Let's compare human happiness of hunter gatherers VS modern people

badabing106 · 12-06-2018 06:44PM #1

Humans are physically designed to move, hunt and gather. They were designed to live in communal tribes where everything was shared, even the raring of other people's children

There was no anxiety over property, or money. They shared the physical exiliration of hunting together, the communal joy of providing and sharing food which was either hunted or gathered. The lived continously in the now and in one with nature. They were physically in the peak condition they were designed to be in. Ten times more capable and resilient than modern folk

They had everything that they needed to be content, food, shelter, sexy relations in abundance, sleep, community

The most popular sports today are hunting and gathering a ball, it's in our DNA, like it or not

We are hunter gatherers. We are not happy in modern times. Get on a bus or a train and you will only see sad faces

somefeen · 12-06-2018 06:51PM

I don't think this is totally true.
All groups of animals require various different personality types to survive.
I guarantee within this utopia there was lad sick to death of hanging around with the same people all day long. He probably ****ed off and started trading with other tribes to survive, happy out wandering from one place to the other on his.

Or some fella who enjoyed painting pictures of the hunting more than the hunting.

At some point someone must have gotten fed up with hunting and being a nomad and invented farming.

_Brian · 12-06-2018 07:02PM

Think they had a life Expectancy of about 25-28, probably die horrific painful death from some sort of infection from a thorn or mauled by a wolf.

Modern life expectancy must be 75, in general we suffer very little, very few of us get eaten when on our daily commute and if you ignore the moaning pansies we have quite a cushie lifestyle.

Graces7 · 12-06-2018 07:02PM

badabing106 wrote: »

Humans are physically designed to move, hunt and gather. They were designed to live in communal tribes where everything was shared, even the raring of other people's children

There was no anxiety over property, or money. They shared the physical exiliration of hunting together, the communal joy of providing and sharing food which was either hunted or gathered. The lived continously in the now and in one with nature. They were physically in the peak condition they were designed to be in. Ten times more capable and resilient than modern folk

They had everything that they needed to be content, food, shelter, sexy relations in abundance, sleep, community

We are hunter gatherers. We are not happy in modern times. Get on a bus or a train and you will only see sad faces

Rose-coloured glasses much? Put any group of humans together and there will be conflict, personality clashes, rivalries, crimes.

People in public are not like they are at home... Oh and try smiling sometimes. Works wonders...

Grayson · 12-06-2018 07:03PM

There was anxiety. It was just directed at every rustling bush.

part of the reason we get anxiety today is because we are designed to be afraid. It's a survival mechanism. However we don't have anything to be afraid of nowadays. So this turns into weird fears. people think crime is rampant when it's not. People are scared of someone abducting their child even though it pretty much never happens. Compared to the world our ancestors lived in where the life expectancy was 30 and there were any number of diseases and predators that could kill you, we are in a fecking utopia. Yet we're still afraid.

And for some people that expresses as clinical anxiety. Thousands of years ago they might have been the best survivors since they were highly strung. Now their bodies react to the lack of threat by creating stuff to be afraid of.

Graces7 · 12-06-2018 07:04PM

Fourier wrote: »

At a basic level we see even from the modern era why the Hunter Gatherer life was most likely abandoned by large portions of humanity. Infant and child mortality is very high in hunter gatherer societies and that is provided as one of the main reasons for leaving it by most tribes in modern times that have done so.

They got out as soon as they were able. Same as we did here from that soooooo-romantic bog-dwelling life

Read please a novel called Ayla? (Cannot remember the author)

the_syco · 12-06-2018 07:05PM

badabing106 wrote: »

Get on a bus or a train and you will only see sad faces

Because they're bus ****.

Get a car. Be happy.

gw80 · 12-06-2018 07:06PM

somefeen wrote: »

I don't think this is totally true.
All groups of animals require various different personality types to survive.
I guarantee within this utopia there was lad sick to death of hanging around with the same people all day long. He probably ****ed off and started trading with other tribes to survive, happy out wandering from one place to the other on his.

Or some fella who enjoyed painting pictures of the hunting more than the hunting.

At some point someone must have gotten fed up with hunting and being a nomad and invented farming.

I doubt it was as care free utopia you make it sound like,
What you have to remember is although there was no money troubles or the likes, they were very exposed to the elements and the environment, even in ireland they would of had to deal with wolves and bears.
A bad winter would probably kill off a good few of you're tribe, every day would have been a struggle to feed you're family.
But i would agree modern technology is making us useless as a species as we get more and more technology to do things for us.

