Congirl vs Cavegirl

If I ever tell you that you are acting like a cave-dweller, you should take it as a compliment. While most people use the term “caveman” to put other people down, or to suggest someone is phenomenally out of touch or under- developed , I don’t see that chapter of our prehistoric evolution in that way. I see it as a time when we were in-tune with our surroundings. We were confident since we were not so dependent on tools to make it through existence. We were self-sufficient...but also completely dependent on each other for survival. We lived in balance with each other and with nature. Cavedwellers who were part of a tribe were unstoppable. And the thing that made them that way was something that is hard to come by in modern-day society: TRUST Trust vs Fear - The way I see it, trust and fear are on opposite ends of a continuum. If a person does not trust the people and things around them, they are thinking/making decisions based in concern, worry or fear...and unaware of the state they

“When the hell did advertisements get so good? They’re like narcotics”                                                                                                                                                        - 3 O’Clock Things, Song by AJR  If you are as big a fan of Glenn Geher as I am, you may remember Cavegirl Claire. She made an appearance on his blog over a year ago giving advice on how to survive the pandemic. (And if you are reading this, perhaps you paid attention to what she had to say!) Even if you don’t remember, Claire has returned to point out another area where we modern “house-dwellers” could use a bit of advice: The realm of consumerism.  Modern life can be pretty lonely, but it has not always been this way for us humans. When we were tree-dwellers, for example, we were alone in our heads, but we were not physically by ourselves (since we wandered in bands of 40-50.) Then, during the time we were cave-dwellers, we were not physically OR psychologically alo

When I first started "Congirl vs Cavegirl," I set it up like a grudge match. It felt like there were two parts of me that were vying for control of my behavior as a super fan of the TV show Supernatural . One was the modern convention-goer part of me, and the other was the outdated more instinctual part of me. That was two and a half years ago. Since then, I have noticed a few other things in researching this dichotomy. One is there are more than just two ways that I process the world, and another is how I act as a fan is not that different from my behavior as a voter or a consumer. It would be pretty easy, then, for someone to argue the scope of this blog has expanded over time. But another way of looking at it would be that the ideas it generated also have the potential to simplify things. But first things first: who won the grudge match? Does the globe-trotting congirl beat out my cavegirl? Or does the part of me that has not changed very much for the past 40,000 years wi

Being able to choose is a recently evolved phenomenon.  Way back when our psychologies were first developing, we did not have the luxury of choice. As cave-dwellers, for example, we just had to work with what we came across. We made clothes and tools out of things we killed for food, kept a fire lit for as long as we could if we happened upon a wildfire, and depended on the people around us even if we didn't particularly like them—because that is all we had. And if the theories behind Evolutionary Psychology are correct, at least some of our mental processes have not had time to adjust to our rapidly changing modern world. Today, some humans get to make all sorts of choices, but different cultures value choice in different intensities; some cultures rank individual choice as very important while others rank it as less important. But most cultures are a mix, meaning choice is thought of as good for a society in some circumstances but not others. I live in one of these "mixed&qu

There has been some talk lately that big franchise “superhero” movies are doing damage to Hollywood.  Older, more traditional directors have been blaming them for a reduced interest in what they call “true cinema.” Many actors defend the blockbuster genre saying that storytelling is a form of art, and there is no right or wrong in telling a story. (Of course the actors involved are probably being well-compensated for their enthusiasm.) As with most debates, there are two sides from which to choose. If I had to pick in this situation, I’d go with the folks who think superhero movies are not bad for Hollywood -- yet my choosing one side vs the other demonstrates a response humans have been practicing since well before we could mimic famous cinematic one-liners. To illustrate, I give you the final chapter in the life and times of Cavegirl Claire. It's been about 10 years since Amir had to end Claire's life, but the influence she has on her tribe lives on in her offspring. Ami

Warning: This next chapter in the story of "Cavegirl Claire" is pretty intense. If you wish to skip it, go to the third paragraph with the words "Now if..." below. Amir has just made the decision to follow the herd when one of Claire’s younger sons attracts his attention. The boy’s eyes are wide and he has been running hard. Amir knew his former partner was close to labor, but the immediacy of the event has slipped his mind; replacing Jerome as the tribe’s leader has kept Amir very busy. He quickly follows the boy back to Claire’s campsite. When he enters the cave, he understands why the boy’s face looks so worried. The baby is coming out feet first. Amir first looks at Greta (who is assisting with the birth) and then at Claire. He had not laid eyes on the mother of his two older sons in the last few weeks, but he knows what she was thinking. He asks Liko, Claire’s current partner, to take their two young boys outside and stay with them. The man hesitates but d