Specialization

A measure of economic advancement is the degree of specialization and simplicity of trade.

The origin of herd behavior

When you are ignorant of current situation, it is rational for you to copy whatever others do, which may contain useful information.

For whatever your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Wealth is not defined as money or material things. Wealth is whatever people value.

Self-interest does no necessarily mean selfish.

Property rights

产权的建立和明确可能是促使西方国家经济繁荣的主要原因。明确的产权使经济个体有动机去追求个人财富，追求个人价值的实现， 追求个人自由的表达。西方明确的产权和民主政治体制很可能是由于人生而平等的观念引发的。和西方国家相比，亚洲大部分国家传统中都有很强的等级观念。尤其中国颇具特色，统治阶级视百姓为苍狗由来已久，而百姓只要有口饭吃，来自上面的压迫便可逆来顺受。更要命的是，皇帝轮流做，明天到我家的观念。逼急了，还是敢反的，而且反也是有理的。草民当了皇帝，并不一定会因为之前的凄苦而悲天悯人，而往往开始新一轮的压迫。

自由的社会往往意味着高效从而发达

Efficiency requires that resources are allocated to where they are most highly valued. Self-interested economic agents have the incentives to allocate the resources under their control when they can gain from doing it. In that case, self-interest achieves social interest.

政府最重要的职能其实是产权保护。

人身自由，信息流通，人们就能更好的发现最大化利用自己能力和才能的职业，从而使资源更优化地配置。

户口制度，阻止人口自由流动，也就因此限制了人追寻最大化实现自己价值的自由。

治大国犹如烹小鲜。

社会，就是一个自组织系统。像人体一样，系统的良性运作需要流畅的循环。流水不腐。保证个体在不侵害其他个体的条件下自由选择，是社会良性健康快速发展的条件。个体各司其职，各尽其能。政府，只要去防止和剔除癌细胞的出现。

Imitation of parents vs. rebellious behavior

Parents are in general want to teach the best out of their children. We can explain this phenomenon using evolution. Assume that benevolent behavior to offspring is genetically determined, then for those parents who are evil to their children, or don't care about their children as much, their offspring has a comparative disadvantage, become less successful and own less wealth in the society, and less chance of reproduction. This means that the "benevolent to child" gene has a better fitness over "malevolent to child" gene and hence will spread gradually.

If this hold true, then parents usually want to teach their children what they think is best for them.

rebellious behavior exists probably because children observe a discrepancy between what parents say and what they do.

What causes herd behaviors?

Psychologists have found that people have the inner tendency to do what everyone else is doing. What does this inherent conforming behaviors come from?

Evolutionary, conforming should give the conformers a comparative edge in the hunter-gatherer society. Because evolution is a long process, and most of our behaviors have not evolved to adapt to modern society, some behaviors that are beneficial in the hunter-gatherer environment are not necessarily beneficial today.

So what makes herding beneficial in the forager society? 

Some people claim that our herd behavior may come from our evolutionary precursors, so our herd behavior is not due to adaptation of our hunter-gather environment, but inherited genetically from other animals that adapted to their environment. If this is true, we may find the answer by observing and explaining the herd behavior of other animals.