Chimpanzees and Aberrant Behavior

Nobody blames chimpanzees for their behavior when you go to the zoo. They jump toward visitors, throw feces at each other and at visitors, masturbate in front of children – along with other crude behaviors. It’s embarrassing, and sometimes disturbing, but you know what to expect going in. Over time, they get validation and reinforcement from visitors, who reward the most aberrant behaviors with laughter and enthusiasm. Whether it’s nature or nurture, you don’t blame the chimp. It’s just how chimps behave in that environment.

It would make no sense to take a chimp from an environment where their aberrant behavior was consistently reinforced and rewarded, move them to an environment where these behaviors are less accepted, then expect them to suddenly pivot, and behave more … I don’t know – presidential. The ones to blame are those who moved the chimp.