“By not recognizing the ecological pattern, we have misconstrued our own history.14. Our misunderstanding enabled us to overshoot carrying capacity. If misunderstanding persists, it can turn the ecological kind of antagonism into the emotional kind, making an unkind fate crueler than necessary. As other mammalian species have moved into a post-exuberant stage, increased antagonism and competition typically have led to increased violence and behavioral degeneracy.”