I agree with what you say here. I've been doing a lot of reading lately about this very idea, our evolution of culture through small cooperative groups competing with other small cooperative groups. You can take the ape out of the jungle, ...

E.O. Wilson's latest, "The Social Conquest of Earth" has been interesting when I manage to pick it up and read another chapter or two. I think you'd find it thought provoking. (You too, Robert.)

In addition, there is some interesting physical and social anthropological finds coming from caves in South Africa that supports the idea of small group culture.

Of course there is David Brin, espousing the cooperation-competition motif of human culture. His blog (http://davidbrin.blogspot.ca/) is always an interesting read. Highly recommended.

Will we adapt to this new culture? Yeah, most likely. Will the transition be easy? Probably not.

The difference between human culture and Universe 25 is that the later had no resource pressures to introduce the competition factor. All yin, no yang.

What happens if we finally make the ultimate tool, say fusion power, and there is no more want?