In his marvelous new book, Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct (Jossey Bass, 2008), psychologist Michael McCullough, Ph.D., provides a compelling explanation of how our instincts for both revenge and forgiveness evolved through natural selection. He also recounts some very clever research that may help explain some of our various notions about aggression and sexuality (see “The Real Reason for Sex,”). Specifically, McCullough explains that Southern males are much more concerned with maintaining honor than Northern males. In studies, Southern males have been found to react to perceived insults to their honor while, in identical situations, Northern males had no perception of insult and no reaction. What makes the Southern males so quick to fight? (And perhaps Southern females more conscious of honor as measured by chastity?) McCullough gives a fascinating explanation:
    “Sedentary herders are highly vulnerable to theft and exploitation. The lands they occupy are usually not very good for more intensive agriculture. Grazing land is often in short supply, which creates a chronically high level of social tension. Moreover, herders gamble their entire livelihood on a commodity that is both very expensive and highly portable (cattle, sheep, and goats, after all, have hooves). Therefore, as a herder you have to be on guard to make sure no one steals your herd while you sleep. . . . For this reason, it makes good sense for herders to cultivate honor — a reputation as the type of people who you can’t slight without facing certain, violent retaliation. Honor is of such value to someone of a herding culture that they’ll kill or be killed to defend it. Once your honor is lost, it is just a matter of time before your neighbors begin to take advantage of you.
    "So where did the Europeans who originally settled the American South come from? You guessed it: They came from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, where livestock herding was the traditional agricultural activity. In contrast, the Europeans who settled the American Northeast predominantly came from places such as Germany and Holland where intensive agricultural farming was the traditional way of life — a way of life that didn’t require people to be so obsessed with honor.”

Stephen Kiesling