Turgon said:
iam said:
i guess everyone has a different idea of what primitive means maybe.. i explained MY perspective of what primitive meant to ME .. which is what lead me to my statement.
Maybe what might help this discussion along is instead of looking at what primitive means to you specifically, which can make it difficult to learn from this when the word means something different for different people, is to find some general understanding or consensus on what aspect of primitive was meant in the original transcript and going from there. But if you get too subjective about the meaning of something then it can easily turn into 'my truth vs your truth' about something which goes nowhere fast.
For example these definitions
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/primitive said:
1. being the first or earliest of the kind or in existence, especially in an early age of the world:
primitive forms of life.
2.early in the history of the world or of humankind
are off the table as a defining factor when taking into consideration this quote from the C's, seeing as they say there is no oldest race.
Q: (L) Which race on earth is the oldest?
A: All are same.
Q: (L) Even the Aryan/Celts from the other planet?
A: Yes.
BHelmet said:
Ironically, primitive may also mean closer to the true essence of a persons being.
iam said:
EXACTLY! bhelmet! thank u!
I don't see that as what was meant by primitive though. Essence is some sort of inherent quality about someone or something whereas primitive tends to be about something being basic or lacking in overall complexity.
My apologies, I just now noticed this and would like to respond. First of all, everyone who brought up the point of the need to define these terms is quite right. And the possible definitions are interesting and each variation sheds a different light on the subject. I don't think the C's said or were asked just what they meant by 'primitive'. What I notice in doing this is all the preconceived notions about 'primitive' and how the predators mind is programmed to automatically assume that the prejudicial connotations implanted in the mind by culture and education are absolutely and obviously true.
Before getting to those definitions, I think I was meaning to say that, the various connotations of "primitive" don't necessarily mean anything or denote some absolute hierarchy of better/superior vs lesser/inferior as the C's mentioned later in the thread. I also was suggesting that it may be ironic that a person judged as being superior for being civilized (right antonym?) might actually be less aware or conscious than a so-called primitive person.
That said, it is always important and informative to define terms. Most of us DO have learned prejudices about these terms. In fact, there are assumptions in the very definitions themselves that lead to these prejudices!
Oxford - ADJECTIVE
1 Relating to, denoting, or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something
(this 'character of an early age' could relate to 'essence' since the C's noted there is no actual evolution or development; only lessons which are learnable by anybody, 'primitive' or not)
1.1 Relating to or denoting a preliterate, non-industrial society or culture characterized by simple* social and economic organization: primitive people
*here is a load of built-in prejudices: that primitive cultures are characterized by 'simple' organization; and that complex, industrialized, literate societies are ....somehow better. I know that those prejudices are not strictly spoken in the definitions, but the mind of the predator, I think, interprets it this way)
1.2 (Of behaviour or emotion) apparently originating in unconscious needs or desires and unaffected by objective reasoning*
*here it is assumed that no objective reasoning goes on when a 'primitive' is weighing a response to these "unconscious needs and desires"
(...which is totally laughable because we all deal with this in our personal lives all the time. Not to mention the implication that civilized non-primitives are more able to objectively reason and thereby somehow circumvent the unconscious desires)
2 Very basic or unsophisticated in terms of comfort, convenience, or efficiency:
(strictly material terms)
3 Not developed or derived from anything else
! (original! - this also could relate to essence... lol - AB-original)...(groan)
3.1 Linguistics Denoting a word, base, or root from which another is historically derived.
Hmm - more back to basic essentials
3.2 Mathematics (Of an algebraic or geometric expression) from which another is derived, or which is not itself derived from another.
Maybe sounds like more essence related stuff?
4 Biology (Of a part or structure) in the first or early stage of formation or growth; rudimentary.
fundamentals
Bottom line? My thesis:
1 - the word "Primitive" has certain negative connotations which may very well be the opposite of what is objectively true. And
2 - that primitives may have just as much if not more access to real being than the so-called civilized.
This also matches up with my actual personal experiences traveling in 'primitive' places where it took a super effort to match the level of being of the primitives.