Understanding Human Behavior’s Underlying Intention: Altruism, Selfishness, and the Role of Social Impact Models Based on Cipolla’s Work

Various disciplines have delved into the complex relationship between social behavior and its individual and collective benefits. In social psychology, many scholars have explored human behavior driven by altruistic and selfish actions. From the perspective of evolutionary biology, numerous studies have examined the positive and negative effects of the actor and recipient on behaviors. However, when viewed through an interdisciplinary lens, these approaches only partially capture the intricate interplay between the actors’ behaviors and the societal impact of their actions. In a collaborative spirit, this article considers the pivotal work of Carlo Cipolla’s "Laws of Human Stupidity," which sought to classify people based on the benefits for themselves and others. By comparing definitions and interpretations from different disciplines, the article demonstrates the theoretical compatibility of Cipolla’s types of people, behavioral definitions from evolutionary biology and social psychology, and understanding of human intentions behind behavior based on the "Theory of Planned Behavior." Finally, this article compiles the results in a "Social Impact" classification with integrated definitions based on human behaviors and their underlying intentions.