by Estelle High

Created on: August 02, 2008

I was thinking today about the world and the people who live in it. Hoping to find some insight into understanding the human condition.
Early human beings gathered together into family groups and clans in order to survive. Clans merged together with other clans to have enough people to repel invaders and also to find mates outside of the immediate family line. Gradually over time the groups began to elect leaders and /or a spoke person to speak for the them. Some times strong individuals appointed themselves leaders. The individual groups then became extended families.

Some groups built walls around their settlements that would eventually grow into communities. with a common language, customs and oral history. Each individual had something to contribute to his or hers community. People then began to develop occupations. This enabled those who were skilled hunters to do the hunting for the group. Others began to produce goods needed for survival. Maybe the fellow who wasn't a skilled hunter found he could make the best bows and arrows. So then people could do the the things they were best skilled at doing and find somebody would trade with them for things they needed to survive. To be prosperous meant to have skills necessary to provide shelter, water, food and clothing for their family needs. People in their group had many things in common, were often of the same family tree and they would share food and take care of their elderly and children. They learned to trust the people within their walls. If somebody behaved badly then they were exiled from the group. It was like a death sentence to be exile from the family. If some one needed help, the community was there to help. It truly was like Hilary Clinton's book, "It takes a village". Existence was dependent on co-operation and so rules of conduct within communities were established.
But when anybody who was different came from a far away place they were immediately under suspicion. It is not much different today. Because someone is a different color, or speaks a different language, has culture or customs that seem strange to what we know, we tend to look at them and judge them negatively. Today the world is getting smaller as travel gets faster and modern communication devices are helping to educate us about different cultures. People are being exposed to many different cultures, political and religious ideas. Ideas travel rapidly down the internet highway. This has not only been educational but it has helped

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>