12-06-2018 07:07PM

badabing106 wrote: »

Humans are physically designed to move, hunt and gather. They were designed to live in communal tribes where everything was shared, even the raring of other people's children

There was no anxiety over property, or money. They shared the physical exiliration of hunting together, the communal joy of providing and sharing food which was either hunted or gathered. The lived continously in the now and in one with nature. They were physically in the peak condition they were designed to be in. Ten times more capable and resilient than modern folk

They had everything that they needed to be content, food, shelter, sexy relations in abundance, sleep, community

The most popular sports today are hunting and gathering a ball, it's in our DNA, like it or not

We are hunter gatherers. We are not happy in modern times. Get on a bus or a train and you will only see sad faces

There are a lot of assumptions there and they all tend to the positive.
Surely there was anxiety about will we starve today, will I get injured today, will this bush try to kill me, will the neighbouring tribe take our hunting grounds..

People can't have changed that much in any community there would have been lazy, greedy, useless hunters - did they all just shrug and get along or did the strong push they out to the margins?

Physically in peak condition - maybe but also possibly hungry, maimed, dead.

Why do you assume that they had food shelter and sex?

dartboardio · 12-06-2018 07:08PM

Completely agree. We’re meant to talk, share, laugh, cry together. Now we look at someone weird if they speak to us on the bus. Categorize people into weirdos that are deemed outside the artificial social norm. Quiet sad when you see an old person trying to make conversation cause that was normal and just seeing everyone glued to their phones on public transport (guilty of this myself, wish this wasn’t my reality but it is)

super_furry · 12-06-2018 07:09PM

Living in a ditch, subsisting on a diet of twigs and berries, dying of old age at 35 if you don’t die of a septic thumb when you cut it on a rock.

Think I’m alright as I am right now thanks.

Speedsie · 12-06-2018 07:10PM

Graces7 wrote: »

Read please a novel called Ayla? (Cannot remember the author)

Pretty sure the author is Jean M Auell, 'Clan of the Cave Bear' was the first in the series I think.

Temptamperu · 12-06-2018 07:12PM

_Brian wrote: »

Think they had a life Expectancy of about 25-28, probably die horrific painful death from some sort of infection from a thorn or mauled by a wolf.

Modern life expectancy must be 75, in general we suffer very little, very few of us get eaten when on our daily commute and if you ignore the moaning pansies we have quite a cushie lifestyle.

The life expectancy was so low due to infant/child mortality. While some died of tooth infection at 30 others could live to the 70s even 80s.
We are the exact same humans that hunted and gathered.

12-06-2018 07:14PM

Someone send out the Wibbs-signal..

Until then the Pintupi Nine is a fascinating story of real life hunter gatherers coming discovering modern society https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30500591

Aongus Von Bismarck · 12-06-2018 07:14PM

To be honest I have to agree somewhat with the OP.

After I became a bit clinically fed up a couple of years ago I undertook building a log cabin in the woods in the wilderness in Canada. I have to say it was one of the most zen periods of my extremely successful life. Mother earth provided me with sustenance aplenty and my dedication to a strict mindfulness regime nourished my soul. Highly recommended.

Well I'd recommend it for someone who was physically very fit, quite handy, used to the outdoors and with a mature sense of awareness; which rules out most of you to be fair.

Ipso · 12-06-2018 07:17PM

Would vegans just be gatherers?

Fakediamond · 12-06-2018 07:19PM

Graces7 wrote: »

They got out as soon as they were able. Same as we did here from that soooooo-romantic bog-dwelling life

Read please a novel called Ayla? (Cannot remember the author)

Jean M Auel: Clan of the Cave Bear

Franz Von Peppercorn · 12-06-2018 07:19PM

It was great until you broke a leg, got attacked by an animal, your tribe was decimated by tribal enemies, or you got a toothache.

There’s some truth to us being divorced from our nature in cities or on public transport. The solution is to hunt. Pokemon for instance.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 12-06-2018 07:22PM

Temptamperu wrote: »

The life expectancy was so low due to infant/child mortality. While some died of tooth infection at 30 others could live to the 70s even 80s.
We are the exact same humans that hunted and gathered.

We would have to know the life expectancy of people who survived to 18. I doubt if very many made 70. Some might, but it would be in fairly peaceful times.

Reati · 12-06-2018 07:23PM

Ipso wrote: »

Would vegans just be gatherers?

There was none. They all died first.

Twenty Grand · 12-06-2018 07:30PM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

We would have to know the life expectancy of people who survived to 18. I doubt if very many made 70. Some might, but it would be in fairly peaceful times.

Nah, even in the last 300 years, youd be very old at 50, never mind 75. Its only in the last 150 years that life expectancy has shot up. Sure people died of shaving cuts not too long ago. Life expectancy in Ireland tlhas gone from 71 to 81 in the last 50 years alone.

We as a species haven't had it better.

World poverty is at an all time low. More people sleep in a warm bed with a full belly than ever before.
We have widespread vaccination against most common viruses and treatments for nearly every illness you can think of. It's rare that someone dies naturally under the age of 60.

We've never been more technologically advanced, knowledgeable, educated and capable.
If you want to go back to eating nettles and digging in the much for grubs then be my guest, but you're s.eriously wrong if you think times are worse now than 5000 years ago.

Electric Sheep · 12-06-2018 07:34PM

I imagine that the food insecurity that accompanies the hunter gatherer lifestyle must have been as stressful as anything in modern life.

