Origins

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Hunting and gathering

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Daily activities and roles

hunter gatherer

Evolution of our complex minds and emotions

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Origins

The development of how we act and think and the emotions we experience can be traced through our evolution into complex human beings.

Life for hunter gatherer societies was primarily centred around survival - the quest for food and shelter.

As the sun rose each day, hunters and gatherers advanced from their resting places to find the food and resources needed for survival. Hunters at times needed to conquer their prey while gatherers at times needed to defend their food resources from competing animals or other threats. Conquering and defending were also essential for protection against other people.

In the evening hunters and gatherers would retreat to their bases to unite or divide with the rest of their people, share the food and resources and rest for the next day.

This rhythm of advancing each day, hunting and gathering and retreating at evening, repeated over and over, became the foundation for the complex abilities of our brains and the richness of our emotions.

Over time specialised activities and skills emerged to allow us to hunt and conquer, gather and defend, advance and retreat or unite and divide in more sophisticated ways.

This specialisation was essential for the increasing complexities and demands of our evolving societies.