Bleeding Edge

When asked a question about what is the definition of Civilization — this is how Margaret Mead answered:

The great anthropologist reasoned that we know of civilization from the earliest graves of humans.

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

This was found amongst the graves of some of the earliest humanoids that we normally consider as savages…

Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die.

You cannot run from danger…

You cannot get to the river for a drink of water to quench your thirst…

You cannot go out of your cave to hunt for food…

And therefore you die alone.

Yet the first signs of human civilization … at least according to Mead — are the healed femur bones that allowed people to live on, in some instances for many years after they had broken their femurs that would have rendered them immobile and dependent on the care of their brethren, their family and their tribe.

That is Human Civilization in its most grateful form and it still holds true today, because that is the bone record which clearly shows that someone else took care of this broken human, tied up their leg, fed them, gave them water, and helped them heal, for weeks if not months, all up until they were strong again to be able to walk and fend for themselves.

And that is what Human Civilization is all about.

Yours,

Dr Churchill

PS:

It is eerily reminiscent of those times like today, where our best and brightest examples of civilization and courage are shown by our Healthcare workers who help us regain our health.

And please keep in mind that the greatness of our Civilization is shown by the State of Health of the poorest and the weakest amongst us — the broken ones — and by how we take care of them as a family, a tribe, and a Society.

Seeing what we now see all around us — pray tell — do you think that we are civilized enough?

Or is it that the Noble Savages have done one up on us?