h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Earlier today I was wondering if depression has been essential to mankind's progress. Surely if everyone was happy with their lot from birth then we'd still be living in caves? Any thoughts?

I do not think it is essential, it's always been involuntarily optional *(I think that makes sense!) - I mean people can get depressed, and some people don't. Perhaps depression is a factor as to why some of mankind has progressed, but by no means is it the only factor.

I'm not sure depression is generally productive...

Frustration, jealousy, and boredom are probably crucial to progress...

Surely those things are linked with depression? these can cause depression, and weh depression sets in, it's then that we want to change something in order to reduce the boredom, jealousy etc etc...

...'depression is the mother of invention'

doesn't sound quite right...

alec.

"Depression is the mother of invention:"?? I don't think so!!!! the" Mother of invention" is SURVIVAL! And this true survival insticnt is predominant in the FEMALE line of our species K

depression in my experience makes people give up. it usually occurs when someone has lost all motivation and cannot be bothered to think of a solution anymore. so no, i do not think depression is essential. i think it is an obstacle that mankind must get rid of. i myself have never suffered from depression, but it frustrates me when a friend gets depressed cos all they ever say to any suggestion is 'why bother'. depression i think is the point where you hit rock bottom and don't want to do anymore no matter what the solution is. it is de-evolution at it's greatest.

creachy

This is probably worthy of its own thread, but i'll mention it here:

The current "SURVIVOR" series, set in the Amazonian forest, now being shown in the US, has one all male team, one all female team. They are competing against each other for 'rewards' and 'immunity'.

At first, the women made an excellent showing, winning the races and puzzles. The men, however just couldn't move or think fast enough.

After about five days though, the trend started to change.
The men voted out the male model and kept the gruff older 'leader' type.They had made a good shelter and were catching fish.

The women were having to sleep in the rain as they could not agree on which one of them should say how the shelter should be built. They used their water supply (which they have to carry in to the camp) to wash their clothes, and despite having won bait, could not get it together to fish. The womens team has now polarised into the (self-titled) 'cuties' and the others, and they voted out the leader type lady who had her act together ('cos she was always singing hymns) .

OK, it's just a game with a million dollar prize, and the teams are probably not representative of the finest of our species, and it's all going to change once the remainder of the two teams merge and it becomes an individual struggle...but it's interesting.

back on topic...the women are depressed and are not coping triffically well with survival.

the men spend their spare time talking about the women and asking questions to one of those 'magic 8-ball' cube thingies and doing stupid 'guy-stuff', but they are surviving.

my point...i've forgotten what it was.

alec.

Back on the topic, sort of.

Spinks, I get what your are saying, the sort of feeling of "well, whatever is going on isn't working and life is really crappy right now so therefor we need to change something" but that's not really depression. To dive really deep into it, the actions you are describing kinda turn Mazlo's(spelling, help) Hierachy of needs on it's head because inorder to satify their need for survival, cavepeople had to go and invent something to satify a greater need above survival (i.e. safty, emotional etc).

I hope that makes sense to someone because I think I just confused myself.

Blizita

i hate it when that happens.

maybe you were trying to say the women have given up and are hence depressed whilst the men have kept themselves occupied with 'stupid guy stuff' and have just got on with it. the men as a result are surviving and progressing and the women are now in a freefall. thus backing my point that depression is an obstacle to be gotten rid of and so is not essential to mankind. either that or you were trying to be sexist

*simulpost*