The video is a discussion on the evolution and function of clothing, specifically focusing on modesty and the social implications of nudity. The host, Michael, explains that humans wear clothing for protection from the elements, to showcase personalities, and to build identities. He also notes that no other animal makes and wears clothing.
Michael goes on to discuss the concept of embarrassment, explaining that it originates from the Portuguese word "embaraça", meaning to entangle or entwine, and often feels like being tied up or exposed. He argues that a healthy amount of occasional embarrassment can be a sign of a socially adept and normally functioning brain.
The host then delves into the social aspects of embarrassment, stating that it is an extremely social emotion and is experienced when social rules of conduct are violated. He presents a famous experiment where participants were more pro-social and friendly with actors who expressed embarrassment, suggesting that this behavior is a sign of trust and a desire to fit in and work together.
The host also discusses the concept of shame, which he connects to modesty, and notes that the fear of nakedness and the desire to cover private areas are common in many societies. He mentions Havelock Ellis' theories on the evolution of modesty, discussing two possible reasons for our fear of nakedness: the game of acceptance and then flight before mating, and the fear of evoking disgust due to bodily secretions spreading disease.
Finally, Michael discusses the development of human babies, arguing that the need for human babies to be born so unready for life is a consequence of their large brains. He suggests that being naked and mating all the time might be a lesser priority for humans due to their unique intelligence, which allows them to develop clothing and other societal structures that protect their privacy and allow time for child-rearing.
1. The speaker, Michael from Vsauce, is discussing why humans wear clothing.
2. Clothing is worn for protection from the elements and fashion, to show personalities, and to indicate modesty.
3. No other animal makes and wears clothing.
4. The word "embarrassed" comes from the Portuguese route, "embaraça", which means to entangle or entwine.
5. Feeling embarrassed often feels like being tied up or exposed.
6. A healthy amount of embarrassment can be a sign that you are likeable, forgivable, and trustworthy.
7. The YouTube Space LA opened in November of 2012.
8. Clothing has been around for at least the last 100,000 years.
9. Clothing protects us from the cold, rain, and the Sun. It can also be an ornament, a way of accentuating certain parts of our bodies, or showing off wealth and status.
10. Clothing can help us build our own identities.
11. Embarrassment is a fascinating emotion and an extremely social one.
12. Healthy brains experience embarrassment and neurodegeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes can lead to less awareness of oneself.
13. A healthy amount of occasional embarrassment is a good thing and is a sign of a socially adept and normally functioning brain.
14. A famous experiment involved participants watching an actor receive praise for achieving a very high score on an exam. In some cases, the actor was told to feign pride in the achievement. And in others, they acted embarrassed to have attention put on themselves.
15. The participants were more pro-social, friendly, and cooperative with actors who earlier expressed embarrassment.
16. It's suggested that the actor was to be trusted, that they desired to fit in and work together.
17. Embarrassment displays our knowledge of others and our desire to be liked.
18. Shame is a stronger emotion and is related to the root of modesty.
19. The first reason for our fear of nakedness is the vital phenomenon of refusal. Before mating, many animals play a game of chase, hard to get, a game of acceptance and then flight, forcing the pursuer to keep up and prove their determination before being chosen as a desirable mate.
20. Clothing can be seen as both a means of drawing attention to one's body and simultaneously as a way to cover the body modestly, making us less available to every and any potential mate, rendering breeding more selective.
21. Ellis also mentions the fear of evoking disgust.
22. Fecal material, waste, rubbish, other bodily secretions can spread disease.
23. Habits like avoiding things we consider disgusting lead to more sanitary conditions and a species more likely to survive.
24. In 2009, the BBC investigated another influential factor - raising children.
25. Human babies are born barely able to do much besides swallow food put directly into their mouths.
26. Newborns can't walk or talk or cook meals for themselves or drive themselves to work.
27. Brain size is correlated with the body size. Bigger bodies require bigger brains. The shrew has a smaller brain than a human, but humans have smaller brains than wales.
28. Compared to the size of our bodies, our brains are gigantic, they're outliers, they're off the charts.
29. In order to have a brain, as big as ours, come out of a mother, as small as a human, we have to come out with brains that aren't fully formed.
30. Clothing conceals the privates and allows more time to be spent on other things.
31. Clothes may, in a way, actually be a consequence of our unique intelligence.
32. The speaker thanks the audience for watching and ends the video.