re: So you've read SF by Alastair Reynolds? Not that I recall
But, my opinion was reached from long years of reading other authors, and some thought on the subject on my own. note, this doesn't mean I haven't read that particular writer, just that I don't recall doing so.
One point I have always kept in mind is that those who reach for the stars most likely will have a certain amount of competitive and agressive tendencies. The effort and drive required to spend the time and resourcres to do so must have some driving internal basis.