The more you know! I knew some of this before but I didn't realize how much of a defense mechanism it was, like that the deferral of responsibility of thinking to authority, to others, was so closely linked to the ability to defend oneself from external threats from nature or from men.

I had actually figured it was a defense mechanism for statism, to follow the herd lest you be singled out by the brutality of a despot or your fellows. But perhaps it was there even before states, before large groups even, and in nonviolent tribes even. Perhaps it is a defense mechanism against much more than that. Perhaps that's why it hasn't evolved out of us: perhaps it is also extremely useful in anarchy when there IS NO STATE, and natural leaders tend to believe in the correct things, and preserving culture as well as falling in line with the tribe's leaders is necessary for survival.

Sticky norms are important for the benefits of anarchy, and listening to the voice of someone who is accustomed to looking out for danger is extremely important for survival.