Historically selection pressure mainly came from the outside. External environmental threats like storms, plagues, hunger, and danger from animals and other tribes. Hence collective action instead of internal competition became the norm.

Bringing some unexpected consequences which Joseph Henrich describes in his book The Secret of Our Success. >>

Rationalists always wonder how come people aren’t more rational? (like banning psychopaths from power) Henrich hints at an answer: for basically all of history, using reason would get you killed. [...] so evolution removed those genes from the population, and successful cultures stigmatized them enough to give people an internalized fear of even trying.* (only roughly 10% of the population are able think in abstract concepts, 90% are predominantly sentients: they need to see & feel to believe)

*text borrowed from Scott Alexander Siskind's book review

https://web.archive.org/web/20211011093131/https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/06/04/book-review-the-secret-of-our-success/