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Another one of my heroes."Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.

But no. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thigh bone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.

A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts, Mead said.”

“We are at our best when we serve others. Be civilized.”

~Ira Byock

Lorajay 9 Sep 14
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4 comments

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1

My first thought was some indication of care for the weakest eg aged. But her example is far more concrete. Besides, her example would include america while mine, not so much.

1

Isn't that "socialism"? You know, that sort of society despised by the hard core, ultra right?
Are they a harbinger of the demise of civilisation?

2

I felt for sure she was going to say something about atheism. Like adopting it as the global tribal creed. But for sure looking after the weakest amoung you seems like the first step. That's assuming civilisation evolves past a social group looking after each other. However I guess several quantum leaps in organisation. It is pretty clear civilisation on earth is not done evolving and may yet faulter and die.

1

Nice thought. Though technically wrong, since quite a few animals have been found which survived major breakages, in part due to social support.

Isn't herding together in groups larger than one's immediate family the prerequisite of civilisation?

@Petter I would say so yes. Certainly care for the sick is a thing which, can and is, done easily within the family, and vastly predates civilization. I think that the idea that this represents civilization, comes from the same logic whereby, morallity comes from religion. Sad to say bad things about Lorajay's hero, but M. Mead has been so often discredited for so many errors, and so much fakery, that few take her seriously any longer.

@Fernapple no one is always right or perfect. In her field, Leaps from logic are often found. She found what she was looking for.

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