Opinion

Society could learn from early humans

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

These days, many factors impact our mental and physical health: excessive stress about the present, anxiety about the future and a range of physical issues.

Society has changed at a remarkable speed, and while this has a multitude of benefits, it has also introduced many problems in modern work, life and societal expectations. But if we turn back the clock to around 350,000 years ago, prehistoric humans weren’t concerned with many of the problems we face today. 

For example, while stress and anxiety are common now, they were experienced differently by our ancestors. Today, people have various ways of coping with stressors, but ancient humans faced more immediate physical dangers—predators, harsh climates and food scarcity.

Their stress triggered the fight-or-flight response, helping them confront or escape danger. Anxiety related to future uncertainties, was less of an issue for early humans, who were more focused on present challenges. Interestingly, many modern therapies for anxiety encourage this same focus on the present.

Loneliness is another major issue today, amplified by the rise of social media. While social media creates the illusion of connection, it often leaves our biological need for connection unsatisfied.

Early humans, on the other hand, relied on connections for survival. Cooperation and emotional investment were essential in small groups, creating a deep need for meaningful social interaction. Modern digital connections, though convenient, rarely meet these deeper evolutionary needs for genuine socialization.

In addition to mental health differences, our physical lifestyles have dramatically changed. 

Unlike the sedentary nature of many modern jobs, early humans were incredibly active. Humans have evolved for regular activity. A typical distance for hunter-gatherers could be up to 10 miles per day. The necessary daily activities would require an average energy of between 3,000 and 5,000kj.

Beyond gathering food and supplies, they actively built and maintained shelters, which kept them fit. Today, many people spend hours watching TV or on their phones, contributing to an increase in heart disease and other health issues. 

When it comes to diet, humans did not evolve to thrive on fast food or junk food. These foods are high in calories, sugar, fat and salt, and low in nutrients that don’t satiate hunger and can lead to many health problems.

Early humans, on the other hand, ate nutrient-dense, natural foods that are not processed in factories.  Their diets included plants such as fruits, leaves and flowers, along with animals such as seafood and even a variety of insects and their products, including honey.

Surprisingly, societal expectations were present even in early human societies, and some of what we strive for today was already in place. Early humans, for example, lived in relatively egalitarian societies, which included gender equality—a topic that remains a source of many challenges today. 

Researchers from University College London studied genealogical data from two hunter-gatherer societies: 191 adults across eleven camps in the Philippines and 103 adults across nine camps in Congo. They spent two years observing these groups to understand how early humans lived and how societal structures, including gender roles, functioned.

Sex equality suggests a scenario where unique human traits, such as cooperation with unrelated individuals, could have emerged in our evolutionary past,” Dr Andrea Migliano said.  

While technology and societal advances have brought numerous benefits, they’ve also distanced us from the natural way of life our ancestors led and have left us physiologically and biologically unsatisfied in our most basic needs. Reconnecting with the elements of the past may offer a pathway to better health and well-being in today’s fast-paced world.

Melissa Unlu is a computer science senior who can be reached at [email protected]

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