Posted by laima on December 7, 2006, at 11:21:36 [reposted on December 7, 2006, at 23:47:24 | original URL]
In reply to Re: Why your medicine may not help » laima, posted by bulldog2 on December 7, 2006, at 8:13:08
I don't buy the idea that other times or places suffered less murder or were devoid of family breakups, disconnect. If anything, I think we (in the West) are particularly shielded from premature death on a daily basis. One thing about group living- how does it work out for someone who is not fitting in to the group due to temperment or ideas? We're shielded from most infectious diseases currently, most of us are very fortunate not to have to worry about marouding groups of "others" who want to snatch our food resources, land, etc. Most of us are not being accused of casting spells. Look at how common migrations, practices such as sending your kids to go live with someone else because they can't be provided for, etc. have been over human history. I'm also not convinced that arranging one's affairs so as to best maximize chances for getting into heaven, considering an afterlife to be a reward or punishment, was/is "living in the moment". In a weird way, I think a lot of us, especially the atheist or agnostic bunch, are pretty concerned about how we are feeling, what we are doing, right this second. I also think that in addition to sweetened nostalgia, there is a lot of popular mythology still floating around which stems out of the old "noble savage", a Western invention. I think the term "primitive" itself is problematic. (Who's "primitive", who's "advanced", anyway? And "primitive" suggests being undeveloped, unsophisticated, amongst other things. Not too many of us can chop a good blade out of obsidian or read subtle cues for weather or the invisible tracks of animals:) ) But definately, we are social creatures, and that's pretty severely strained these days. We've been relieved of a lot of the stressors that other people dealt with, but got some big new doozies in exchange. At least we have telephones...
> Of course primitive societies suffered stress, warfare and other negative conditions. I'm not talking about a utopian society either. But I think that people lived in the moment and didn't go to bed or stay isolated in their huts. You had to hunt, grow food or die. You celebrated when there was something to celebrate and you mourned when there was something to mourn.
> Yes there has always been depression but if you look at our society with rampant murder rates, divorce and broken homes with schools and all our institutions under assult that is a cause for concern. People are pack animals and depend on the glue of these institutions to hold us together. As people become disconnected from each other there will be negative consequences to our mental health.
poster:laima
thread:711348
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20061123/msgs/711350.html