Growth Mindset Psychology: The Science of Self-Improvement Do You Think Like a Caveman? Surprising Mindset Lessons From History
Jun 27, 2025
Explore the psychological influences of our ancestors on modern behaviors and thinking. Discover how survival strategies like the scarcity mindset and tribal conformity can hinder personal growth and innovation today. Delve into the significance of food in shaping societies and relationships, while contrasting hunter-gatherer challenges with contemporary life. Uncover the fragility of oral traditions and the importance of storytelling in knowledge retention. Learn how to overcome cognitive biases and embrace progress, all wrapped in humor and practical advice.
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Ancient Axe Innovation Stasis
- The stone axe made 300,000 years ago was almost unchanged for 290,000 years.
- Human innovation was very slow until about 10,000 years ago when technology exploded.
Survival Limits Innovation
- Innovation requires energy and safety, but starvation forced ancestors into survival mode.
- This scarcity limited their ability to innovate despite their genius.
Scarcity Mindset Today
- Our brains are wired for scarcity to avoid life-threatening survival threats.
- That ancient scarcity mindset now distorts how we view opportunity and competition today.