Overheal · 12-06-2018 07:36PM

badabing106 wrote: »

Humans are physically designed to move, hunt and gather. They were designed to live in communal tribes where everything was shared, even the raring of other people's children

There was no anxiety over property, or money. They shared the physical exiliration of hunting together, the communal joy of providing and sharing food which was either hunted or gathered. The lived continously in the now and in one with nature. They were physically in the peak condition they were designed to be in. Ten times more capable and resilient than modern folk

They had everything that they needed to be content, food, shelter, sexy relations in abundance, sleep, community

The most popular sports today are hunting and gathering a ball, it's in our DNA, like it or not

We are hunter gatherers. We are not happy in modern times. Get on a bus or a train and you will only see sad faces

There’s three seasons of Live Free or Die you should go ahead and watch to scratch that itch. You’re welcome.

Kevhog1988 · 12-06-2018 07:37PM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

To be honest I have to agree somewhat with the OP.

After I became a bit clinically fed up a couple of years ago I undertook building a log cabin in the woods in the wilderness in Canada. I have to say it was one of the most zen periods of my extremely successful life. Mother earth provided me with sustenance aplenty and my dedication to a strict mindfulness regime nourished my soul. Highly recommended.

Well I'd recommend it for someone who was physically very fit, quite handy, used to the outdoors and with a mature sense of awareness; which rules out most of you to be fair.

What part of canada, i would absolutely love to do something similar.

Twenty Grand · 12-06-2018 07:38PM

Electric Sheep wrote: »

I imagine that the food insecurity that accompanies the hunter gatherer lifestyle must have been as stressful as anything in modern life.

I would imagine the insecurities of watching half your kids die before the age of two would be worse.
Or having your tribe killed because you spoke a different language to the lads who lived over the mountain.
Or an auld bit of polio or flu.
Or getting septecemia for literally any cut.

8valve · 12-06-2018 07:42PM

We have evolved into a sedentary lifestyle, where we are slowly poisoning ourselves with processed foods, dependent on quick-fix modern medicine to patch us up when we break, perpetuated by globalisation where our diverse ethnicities are being homogenised into subservient worker ants to make the fat cats even fatter, living the illusion that we are free and well informed (by the news headlines we are allowed to see) and live exciting lifestyles (at the weekend), driving around in our mass produced soccer-mom jeeps with the kayak on the roof or the mountain bikes lashed to the tailgate...

tin foil hat off now....

zapitastas · 12-06-2018 07:45PM

_Brian wrote: »

Think they had a life Expectancy of about 25-28, probably die horrific painful death from some sort of infection from a thorn or mauled by a wolf.

Modern life expectancy must be 75, in general we suffer very little, very few of us get eaten when on our daily commute and if you ignore the moaning pansies we have quite a cushie lifestyle.

I think people could live until 70 or 80 if they hadnt had some accident. It was when people started living in bigger groups that illness became rife

Temptamperu · 12-06-2018 07:47PM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

We would have to know the life expectancy of people who survived to 18. I doubt if very many made 70. Some might, but it would be in fairly peaceful times.

According to Yuval Noah Harari's book Sapiens, war was very controlled and very few died. Most lived peacefully and lived similar to "native tribes" now like the american nations (Pre white devil) and the tribes of the Amazon.

Its a good book about the subject.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 12-06-2018 07:50PM

Twenty Grand wrote: »

Nah, even in the last 300 years, youd be very old at 50, never mind 75. Its only in the last 150 years that life expectancy has shot up. Sure people died of shaving cuts not too long ago. Life expectancy in Ireland tlhas gone from 71 to 81 in the last 50 years alone.

We as a species haven't had it better.

World poverty is at an all time low. More people sleep in a warm bed with a full belly than ever before.
We have widespread vaccination against most common viruses and treatments for nearly every illness you can think of. It's rare that someone dies naturally under the age of 60.

We've never been more technologically advanced, knowledgeable, educated and capable.
If you want to go back to eating nettles and digging in the much for grubs then be my guest, but you're s.eriously wrong if you think times are worse now than 5000 years ago.

People didn’t see 50 year olds as very old 150 years ago.

You have to control for child mortality as a previous poster said. Jefferson and Adams survived to be 80+

Even the bible suggests 70 years as our time on earth.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 12-06-2018 07:50PM

Temptamperu wrote: »

According to Yuval Noah Harari's book Sapiens, war was very controlled and very few died. Most lived peacefully and lived similar to "native tribes" now like the american nations (Pre white devil) and the tribes of the Amazon.

Its a good book about the subject.

I’ve read plenty of counter arguments to that. Pinker etc.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 12-06-2018 07:56PM

Vandersail wrote: »

They wouldn't exactly be munching on snickers and drinking coca cola, if I recall correctly hunter gatherers had very good teeth health.

The did, but it doesn’t stop toothache.

Let's compare human happiness of hunter gatherers VS modern people

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