Have you ever wondered how humans became such a dominant species on our planet? I mean, think about it. We have been evolving for more than 6 million years. Our current form of Homo sapiens began between 550,000 and 750,000 years ago based on genetic studies, and we have fossil records dating back 300,000 years. And our existence has only sometimes been secure. The absence today of any of our evolving relatives, including the Neanderthal people, is a testament to the perils of evolution (think dinosaurs).
It is thought that 70,000 years ago, the world population of Homo sapiens may have reached 1.5 million. All these people lived in the natural world and were vulnerable to other predators, the environment, food sources, and shelter fluctuations. In 1600, the human population was 500 million; in late 2022, the number moved to eight billion.
Social scientists have studied how human populations organize themselves and believe that we have lived in small groups of 30 to 60 people for most of human history. Imagine living on the prairies through all four seasons with only the strength and resourcefulness of your clan to provide for all of your needs. This is a very fruitful mental exercise. Think about the emotional, mental, and spiritual qualities most valued in a situation like this. For example, it would be hard to see the utility of selfishness in a community where the health, safety, and well-being of the entire clan depend upon everyone working together and looking out for each other.
The ability to survive and propagate has depended on this pro-social list of human qualities for hundreds of thousands of years. Groups without them could not survive and thus are not a part of the gene pool today. The human qualities of central concern for survival have naturally been selected.
Okay, but what has this to do with life today? The answer is simple. By understanding what our brain is designed to do and what makes us feel content, we can better make choices. We would never create a chair with a seat four feet from the backrest to the front edge. Why? Because the distance between the knee and hip for most adults is between 14 and 24 inches. A seat of 48 inches would mean you could not bend your knee and touch the floor with your feet, resulting in loss of support. So, in this example, we routinely pay attention to the physical characteristics we have evolved. But have you heard much about considering the needs of our human brain?
Think about providing care for children or the very elderly. Researchers have shown that, in ancient communities, every child had five caregivers to provide for safety, nurturing, and education. Today if we can find a childcare service with a ratio of six children to one caregiver, we feel very fortunate. We have classrooms for six-year-olds with 25 children, and middle and high school students cope in classrooms where one teacher attempts to support more than 30 young students.
Our brains evolved in the natural world and developed over millions of years to provide the best chance for survival. Then we changed the rules. We created cities, we built an industry that was reliant on a strict observance of time, and we moved away from community. Life changed.
If we ponder this simple observation, it can help us understand that:
- We are built to support one another.
- We have survived thus far by working together.
- Tolerance and empathy move us toward our specie’s baseline, feelings of well-being.
I am sure you will be able to think of more than these three observations and if you do, feel free to email them to table-talk@family-conselling.ca. Like sitting on a well-designed chair, living a life that plays to how our brain has evolved feels good—more about this in future articles. Andy Field © Jan. 23.
