General Discussion

elleng

(130,974 posts) Mon Mar 29, 2021, 09:43 PM Mar 2021

294

An anthropologist showed a game to the children of an African tribe ... [View all]

He placed a basket of delicious fruits near a tree trunk and told them: The first child to reach the tree will get the basket.
When he gave them the start signal, he was surprised that they were walking together, holding hands until they reached the tree and shared the fruit!

When he asked them why you did that when every one of you could get the basket only for him!
They answered with astonishment: Ubuntu.
"That is, how can one of us be happy while the rest are miserable?"

Ubuntu in their civilization means: (I am because we are).

That tribe knows the secret of happiness that has been lost in all societies that transcend them and which consider themselves civilized societies ....... !!

88 replies

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Highlight:

An anthropologist showed a game to the children of an African tribe ... [View all] elleng Mar 2021 OP

K & R This post deserves more recs FakeNoose Mar 2021 #1

Yes, and thanks to the person who made it up! You have a charmingly creative imagination. Towlie Mar 2021 #46

That's my first take as well. Charming. jaxexpat Mar 2021 #73

K&R MustLoveBeagles Mar 2021 #2

Socialism! Wounded Bear Mar 2021 #3

The "American Dream" was always about... Buckeye_Democrat Mar 2021 #4

Americans, the rich ones, would pay for running lessons for the kids, so they could get the basket Demovictory9 Mar 2021 #37

CORRECTION Ubuntu is Zulu, not from some remote tribe. It is like saying English is SweetieD Mar 2021 #5

Thanks for keeping us informed. nt reACTIONary Mar 2021 #14

Isn't it Zulu? MerryHolidays Mar 2021 #16

It's a Linux variation soothsayer Mar 2021 #27

LOL. Well played sir. nt spudspud Mar 2021 #36

"Ubuntu is named after the Nguni philosophy of ubuntu,.." Cerridwen Mar 2021 #38

I thought it meant "This shell script doesn't work as expected" nuxvomica Mar 2021 #39

It's not Swahili Nonhlanhla Mar 2021 #35

I recently attended a cyber mzmolly Mar 2021 #6

So true. That is what civilization is all about. Thank you. The so-called advance societies... brush Mar 2021 #7

Yes Ahpook Mar 2021 #15

Yes, Nature is a friend. triron Mar 2021 #18

That is true for other Native American tribal wnylib Mar 2021 #23

Reminds of the scene in Dances With Wolves where Ilsa Mar 2021 #70

Yeah, that's a violation of nature. The 19th century buffalo hunters decimate the... brush Mar 2021 #71

I've heard this same concept applied a different way. Baitball Blogger Mar 2021 #8

Happiness versus selfishness and greed malaise Mar 2021 #9

reminds me of , to make yourself happy lookyhereyou Mar 2021 #65

And it's so easy malaise Mar 2021 #67

K&R Excellent posting. alwaysinasnit Mar 2021 #10

Girls are obviously very influential there. Frasier Balzov Mar 2021 #11

K&R Paka Mar 2021 #12

I have often thought that the emphasis on competition in our education system Sogo Mar 2021 #13

I'd really like to know just which... reACTIONary Mar 2021 #17

An anthropologist would know this basic fact about the culture already. betsuni Mar 2021 #19

Great story, and a true one. Just got a Quote of the Day a few weeks back by Desmond Tutu c-rational Mar 2021 #20

The TRC /Tutu after aparthid reflected on Ubuntu a lot for direction luckone Mar 2021 #33

😢😢😢 seta1950 Mar 2021 #21

Oh come on. WhiskeyGrinder Mar 2021 #22

+100000 Celerity Mar 2021 #24

Same obamanut2012 Mar 2021 #43

Yes. betsuni Mar 2021 #51

"An African Tribe" Effete Snob Mar 2021 #68

... ancianita Mar 2021 #25

Yup! SheltieLover Mar 2021 #26

KR NT ProudProgressiveNow Mar 2021 #28

Best post today. Thank you! nt PatrickforB Mar 2021 #29

Wow, love it. KnR. nt iluvtennis Mar 2021 #30

Just WOW. nt TigressDem Mar 2021 #31

Also Ubuntu asserts that society, not a transcendent being, gives human beings their humanity luckone Mar 2021 #32

This story reminds me, in a wonderful way, of a sprint held during a Special Olympics type of event. BobTheSubgenius Mar 2021 #34

K&R UCmeNdc Mar 2021 #40

Ubuntu sounds like the exact opposite of Republican ideals DeeDeeNY Mar 2021 #41

I wish snopes would check it out. Layzeebeaver Mar 2021 #42

You're correct. See post 44 below. NurseJackie Mar 2021 #45

Some background on this "interesting story, but whose authenticity is very hard to assess"... NurseJackie Mar 2021 #44

Fox News, "Ubuntu is African Socialism. Is it coming here?" Botany Mar 2021 #47

Heartwarming, but probably apocryphal. cab67 Mar 2021 #48

I'm offended it's an anthropologist, whose job is studying cultures. betsuni Mar 2021 #50

Nice story but it's also tingling my antiracist Spidey-Senses in a not good way. intheflow Mar 2021 #49

Best post in the thread. WhiskeyGrinder Mar 2021 #52

The Teaching Company has a lecture series by Professor Edward F. Fischer taxi Mar 2021 #56

I'm confused by this post. intheflow Mar 2021 #76

I will agree that you are confused. taxi Mar 2021 #78

You responded to my response to the OP. intheflow Mar 2021 #80

I am attempting to find where your admitted confusion starts. taxi Mar 2021 #81

Your reply, verbatim, vis-a-vis of nothing: intheflow Mar 2021 #83

See? You had the proof you were asking for all along. Good job! nt taxi Mar 2021 #84

+1000 Celerity Mar 2021 #58

See also "Noble Savage" Effete Snob Mar 2021 #66

Absolutely! n/t intheflow Mar 2021 #77

A beautiful concept. Half of Americans are too selfish ecstatic Mar 2021 #53

Regardless of the accuracy of the account, it reminds me of something... CaptainTruth Mar 2021 #54

We need to take lesson from them rather that the other way around. The world would be a better place usaf-vet Mar 2021 #55

Here is a good source. taxi Mar 2021 #57

sez aww. AllaN01Bear Mar 2021 #59

K&R AKwannabe Mar 2021 #60

I shared this far and wide. How'd they get to be this way is my question. nt LAS14 Mar 2021 #61

Wish it were true, but doesn't match my experience of the Continent... JCMach1 Mar 2021 #62

Is this a true story? Or wishful thinking? If the former, a link? nt LAS14 Mar 2021 #63

Sounds apocryphal to me, at best. MineralMan Mar 2021 #64

K&R & I kinda expected this ironflange Mar 2021 #69

A good story for our 'individualistic' and 'exceptional' society pandr32 Mar 2021 #72

"I am Groot" Collimator Mar 2021 #74

Here is Obama bringing up the word in South Africa. LiberalLovinLug Mar 2021 #75

Well that's just sweet. trof Mar 2021 #79

Greed, cutthroat competition, and a total lack of empathy are not hard-wired, they are taught. Martin68 Mar 2021 #82

Not so fast on that either. We probably fall somewhere between Chimps and Bonobos JCMach1 Mar 2021 #85

I've been reading about the bonobo vs chimpanzee thing, but I'm not sure yet that Martin68 Mar 2021 #86

I generally fall in the its always both camp... but it's pretty clear we are not quite as docile as JCMach1 Mar 2021 #87

Well put, jcmach Martin68 Mar 2021 #88