It isn’t clear how political savviness would even be possible if a species did not have at least a basic and primitive version of theory of mind—only through this ability can individuals infer what others want and thereby figure out whom to cozy up to and how. Only through theory of mind can individual primates know not to mess with a low-ranking individual with high-ranking friends; this requires understanding the intent of the high-ranking individuals and what they will do in future situations. Only through this ability of theory of mind can you figure out who is likely to become powerful in
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