to have an evolutionary advantage itself to exist. It could be a side-effect or underlying basis for characteristics which do.

I'd suggest imaginative intelligence is a key factor in human evolutionary development, the ability to think of complex abstract ideas or possibilities, and self-awareness would be an inevitable/necessary element of that.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Effective differentiation provides an enormous evolutionary advantage. Self-awareness is the highly evolved narrative (myth?) that orders the results of cognition.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

EDIT: Before this gets out of hand, it should be understood that the sort of self-awareness I am referring to would involve such tasks as successfully identifying oneself in a mirror.

Like magpies.

 

[Cooky]

What are the evolutionary advantages of self-awareness?

Apparently, most animals do not possess self-awareness, but some do. Dolphins, elephants, the great apes, (including humans), some species of crow, among other animals, show evidence of self-awareness. But how did self-awareness evolve as a genetically inheritable trait? Were the same selective pressures at work in the evolution of self-awareness in every species that possesses it, or were there cases of parallel evolution? And why is the universe's most self-aware creature a 17 year-old boy being interviewed by the father of the girl he is about to go on a first date with?

EDIT: Before this gets out of hand, it should be understood that the sort of self-awareness I am referring to would involve such tasks as successfully identifying oneself in a mirror.

Self-awareness derives from the necessity to raise a child for 13 to 18 years, much longer than other animals. Such a commitment causes the human genome to produce a more competent, aware species, able to acknowledge their role, and responsibilities in child rearing for the success of the species.

...Or maybe not. Maybe consciousness came first, and our extraordinarily long child rearing process developed afterward.

 

[Heyo]

A singular characteristic doesn't have to have an evolutionary advantage itself to exist. It could be a side-effect or underlying basis for characteristics which do.

I'd suggest imaginative intelligence is a key factor in human evolutionary development, the ability to think of complex abstract ideas or possibilities, and self-awareness would be an inevitable/necessary element of that.

I agree. To plan for the self in a better position, it is necessary to identify the self.

 

[Secret Chief]

Like magpies.

Indeed. Also from your link:
"animals can be self-aware in ways not measured by the mirror test"

 

[Cooky]

I've edited the OP to clarify the kind of self-awareness I am referring to.

I already knew since I'm up to date on the hard problem of consciousness.

 

[Sunstone]

Human consciousness (which embraces self-awareness) evolved as a defense mechanism. That's obvious. Work it out for yourselves.

 

[Cooky]

Consciousness (self-awareness) evolved as a defense mechanism. That's obvious.

But all animals can benefit from defense mechanisms, so we should have seen convergent evolution, yet we haven't to the extent of human consciousness. What we do see is an extraordinarily lengthy child rearing timeframe in humans.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Human consciousness (which embraces self-awareness) evolved as a defense mechanism. That's obvious. Work it out for yourselves.

The hungry lioness spun with lightning speed, sinking her teeth into the haunch of ...

oh crap ...

it was her haunch!
​

The me | not-me distinction is useful on any number of levels. The bird does not swerve to avoid its own wing.

 

[Brian2]

What are the evolutionary advantages of self-awareness?

Apparently, most animals do not possess self-awareness, but some do. Dolphins, elephants, the great apes, (including humans), some species of crow, among other animals, show evidence of self-awareness. But how did self-awareness evolve as a genetically inheritable trait? Were the same selective pressures at work in the evolution of self-awareness in every species that possesses it, or were there cases of parallel evolution? And why is the universe's most self-aware creature a 17 year-old boy being interviewed by the father of the girl he is about to go on a first date with?

EDIT: Before this gets out of hand, it should be understood that the sort of self-awareness I am referring to would involve such tasks as successfully identifying oneself in a mirror.

Nice song. I wonder why our awareness goes so far beyond what we probably need to survive and procreate etc.

 

[Cooky]

I don't think anyone can argue that human consciousness is not vastly greater than other animals.

 

[bobhikes]

What are the evolutionary advantages of self-awareness?

Apparently, most animals do not possess self-awareness, but some do. Dolphins, elephants, the great apes, (including humans), some species of crow, among other animals, show evidence of self-awareness. But how did self-awareness evolve as a genetically inheritable trait? Were the same selective pressures at work in the evolution of self-awareness in every species that possesses it, or were there cases of parallel evolution? And why is the universe's most self-aware creature a 17 year-old boy being interviewed by the father of the girl he is about to go on a first date with?

EDIT: Before this gets out of hand, it should be understood that the sort of self-awareness I am referring to would involve such tasks as successfully identifying oneself in a mirror.

The mirror test is yet another example of Humans trying to prove they are better than other animals. Most animals see a mirror realize it is a reflection and ignore it. Humans interact with a mirror image of themselves, using it for entertainment, to beautify themselves and to increase there ego, I would think that animals that ignore the mirror are more self aware of life; whereas, animals that engage a mirror are more egotistic and less self aware but I'm not a scientist or trying to prove human superiority.