Acquiring Skills that Exist Outside of Nature: A Very Human Trait

As humans with a large amount of cerebral cortex, we are able to acquire skills that exist outside of nature. By some combination of modeling, guidance, mirroring, innovation, and intuition, and with enough repetition, we have an extreme ability to adapt and change, so long as we work within the framework of our mammalian rewards system.

It's likely that there are preexisting patterns that exist in nature (easily seen in other animals) that also serve as a framework guiding many of our behaviors, patterns, and predispositions. So likely it helps to work within those existing frameworks when acquiring skills that exist outside of nature.

When we attend concerts or sporting events, very concrete and observable reflections of skill acquisition, I believe that on some level, our admiration reflects our own human desire to continue to learn and adapt: It reflects our very human trait of acquiring skills that exist outside of nature within the framework of our mammalian rewards system.

I believe our admiration is a reflection of our own innate desires. I also believe on some level we know how difficult it is to create changes and acquire or increase our skills: We're admiring the quest and journey involved. As humans we constantly ride The Edge of Adaptation. We have to honor an ever-changing environment (that is often a product of what we create or have created), while simultaneously honoring our underlying primal instinctual desires (of safety and continued survival...  In a social animal context, gaining respect as well as gaining trusted allies are the most obvious manifestations of our underlying desires, as both create a feeling of safety within a group. From a physical body perspective, we wish to be free of too much pain and physical discomfort, and constantly seek ways to acquire resources that allow for hoped for increased physical safety). We also have to honor our preexisting tendencies (either from natural disposition or acquired through earlier experience). We all have a unique map full of desired destinations and obstacles along the way... Traveling that map is somehow very human.