Most people in seemingly idyllic and ideal communities really live lives of…well, quiet desperation. Beneath the surface of peaceful and calm surroundings is a harsh, brutal world. It is in such places that the elements and principles of Darwinian evolution are applied in a social setting. There’s plenty of backstabbing, betrayed allegiances, deception, and manipulation. All of this is, of course, occurring under the pretenses of being good neighbors and close acquaintances. Underneath it all, some are inclined to believe, is the worst possible manifestation of social anxiety.
Social anxiety may not be the only cause of this unusual game of deception and counter-deception going on in seemingly quiet areas, but it is often cited as one of the main factors. Somehow, the competitive nature that is implanted in children finds ways to manifest itself, even in such peaceful and theoretically stress-free locales. In some cases, it is rather simple and unobtrusive, such as one housewife making a remark or two about her having a better husband or children than her neighbor. It could be safe to say the two are friends, but share a mild rivalry between...