The Pirahã: the happiest right-brained people on the planet?

In the video I describe the Pirahã and how they may represent a group that relies far more on right brain processing and how this greatly contributes to their happiness.
the documentary
Dan's experience with the Piraha

[McLKeith]

This is another very good video. Thank you very much. I really appreciate you taking the time to educate us.

I wouldn't want to live entirely in right hemisphere processing; just mostly. Obviously, there are times when we need to think, make choices, reflect on the past and plan a future. But we over do it and fall into rumination and other unnecessary thinking. That is why being mindful is important to help us find the balance between being and doing.

[nBtube]

Obviously their mindfulness is a large contributing factor to their happiness, but I think the fact that they have no concept of numbers/measurements is also hugely important.

Numbers/measurements lead to so much fucking stress in my life. My bank account, my grades, my weight, etc... You talked about the whole desire/suffering thing, how are you gonna desire anything when the concept of less/more barely registers in your brain. Today’s society is so wrapped up in numbers, I think we could learn something from them. Would you still make YouTube videos if they didn’t count views/subscribers?

I think language is hugely impactful on culture, and the piraha are an excellent example of that.

What’s your professional background? I just found your channel and you remind me of my extremely well spoken, hippie uncle in the best way possible.

[antwainclarke]

I think the language is really influenced by their culture. They live in the dense rain forest where food is abundant and freely available. There are also no seasons and the length of night and day are very consistent. They live in extremely stable environments where all of their needs are met so they develop a system of communication and beliefs that reflect that. They are similar to other hunter-gatherer societies that I have seen documentaries about. I forget the specific name but in Southern Africa a man spent some time with the men in the bush going for a hunt. He asked them existential questions like what is the meaning of life and where do you go when you die? The response: "The meaning of life is to eat meat. When you die, you go in the ground and we cover you with dirt". That is no different from this group of people who said "God is a foriegner. We do not look in the sky for anything. All we need is here". Similarly both socieities enforced non-heirachical structures. In the African hunter-gatherer society, a hunter who brought meat to his people would be admonished and recieve alot of complaints about the quality and quantity of the game. This was done intentionally to not allow one member of the group to rise above another. I think the language is very much a function of hunter-gatherer societies. What I also find interesting is how many very old languages make heavy use of tones. Some of the oldest languages are tonal which are still being spoken by several hunter-gatherer socities today.

An important part that I find missing from these conversations about the Piraha's language is a lack of exploration to find where they make up for all the rudimentary nature of how they communicate. Even tho they seem to have very basic tense structures and non-recurssion, they seem to have a very deep knowledge of the natural world with large vocabularies that can describe plants and animal species in detail. Perhaps they dont need words for colours because they can speak to the specific tree or creature that have the characteristics they intend to communicate. I bet they use alot of metaphors to communicate. I can also imagine they have a very well-developed system of stories. I am reminded of the Inuit people who dont believe in raising their voices or expressing anger- they believe poor emotional regulation is childish. Instead, they raise their children by telling them mythical stories with the intention of changing their bad behaviour to more desireable ones. I think the Piraha language is unique comapred to modern languages but not out of place when looking at other hunter-gatherer languages that have developed to suit the small group of people who live in predicatable and abundant environments. What they lack in gramatical sophistication, they make up for in rich details and stories that serve them extremely well.

[Redefinedacoustic]

I'm sure Alan Watts would say it would be better to live a life that you enjoy but that it only lasts a short time, rather than a dreary life spread out over many more years.

[karenhartman]

Thanks for his greet video. I am grounded most of the time and my dogs fight over the grounded cloth, but I didn’t know L brain quiets from it. Makes perfect sense that it would, though.

[evanhoback]

Their lifespan is actually pretty long when you compare it times before modern medicine.

[thinktankindi]

How could anyone read the book and put any value to their perceived happiness?

[judebogart]

What's your position on Naom Chomsky's v Dan Everett's opposing views on the Pirahã language?

[mirdekoo]

I am curious wether they are cabable to similar cruelty like "our people" are. If they are not, then I would say true eternal happiness might lie in there.

[scottschoen]

When I was studied a psychologist casually referred to me as the 'Guiness Book of World Right Brainedness". I have written a book ( 700+ pages )about inner knowing, styled an adventure told by an Eden Garden Faerie lost in the Outer world. She encounters Outsider Fairies that act like us and their mentalities have created societies and beliefs like ours. I chose that style because through her innocence, ( she doesn't even know what evil is, currency, stores etc. ), I can make observations that could get me in trouble. I expect trouble anyway and placed a barrel at my gate with a sign, 'Please place pitchforks, torches and beheading axes in this barrel before entering'. I'd like sending the book to you. Where do I send it?

[jantumo]

you might find the constructed language Toki Pona interesting. the creator imbued the language with a similar philosophy

[hansfrankfurter]

How is their happiness ascertained? Was this based on Everetts observations?

[chickenlover]

Everett's book is so full of contradictions it's shocking to witness. I find it very hard to take seriously.

[PandoraAnisadora]

This is where the mysteries come from I can feel it!!! 😀😊

[yahu]

Earth is not a planet
Planets are inside
Its concave

[PandoraAnisadora]

I'm sorry this is only my opinion it is not fact but I do believe it's the truth I really believe these people are the beginning of the ancient Greek language