The reason we personify things like cars and computers is that just as monkeys live in an arboreal world and moles live in an underground world and water striders live in a surface tension-dominated flatland, we live in a social world.

The quote "The reason we personify things like cars and computers is that just as monkeys live in an arboreal world and moles live in an underground world and water striders live in a surface tension-dominated flatland, we live in a social world" by Richard Dawkins suggests that our tendency to personify non-human objects, like cars and computers, stems from the fact that humans are inherently social creatures. Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, uses the example of different species adapting to their environments to explain that humans are uniquely adapted to a social world, where relationships and interactions with others are central to our experience. As a result, we instinctively relate to the objects and machines around us as if they have human-like qualities, projecting social characteristics onto them.

The quote emphasizes that our need to personify stems from how our minds are shaped by our social environments. Just as monkeys interpret the world through the lens of living in trees, or moles through the subterranean world, humans interpret their world through social interactions. This social instinct influences how we relate to the world around us, including inanimate objects, which we often imbue with human-like traits to make sense of them. The act of personification is a byproduct of our deeply social nature, which seeks to relate to everything in human terms.

The origin of the quote lies in Dawkins’ broader work on evolutionary biology and his exploration of how human cognition and behavior are influenced by evolutionary processes. As an influential scientist and author, particularly known for his book The Selfish Gene, Dawkins often delves into how evolutionary instincts shape human psychology and behavior. This quote connects to his argument that human nature is fundamentally social, which in turn shapes how we perceive and interact with the non-social elements in our environment.

Ultimately, Dawkins' quote is an insightful reflection on human nature and how our social instincts extend beyond human interaction to include the way we interact with technology and objects. Our tendency to personify machines and devices is rooted in our need to see the world through a social lens, highlighting the deeply ingrained ways in which evolutionary pressures shape our thinking and perception.