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gwern's avatar

Domestication doesn't mean docility: it means a suite of traits such as much better social learning skills, neoteny, etc. Consider guard dogs or hunting dogs. A generalized 'docility' would defeat the point entirely - what we want are dogs which are extremely docile in some respects (not attacking a stranger its master is shaking hands with and letting into the house, or letting the owner's baby pull on its ears) and as aggressive as possible in others (against strangers towards which its master is exhibiting fear/aggression, or towards rabbits), and able to learn the difference such as by developing a better theory of mind, being able to understand eye gazes, having longer periods of mental plasticity etc.

This also doesn't address dynamics within the groups: there is not too much benefit to very docile chickens, and too-docile chickens may be at severe disadvantages inside the barn when competing/interacting with other 'domesticated' chickens. Not to mention the serious consequences that can attend reducing or eliminating pain entirely, as experienced by lepers, diabetics, or people with pain asymbolia.

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Muga Sofer's avatar

That assumes that the utility we would gain from better evolutionary adaptiveness outweighs the disutility of ignoring how our desires extrapolate, which seems highly unlikely.

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