Comments on: More Human than Human: Nature’s Most Social Animals

By: Tapping Living Systems’ Cycles of Community Wellness | Icaal

Tapping Living Systems’ Cycles of Community Wellness | Icaal — Sun, 08 May 2011 03:35:15 +0000

[...] People are social animals; it is their nature to desire and earnestly try to help one another, especially those we see as vulnerable. This desire evolved as an adaptation to improve survival of the individual and the group. It is evidenced by our emotional and psychological need to be a part of something, and the physiology of our cooperative learning processes. In a sincere desire to understand and improve quality of life, people have created efficient, quantifiable methods of community development. In doing so, we purposefully distanced ourselves from each other; and, from the problems of, and accountability, to others. What we could not know was that when we were left with only personal difficulties to overcome, we would begin to question our self-worth. And significantly, when unknown others met these needs, we became increasingly disconnected and dependent. Consequently, we recognized less value in ourselves and distrusted most others. Simultaneously, our reduced interaction, and limited view of what constituted intelligence, we began to grossly underestimate each other. This required that we create and fund more programs to care for the incompetence of those around us, and so the disintegration of communities has continued. Along the same lines, as currency and productivity-based relationships replaced obligation-based relationships, the association of people driven by need became something that could easily be measured and reliably predicted. An individual’s worth now meant what that person could demand in the marketplace. The myth of economy being the basis of quality of life was built upon this foundation. Correlations were made between poverty and unhealthy behaviors leading to poor quality of life. Yet, there is much in evidence to question such a correlation. Clearly, it is healthy human interrelationships that produce strong economies and improved quality of life, not the reverse. Churches, social clubs, athletic teams, professional business groups, educational institutions, and civic organizations are examples of environments where associational-functional groups are found. These groups are voluntary, recognize one another as associates, and are together for a purpose. As a rule they accept each other’s individual talents and encourage participation from all. Membership in these organizations tended to carry a great deal more weight/prestige/significance even three decades ago, but even they have been weakened but the lack of internal cross-functional relationships and external surrogates. Nonetheless, by their nature, they still offer the most fertile bed for the regeneration of community well being in terms of cooperation and collaboration for the attainment of common goals. A process containing the above characteristics allows the community to define its needs and challenges, and proceed through the consequent transition to transformation, balance to imbalance, cycles. There are no set instructions, no rigid framework. If the group wishes to surmount the chosen challenge, they must decide the timeframe, method, plan of action, among themselves, and carry the plan through to fruition on their own. In all likelihood, disparate groups will discover similar goals and begin coordinating efforts resulting in a budding effect that will then follow its own progression through stability and instability. It is this process that will compliment, reinforce, and propagate what is begun within a few groups. The model will function as a process and will evolve with the community. [...]

By: Are you Right Wing or Left Wing? | Mom In Management

Are you Right Wing or Left Wing? | Mom In Management — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 02:07:29 +0000

[...] …because Democrats started many of our social welfare systems starting with Social Security in 1935 (by FDR) and recently the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in 1996 (by Clinton). This correlates well with Wolves because they are known to be social creatures that care for their young, old and sick. [...]

By: Plato on how the brain and body influence each other « Anger, Et Cetera: Understanding the Emotions in Ethics

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:40:19 +0000

[...] tools necessary for dogs as well as humans to survive, and they are at the core of the ability to socialize. The mental activities of the body-psyche are still aligned closely with simple ‘unreasoning’ [...]

By: got geoint? » Article » Friday’s Food for Thought: Never Alone in the Crowd, the Crowdvine That Is…

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:13:30 +0000

[...] More Human than Human: Nature’s Most Social Animals Certain species rarely, if ever, “go it alone.” Wolves are notorious pack-hunters, and always have a clear chain of command in their ranks, but people often overlook that their seaborne counterpart in the world are the beautiful orcas. Also known as killer whales, orcas travel in pods like their smaller cousins, the dolphins. Dolphins get away with a much more historically gentle disposition, because of their playful and curious nature toward humans, while bands of gorillas, if ever sighted, are feared and held in awe for lack of presence anywhere in the world but central Africa. Each of these species move about their surroundings with a territorial purpose, and defend what they deem as rightfully their own. They defend the members of their social grouping, and they care for their young, old, and sick. They use babysitters, they have affairs, they have deadbeat fathers and even the occasional runaway bride. They mourn their recently departed. When these behaviors are witnessed, they can evoke a feeling that these animals are more human than we are. Read more from the WebEcoist here. [...]

By: Plato on how the brain and body influence each other « Anger, Et Cetera: Understanding the Emotions in Ethics

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:57:06 +0000

[...] tools necessary for dogs as well as humans to survive, and they are at the core of the ability to socialize. The mental activities of the body-psyche are still aligned closely with simple [...]