Reflection: Decision Making, Augustine, and Gorillas

A question was presented during our discussion of Augustine on Tuesday that reminded me of something I had learned a few weeks ago.

The question asked was was it worth giving up happiness now because of a greater happiness that you believed (though could not prove) would be found after this life?

There was a study done on gorillas and decision making, where, if a gorilla were presented with his favorite food, and allowed to choose between one piece or two, he would undoubtedly choose two. Similarly, if the food was covered, but he saw which cup contained the food beneath it, he picked that one. The interesting part came when he was presented three choices: The middle was one piece of his favorite food, in plain view. And on either side were two cups: beneath one was nothing, and beneath the other were two pieces of food. But the gorilla didn't know which cup contained the extra food.

Now, this could serve as an analogy for the simple pleasures of life (the middle piece) and heaven and hell (the two outer unknowns). We don't know what we're going to get in the after life.

Now if this option were presented to Augustine, he would obviously deny the readily presented piece of food, in favor of his confidence that he would receive double in the afterlife for his effort. This, to him, is the moral, and correct way to go. What did the gorilla do?

He chose the middle. He was willing to settle for fear of not receiving anything at all.

I think this says a lot about humanity and animal instinct in general. It's not sin to enjoy out life now, it's simply primal instinct. We know that because what comes next is unknown, we should take advantage of what we have presented for us now. What if what comes later is worse? We will have suffered for nothing.

It's also interesting then that such a--literally--unnatural way of life and thinking can be so popular. People are so sure of something so unknown and so willing to give up opportunities or pleasures presented before them. I feel like we're almost thinking too hard. The gorilla didn't think twice.