distant tugs

Joshua Greene, cognitive neuroscientist and philosopher, explains why we care most about what is closest to hand.

'Nature endowed us with tuggable heartstrings, a crucial design feature for creatures whose survival depends on cooperation. But nature couldn't foresee that our survival might someday depend on cooperation across oceans and continents, and so neglected to outfit us with heartstrings that are readily tugged from a distance.' (Ht: A&L)