I've gotten a lot of feedback about my
leadership post earlier this year—particularly from people who connected with the humility aspect. It's a characteristic I think most people would agree is in short supply these days, but most of us still admire it when we see it. In truth,
little in our culture today encourages a humble disposition, and I think that's a relatively new development. More than ever it seems to be the loudest, boldest, and (often) most obnoxious voices that garner our attention. Brashness somewhere along the line became an asset rather than an irritation. We're told we need to do more, be more, have more, "fight" for what what we presumably deserve, and push our way to the front if we want our good in life. Put yourself out there, talk yourself up, and—above all—look out for number one. I
s anyone else exhausted by these instructions? The key (and related) question of the day, however, is this: what would
Grok have said about this social shift?
First off, I think it's safe to say he would've voted anyone exemplifying said traits off the island, as would have the majority his contemporaries—for very good reason. A band full of overgrown egos would've spelled disaster for survival in his day. In the "immediate" economies of hunter-gatherer life ("simple" hunter-gatherers who relied on no food storage in particular), daily cooperation was a must.
Everyone upheld their duties to the band, and the group's good was the organizing principle of each and every day. There simply wasn't room for entitlement.In keeping, band cohesion relied on every member's adherence to the social codes that were passed on through story and ritual. These codes of collaboration and reverence weren't just rules to be followed to avoid conflict or ostracism (a situation with significant, if not deadly, consequences in those days).
Band codes were a spiritual as well as social ethos. Members participated in this ethical and spiritual tradition, and by doing so saw themselves as co-creators of it across the generations. This contribution was a key and honored aspect of their own individuation. Their individual identity was, in part, constructed and fulfilled through the personal upholding of the age-old codes.
Comment: For an interesting discussion on sleep paralysis and other strange phenomena listen to The Health & Wellness Show: Psi Phenomena and the Health Connection