Practically everything served at a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is heavily domesticated, from roast turkey and mashed potatoes to cranberry sauce and corn on the cob.

But, as the saying goes, it takes one to know one. That is to say, humans are just as much a product of domestication as dogs or cows are. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In this episode, we take a look at domestication in the wake of Thanksgiving. What is it? How did we domesticate animals and plants? And what does this process say about us, humans?

Show Highlights

[03:10] The process of domestication
[05:07] Four requirements for animals in order for humans to domesticate them
[10:25] Thanksgiving dinner stapes that are heavily domesticated
[14:10] Why domestication applies to humans as well
[17:22] The results of domestication in humans
[20:17] When the domestication of humans possibly began
[25:46] Steps for coming to terms with the idea of human domestication
[28:41] Closing statements

Links and Resources

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Books Mentioned

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger

How Domestication Changes Species, Including Humans