[VIDEO] In All Fairness, There’s No Fairness

There is a famous study of chimpanzees who display seemingly innate gauges for unfairness. The scene above shows two chimpanzees in individual cages. When they perform the task appropriately (giving a rock to the proctor), they are rewarded with a tasty grape. Things shift, then, when both perform the task equally and one chimp receives a tasty grape while the other receives a dull cucumber. 

 We detest injustice.

That said, I wonder if this experiment would yield the same outcomes if the chimps weren’t observing each other’s rewards so closely. The reason I ask this question isn’t because I want to perpetuate or support unfairness in the world. I would like quite the opposite. However, I know without question that there is unfairness in the world. Furthermore, I know there is unfairness that is outside of our control.  

In that sense, I wonder how much anguish and energy would be saved by not having concern with the grapes of others.