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Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

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Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#11

Post by protomyth »

I guess it depends on your definition of happy for the dead and never born. Hunter-Gathers couldn't specialize, and that has made all of the difference in our lives. Without specialization a lot of the joyful activities that we participate in would not be available and most of us wouldn't be here.

Yes, I get it. Some find joy in the primitive, the promise of stripping way the complications of modern life, and feeling the raw world again. That's fine for a weekend or a week, but understand what you give up.

Me, well, I like indoor plumbing, heat, and refrigeration.

Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#12

Post by agumonkey »

klipt wrote: post #4

Of course, farming didn't overtake hunter-gathering because farmers are happier . It overtook because farming can feed massive armies capable of conquering hunter-gatherer land by force. Although I guess, in the end, not being conquered/enslaved/killed might make people happier.

Is it true or just extrapolated hint ?

I like to criticize "modern" societies, but some times I think that having predictable source of food was an obvious goal for any human being.

Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#13

Post by dpark »

harry8 wrote: post #7

I'm going to write a new book that argues people who don't read this kind of BS are happier than those that do. Could back that with stats too (just ignore the correlation/causation thing...) Watching your children die due to diseases that are totally trivial in our non-hunter-gatherer society makes you happy. oooookaaaay... FFS

> Watching your children die due to diseases that are totally trivial in our non-hunter-gatherer society makes you happy. oooookaaaay... FFS

In fairness, people not packed into cities don’t have exactly the same issues with childhood diseases.

I don’t disagree with your sentiment, by the way. I just don’t think it’s directly comparable that way.

It’s also worth noting that many societies are not hunter gatherer and have high child mortality rates. The road from “tribal” to “modern” is full of dysentery.

Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#14

Post by Top19 »

Look I hate Facebook, Google, the news, prefer physical books, like to exercise, whatever but I always hate seeing this stuff.

In Western society there are always two lies operating at once. The first lie is that technology will save us and fix everything and is the ultimate path, the second lie is that throwing away all of our technology, being as close to nature as possible, blah blah will also save us and fix everything.

One thing happier people do in fact have is a sense of historical perspective and also future sacrifice. Knowing the sacrifice that 500 mothers and fathers made before you to move the human race hopefully a little forward, and knowing that you can help pass along their sacrifice, knowledge, and your own hard work to your children, grandchildren, and subsequent generations.

Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#15

Post by myth_drannon »

clumsysmurf wrote: post #9

The only time I'm relaxed and feel happy is when I am out in untamed nature - seeing and hearing nature. It doesn't matter if its just a hike or "working" hard on trail maintenance. If this[1] is true, "Every 2.5 minutes, the American West loses a football field worth of natural area to human development." Walking down the street among human development just doesn't do anything for me, so I quit going outside. It see…

Well we came out of the jungles, it's in our genes. Humans don't belong to the jungles of concrete. There was research done at the hospitals in the 80s that by having a window with a view to nature in the patient's recovery room after the surgery. The person was discharged couple of days early, had to take less painkillers and had less post surgery complications.

Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#16

Post by gt_ »

I love looking for things. I think a lot of us do. Web searches, thrift stores, street photography, 3D models, Github projects. Momentary instances of challenge keep it exciting. I do think most of us find comfort in the "hunting and gathering"-like types of activities we indulge in. Our visual senses still celebrate the red colors and glossy surfaces of apples and berries.

Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#18

Post by maxerickson »

Top19 wrote: post #14

Look I hate Facebook, Google, the news, prefer physical books, like to exercise, whatever but I always hate seeing this stuff. In Western society there are always two lies operating at once. The first lie is that technology will save us and fix everything and is the ultimate path, the second lie is that throwing away all of our technology, being as close to nature as possible, blah blah will also save us and fix ever…

Are a large percentage of people in our technological society actualized in that way?

Do people that take a 2nd job to put food on the table for their kids see that as progress for the human race?

Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#19

Post by gt_ »

Top19 wrote: post #14

Look I hate Facebook, Google, the news, prefer physical books, like to exercise, whatever but I always hate seeing this stuff. In Western society there are always two lies operating at once. The first lie is that technology will save us and fix everything and is the ultimate path, the second lie is that throwing away all of our technology, being as close to nature as possible, blah blah will also save us and fix ever…

To be clear, the only recommendations in the article are long hikes and maybe some arts and crafts.

It's predominantly an anthropological case study.

Re: Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

#20

Post by maxerickson »

myth_drannon wrote: post #15
clumsysmurf wrote: post #9

The only time I'm relaxed and feel happy is when I am out in untamed nature - seeing and hearing nature. It doesn't matter if its just a hike or "working" hard on trail maintenance. If this[1] is true, "Every 2.5 minutes, the American West loses a football field worth of natural area to human development." Walking down the street among human development just doesn't do anything for me, so I quit going outside. It see…

Well we came out of the jungles, it's in our genes. Humans don't belong to the jungles of concrete. There was research done at the hospitals in the 80s that by having a window with a view to nature in the patient's recovery room after the surgery. The person was discharged couple of days early, had to take less painkillers and had less post surgery complications.

Now they just discharge the patient.

(It worked out okay, but I didn't realize I should have had a wheelchair on hand recently when I picked someone up from a relatively straightforward orthopedic surgery)

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