Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and the

[riversedge]

Yes, caring for others--is so important. I had seen this many moons ago but had forgotten it.
Great reminder


@DJM549845319274
"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 run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.

A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts, Mead said."

👉We are at our best when we serve others. Be civilized.

Link to tweet

One of my favorite Margaret Mead quotes:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” ~ Margaret Mead

Link to tweet

[dchill]

1. Nutshell...

"Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts," Mead said.

[bhikkhu]

8. I can think of people nowadays who would say that's where the great decline began

"before then, if you didn't hunt, you didn't eat!" Or something like that.

[CrispyQ]

2. I remember the first time I read that how moved I was.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. Did Margaret Mead Think a Healed Femur Was the Earliest Sign of Civilization?

https://www.sapiens.org/culture/margaret-mead-femur/

To start, there is no reliable evidence that Mead said what has been attributed to her. Internet sleuths have traced the earliest reference to this anecdote to the 1980 book Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, in which the surgeon Paul Brand writes that he was “reminded of a lecture given by the anthropologist Margaret Mead, who spent much of her life studying primitive cultures.”

But when Mead was asked directly in an interview, “When does a culture become a civilization?,” her documented response was very different. “Looking at the past,” Mead replied, “we have called societies civilizations when they have had great cities, elaborate division of labor, some form of keeping records. These are the things that have made civilization.”

(snip)

Finally, the very concept of “civilization” or a “civilized society” in the anecdote is problematic—and most contemporary anthropologists would not take it for granted without interrogation.

Many of us may think of altruistic kindness as one of the best and most “natural” attributes of humanity. That’s why the quote, “Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts,” was bound to go viral—whether or not Mead said it. However, this statement glosses over the violent ways that the very concept of “civilization” itself was used by colonial powers to subjugate “savages” and “primitive societies.” Moreover, our species has arguably done more harm—including to the planet itself—than any other species.

[Tactical Peek]

19. Thanks for citing a knowledgeable source who says Mead never said this.

For certain at least, she never wrote it down.

[Ponietz]

4. Then civilization began with Neanderthals

They nursed their sick and injured back to health. Look it up.

[Bayard]

5. "Children must be taught how to think, not what to think."

Should be inscribed on every school and library.

[et tu]

6. critical thinking skills

are invaluable without them we judge by
bias and prejudice~

[keithbvadu2]

9. TX GOP opposed critical thinking skills in school.

TX GOP opposed critical thinking skills in school.

https://truthout.org/articles/texas-gop-declares-no-more-teaching-of-critical-thinking-skills-in-texas-public-schools/

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181381120

Texas GOP Declares: “No More Teaching of ‘Critical Thinking Skills’ in Texas Public Schools“
-----
The company is moving across the Texas prairie, taking down traditional public schools like locusts consuming wheat fields. Keeping with the Republican platform, they promise to make obedience training and anti-intellectualism the cornerstone and foundation of education in Texas, to the detriment of students and society.

I think they later recanted that position.

[et tu]

10. they may recant

but betcha the intent is still the same!
thanks for the links~

[Prairie_Seagull]

7. I know this is symatics

but being civil should be associated with civilization. From the start was this a definitional thing?

[Martin68]

11. Thanks for sharing that insight.

[ananda]

12. Very wise lady.

Kick

[Ping Tung]

13. Nowadays, the good Samaritan who helped would be a labeled a Commie Radical Leftist.

The one who recovered would be labeled a lazy Welfare Queen who was stealing their taxes.

So say the MAGATs

[LudwigPastorius]

14. ...and Republicans first arose when...

a man said, "We don't have to run faster than the saber-toothed tiger. We just have to run faster than broken legged Bob."

[Dave Bowman]

16. Could also have been a woman:

[Warpy]

15. Mead was wrong about a lot, she saw through rose colored glasses

and rather bought into Rousseau's "noble savage" a little too much, but she was dead right about this one.

In the rest of land species we share this planet with, a broke leg means certain death, even though some critters like canids and felines can do fine on 3 legs. Instead, they will remain where they are, waiting to die of dehydration, starvation, or predation.

We're the only species organized enough to put a broken limb into anatomical position and brace it until it heals, while supporting ther person who is injured by bringing him or her a share of the food. No other creature we know of does that.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

18. Actually animals do help each other

And sometimes thier caring crosses species.

?si=3T5vyTDXZc3asbqD


Sometimes animals are more civilized than we are. Anyone who has been privileged to be loved by a cat knows this.

My cat Othello literally saved my life and rescued me from a stupor when I had undiagnosed diabetes by jumping repeatedly on my chest with all 4 paws until I got conscious enough to realize something bad was wrong with me and dial 911. He kept me awake until the ambulance people knocked on my door I was passing in and out of consciousness and Othello kept sniffing my breath, he could smell the ketones, in his own way he diagnosed me too. Now he taught himself to alert me with his dewclaw grab to force me to pay attention to him then he smells my breath and every time he does this my sugar levels are off.

Othello is a very handsome polite and civilized tuxy boy that I would walk through raging fire and take a bullet for.

[NickB79]

17. In othe words: empathy for your fellow man

By that standard, a wide swath of the GOP is completely uncivilized.

[malaise]

20. What an up,if ting OP

Rec