Bering contends that, on average, possessing this collection of (what he takes to be innate) psychological dispositions improves an individual’s reproductive success. People who believe that the gods are watching them, that they will have an afterlife, and that the gods will reward or punish them then on the basis of their conduct’s moral worthiness now are people who are more likely to cooperate (Shariff and Norenzayan 2011). Bering speculates that their cooperativeness will tend to boost their reputations and protect them from pernicious gossip. This will improve the probabilities that others will target them for cooperation, thereby allowing them to gain more access to resources and mating opportunities. Bering observes that at least “the illusion of a punitive God assisted their genetic well‐being whenever they underestimated the risk of actual social detection by other people” (2011, 191). The reproductive success of individuals so equipped cognitively will result in greater frequency of the genes responsible for those dispositions. In large social groups, where the cooperation of strangers is critical to their success, strong social selection forces will favor dependable individuals. The suite of psychological traits that Bering’s hypothesis showcases is likely to produce such trustworthy souls.