Why do some progress?

[wvbig]

Why do you think some groups of people have progressed while others have remained in primative stages?

[dimreepr]

Why do you think some groups of people have progressed while others have remained in primative stages?

 

Education...

[Itoero]

Why do you think some groups of people have progressed while others have remained in primative stages?

There are many reasons. You should give some examples. Edited May 12, 2017 by Itoero

[NimrodTheGoat]

 

Education...

My psych professor always said knowledge is power, and ignorance is powerlessness. Something along those lines.

Edited May 12, 2017 by NimrodTheGoat

[John Cuthber]

Why do you think some groups of people have progressed while others have remained in primative stages?

Luck.

[zapatos]

Why do you think some groups of people have progressed while others have remained in primative stages?

 

Isolation

Better coaches

Natural Resources

Religion

Access to better makeup and fashionable clothing

Technology

Steroids

High end bicycles

Edited May 13, 2017 by zapatos

[Raider5678]

 

Isolation

Better coaches

Natural Resources

Religion

Access to better makeup and fashionable clothing

Technology

Steroids

High end bicycles

Definitely the last one.

Those hip problems will get you if you're not careful man......

[KipIngram]

+1 for better bicycles...

 

Seriously, I think the key requirements are having conditions that create the desire to progress (at an individual level, I mean - seeing that a better life is possible and wanting it for one's self) coupled with sufficient freedom to allow that desire to be pursued and realized. A really common desire-kindler, I'd think, would simply be seeing other living better lives and wanting to improve your own.

 

But as far as how well that process goes, yeah, education and luck certainly play roles.

[Manticore]

Are these people primitive?

The answer is no. They use the parts of modern technology that they find useful and discard the rest.

From Wikipedia:

"The Maasai people stood against slavery and lived alongside most wild animals with an aversion to eating game and birds. Maasai land now has East Africa's finest game areas. Maasai society never condoned traffic of human beings, and outsiders looking for people to enslave avoided the Maasai."

Nice people.

[Phi for All]

It seems to me that as a society's focus broadens, so does their need for adaptability, thus the requirements of progress. I would use "less sophisticated" instead of "primitive". People usually become as sophisticated/complicated as they need to be, and no more.

 

More data allows for better information, which broadens opportunities. Better education makes you aware of more, and allows you a far greater range of capabilities, if your society can support such progress.

[Manticore]

I think you might have missed the point I was trying to make.

Many Maasai have degrees and have reached high levels in so called civilised society (eg. Edward Lowassa - Prime Minister of Tanzania from 2005 to 2008). When they have accomplished whatever they set out to do, they will happily throw away the suit and tie, don their traditional clothes and return to their tribal lands.

I know quite a few Maasai who have travelled widely (many have been to foreign universities), all have eventually returned permanently.

[Phi for All]

I think you might have missed the point I was trying to make.

Many Maasai have degrees and have reached high levels in so called civilised society (eg. Edward Lowassa - Prime Minister of Tanzania from 2005 to 2008). When they have accomplished whatever they set out to do, they will happily throw away the suit and tie, don their traditional clothes and return to their tribal lands.

I know quite a few Maasai who have travelled widely (many have been to foreign universities), all have eventually returned permanently.

 

The OP is talking about "some groups of people", not "many people within the [X] group". And I think you missed my point, which is that a society embraces progress in proportion to the need for broader focuses. The North Korean society is not as progressive as the South Korean society because the North has a narrower focus, and its people don't need to be prepared to deal with as much as they do in the South. Opportunities for progress abound in the South. In the North, you get white rice on your birthday. No need for as much progress, narrower societal focus.

[KipIngram]

 

The OP is talking about "some groups of people", not "many people within the [X] group". And I think you missed my point, which is that a society embraces progress in proportion to the need for broader focuses. The North Korean society is not as progressive as the South Korean society because the North has a narrower focus, and its people don't need to be prepared to deal with as much as they do in the South. Opportunities for progress abound in the South. In the North, you get white rice on your birthday. No need for as much progress, narrower societal focus.

 

I think you're definitely onto something there with broader focus driving the need for progress. I made a reference to "external stimuli"; you really expressed it clearly and precisely.

[DanTrentfield]

Why do you think some groups of people have progressed while others have remained in primative stages?

Circumstance and environment play a large role. If the area has a multitude of natural resources and life is not constantly a case of eat or be eaten, then people begin to question why certain things happen because they actually have time to, and a question is the basis of an answer, and the answer is the basis of knowledge is on the object.

 

I think you're definitely onto something there with broader focus driving the need for progress. I made a reference to "external stimuli"; you really expressed it clearly and precisely.

Another thing, is like he was discussing, broad focus, because then you learn many things.

[KipIngram]

Circumstance and environment play a large role. If the area has a multitude of natural resources and life is not constantly a case of eat or be eaten, then people begin to question why certain things happen because they actually have time to, and a question is the basis of an answer, and the answer is the basis of knowledge is on the object.

Another thing, is like he was discussing, broad focus, because then you learn many things.

 

Yes, I like your point on getting past "eat or be eaten."

[DanTrentfield]

 

Yes, I like your point on getting past "eat or be eaten."

Well if you're constantly hunted by things which only desire to eat you which you do not have the means to kill, you tend not to think. Hence why so many soldiers just follow their training in battle rather than thinking, and hence the phrase, don't think just shoot.

[jimmydasaint]

Why do you think some groups of people have progressed while others have remained in primative stages?

Well, if progress involves working like a rat in a luxury trap and a primitive existence involves being more in tune with Nature, then it is definitely the primitive existence for me. I dream of simplicity - a caravan on a remote beach or a remote, simple existence where communities are smaller and actually care for each other.

Edited May 28, 2017 by jimmydasaint

[mad_scientist]

Why do you think some groups of people have progressed while others have remained in primative stages?

 

china a great and mighty civilisation discontinued the study of mathematics and astronomy a few hundred years back.

islamic civilisation a noteworthy rival of western Europe was ransacked by the Mongolians who sieged Baghdad in 1258AD destroying many books and libraries and a similar thing happened in spain with many books and libraries destroyed. printing press was stopped by ottomans a few hundred years back which halted civilizational progress for a few hundred years there as well.

 

western civilisation rose because all vital ingredients needed to ignite the spark of modern science took place and the light hasn't been extinguished ever since.

Edited May 29, 2017 by mad_scientist