Darcia Narvaez is a professor of psychology whose work explores the neurobiology of moral development, evolved parenting practices, and small-band hunter-gatherer societies. Identified as one of the top 2% of scientists worldwide, she is the president of Kindred World — a nonprofit dedicated to creating a wisdom-based worldview — and the founder of the Evolved Nest, an initiative that integrates findings across child development, child raising, and adult behavior while promoting optimal health, wellbeing, cooperation, and sociomoral intelligence. She is the author of several books including the award-winning "Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality."
In this conversation we explore the optimal environment for early child development and how our modern culture falls short of what children actually need, the importance of breastfeeding and co-sleeping, and navigating order and chaos in parenting.
We get into the surprising truth about nature and nurture, how life for indigenous people differed from modern life, whether war was always part of humanity, and how the collaboration vs competition dynamic relates to left and right brain views of the world.
We also explore contrasting views of wisdom, tools and resources for creating a more wholesome life, learning to regulate our nervous systems through play, and why returning to the evolved nest is critical not just for individual families but for the world.
🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES 🔗
🕰️ TIMESTAMPS 🕰️
0:00 - Introduction
2:01 - An overview of Darcia's work
5:22 - The role of safety in morality
7:29 - The optimal environment for early child development
15:42 - The importance of breastfeeding and co-sleeping
18:00 - How the modern world falls short of the evolved developmental niche
25:45 - Navigating order and chaos in parenting
35:39 - What is the relationship between nature and nurture?
41:32 - How life for indigenous people was different from the modern world
44:19 - Was war always part of humanity?
54:18 - Relating the collaboration and competition dynamic to left and right brain views of the world
1:02:27 - Contrasting views of wisdom
1:07:58 - Resources and tools for creating a more wholesome life
1:14:07 - Learning to regulate our nervous systems through play
1:17:10 - Why returning to the evolved nest is critical for the world
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