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The Origin Of Culture
An exploration of the balance between collaboration, and competition in human relations.
I was recently researching some of the writings of Ira Byock. an American physician, author, and advocate for palliative care. Palliative care is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing the quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex illness. The purpose of this approach is to improve the quality of individual experience in challenges with these types of illnesses.
In one of his articles, Byock was discussing the concept of culture and quoted anthropologist Margaret Mead.
This is the story he presents.
“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 (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot…
