It's probably not very possible to tell at this point, but I think civilization (city-based society) is our cultural and language crutch that holds up the linear competition. Humans built walls to isolate ourselves from the response ability of natural environments, and in doing so, also cut ourselves off from the souls of our ancestors and the potentials of our offspring. Debt is theft from our future selves without representation. The powerful extracting from the powerless. Money is the dominant species, just barely before the automobile/oil machines. Religions made everyone into everyone else's target.

Mindless competition over competing fanaticisms. The brand is the tribe.