Our 51st prompt comes from tafiti. He asks:
What is the evolutionary value of privacy, if any?
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tafiti,
I love this question, it really got me thinking. The need to keep some things for and to oneself is a deep human desire, bordering on instinct.
As a social species whose advances have been made primarily due to our ability to use language and collaborate, a desire for privacy would seem counterintuitive. However, if we are to assume free will and autonomy (which I do, as do most philosophers), privacy becomes crucial. When we are unencumbered, we have the choice (which is how we exercise our free will and autonomy) to interact and collaborate with other human beings. We choose what to share with them, and what to keep to ourselves.
What informs our choice to keep things to ourselves? The urge to protect ourselves, first of all. For example, if we hold a view that is considered shameful, or we enjoy behaviour that can get us ostracised, we might choose to keep this to ourselves. The fear of others’ judgement, which may lead to shaming (and shame, should we internalise it), is one of the major drivers of privacy seeking. Privacy is also beneficial to the cohesion of social groups – because we can choose what to share and what to keep to ourselves, we reduce potential for misunderstanding, discomfort, conflict or
While majority of the human species no longer lives in the wild, privacy also increases physical safety. This is why sharing personal identifying information on the internet is considered unwise. You don’t want someone who has it out for you showing up at your doorstep or wherever you are in public because you gave your location away. You don’t want opportunistic criminals knowing your comings and goings, and striking while you/your properties are vulnerable.
When a resource is scarce, or when certain knowledge generates an advantage, we also tend to keep it to ourselves. This is why we have trade secrets, intellectual property rights, and so on. If you lived in a post-apocalyptic village with a hidden well that none of the other post-apocalyptic villages knew about, your community would not appreciate it if you blabbered about your water source to outsiders because it would threaten their continued survival.
Choosing what to share (and with whom) is also one of the ways we build connection. For example, there are things you tell your close friends that you wouldn’t even dare to say out loud in front of anyone else. By elevating these friends to the status of your secret keepers, you signal to them and yourself that these relationships are more meaningful than others you may have.
Of course, in modern times, we are plagued by the existence of people who are *moving in silence* but somehow always announcing it on socials and wherever else. In the words of the great philosopher Lil Wayne, “Real Gs move in silence like lasagna.”
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This post is part of a daily writing experiment that I’m running for a year. I’d love it if you took part!