YOU are physically stronger than Jeff, but Rob is stronger than you. So you know where you stand in the pecking order. Then along comes Harry and gives Rob a beating. Should you take him on?
Deferring to Harry is the best option and requires a cognitive ability called transitive inference. Even though you don’t know from direct experience that Harry is stronger than you, you can infer it from seeing him beat up Rob.
51¶¯Âþs believe that this mental trick is an important part of social living, as it reduces conflict in a social group. But while the ability…
