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> The desire for “common knowledge” - for knowing that I know what others know, and that they see what I see - is deeply human.

Can we not explain this more simply as an evolutionary adaptation -- that species where individuals feel a strong need to share new information have a survival advantage?

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Is that simpler?

Everything “deeply human” has evolved at some point I guess.

Sure, but the reverse is not true. I wouldn't call something "deeply human" if I'd expect intelligent space aliens to all be the same way.

I would call most intelligent space aliens from movies "deeply human". Which makes sense, they were created by humans to tell stories to other humans. So I guess being human is not a prerequisite to being "deeply human". I wonder if real space aliens, if they exist, are in fact like this. The closest earthly thing we have to intelligent aliens - octopi - are not.

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