4 ms·

Maybe the ADHD brain is the normal brain and there is something abnormal about domesticated human brains, the ones that conform to the needs of modern corporati

Maybe the ADHD brain is the normal brain and there is something abnormal about domesticated human brains, the ones that conform to the needs of modern corporations and the schooling system that supports them. Maybe the ADHD brain is a better hunter gatherer / forager brain.

eatitraw 8y ago
There is a 'hunter vs farmer hypothesis'. It is certainly a cute idea. But even if it is true, the society isn't going back to back to persistence hunting. There is some real human suffering right now (simply by definition from DSM - if there is no impairment, it is not ADHD). "I guess I picked the wrong time to be a human being".
- devoply 8y ago
  So we eliminated the ADHD brains only to found most of our jobs automated and most of our schooling irrelevant.
  - eatitraw 8y ago
    What's your point here? ADHD brains are still there. You can choose not to medicate yourself if you don't want to.
- jonhendry18 8y ago
  I'm a little skeptical, because hunting can be extremely boring. An ADHD hunter would be the guy who gets bored, jumps out of the hiding spot to examine a neat rock, and scares off the approaching deer.
  - eatitraw 8y ago
    > and scares off the approaching deer And that's exactly the way early humans hunted. The method is called persistence hunting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting Humans run slowly, but human bodies can dissipate heat very efficiently through sweating, and this makes humans good long-distance runners. AFAIK, humans can outrun most other animal species. So if I understand it correctly, the hunting method involves scaring your prey, running for a while(yay hyperactivity), using your big brain to figure out where the prey went and running again for a while. Rinse and repeat for many hours, until the prey literally dies from exhaustion. I imagine persistence hunting as a series of puzzles while you literally can see your reward - no delayed gratification involved.
  - steve_adams_86 8y ago
    I have ADHD and hunting and fishing are some of the most engaging things I can think of. Spearfishing can keep me focused for an entire day. I also love working on my equipment and researching hunts. This is all boring to everyone I know. I guess the key thing is that ADHD isn't an inability to engage or focus at all - there's a degree of selection involved. For what it's worth, I never hop out to examine rocks. Some people with ADHD might suffer from impulsive distracted behavior like that, but certainly not all.
gnode 8y ago
With regards to positive selective pressure, there's also the even simpler explanation that ADHD correlates with a greater number of sexual partners, early parenthood, etc. Although genetic success doesn't necessarily mean success for people's well-being.

eatitraw 8y ago

There is a 'hunter vs farmer hypothesis'. It is certainly a cute idea. But even if it is true, the society isn't going back to back to persistence hunting. There is some real human suffering right now (simply by definition from DSM - if there is no impairment, it is not ADHD). "I guess I picked the wrong time to be a human being".

devoply 8y ago
So we eliminated the ADHD brains only to found most of our jobs automated and most of our schooling irrelevant.
- eatitraw 8y ago
  What's your point here? ADHD brains are still there. You can choose not to medicate yourself if you don't want to.
jonhendry18 8y ago
I'm a little skeptical, because hunting can be extremely boring. An ADHD hunter would be the guy who gets bored, jumps out of the hiding spot to examine a neat rock, and scares off the approaching deer.
- eatitraw 8y ago
  > and scares off the approaching deer And that's exactly the way early humans hunted. The method is called persistence hunting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting Humans run slowly, but human bodies can dissipate heat very efficiently through sweating, and this makes humans good long-distance runners. AFAIK, humans can outrun most other animal species. So if I understand it correctly, the hunting method involves scaring your prey, running for a while(yay hyperactivity), using your big brain to figure out where the prey went and running again for a while. Rinse and repeat for many hours, until the prey literally dies from exhaustion. I imagine persistence hunting as a series of puzzles while you literally can see your reward - no delayed gratification involved.
- steve_adams_86 8y ago
  I have ADHD and hunting and fishing are some of the most engaging things I can think of. Spearfishing can keep me focused for an entire day. I also love working on my equipment and researching hunts. This is all boring to everyone I know. I guess the key thing is that ADHD isn't an inability to engage or focus at all - there's a degree of selection involved. For what it's worth, I never hop out to examine rocks. Some people with ADHD might suffer from impulsive distracted behavior like that, but certainly not all.

gnode 8y ago

With regards to positive selective pressure, there's also the even simpler explanation that ADHD correlates with a greater number of sexual partners, early parenthood, etc. Although genetic success doesn't necessarily mean success for people's well-being.