Amazon rainforest Quote by Christopher Ryan
““After all, we know that the foraging societies in which human beings evolved were small-scale, highly egalitarian groups who shared almost everything. There is a remarkable consistency to how immediate return foragers live—wherever they are.* The !Kung San of Botswana have a great deal in common with Aboriginal people living in outback Australia and tribes in remote pockets of the Amazon rainforest. Anthropologists have demonstrated time and again that immediate-return hunter-gatherer societies are nearly universal in their fierce egalitarianism. Sharing is not just encouraged; it’s mandatory. Hoarding or hiding food, for example, is considered deeply shameful, almost unforgivable behavior in these societies.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Sex at Dawn, Christopher Ryan & Cacilda Jethá, 2010
Early human societies were small, egalitarian, and shared resources; this baseline challenges modern notions of ownership and competition.
In simple terms: Ancient foragers shared everything; modern societies differ.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the value of sharing and community.
Themes
equality
sharing
anthropology
human nature
cooperation
Mood
thoughtful
critical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
anthropological
When to use this quote
- community building
- policy design
- education
- sustainability initiatives
Key Concepts
evolutionary anthropology
social organization
resource distribution
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we reintroduce sharing norms?
- What policies promote equitable resource distribution?
A Different Perspective
Modern economies often reward hoarding, conflicting with innate sharing instincts.
![“[Man] has imagined a heaven, and has left entirely out of it the supremest of all his delights, the one ecstasy that stands first and foremost in the heart of every individual of his race…sexual intercourse! It is as if a lost and perishing person in a roasting desert should be told by a rescuer…” quote by Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/939/christopher-ryan-4309_joy_man-has-imagined-a-heaven-and-has-left-e_187069.jpg)
