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I love metaphors and analogies that describe personality and behavioral traits, and this past week, Seth Godin chimed in with a dandy – the hunter/farmer metaphor:
Clearly, farming is a very different activity from hunting. Farmers spend time sweating the details, worrying about the weather, making smart choices about seeds and breeding and working hard to avoid a bad crop. Hunters, on the other hand, have long periods of distracted noticing interrupted by brief moments of frenzied panic.
It’s not crazy to imagine that some people are better at one activity than another. There might even be a gulf between people who are good at each of the two skills. Thom Hartmann has written extensively on this. He points out that medicating kids who might be better at hunting so that they can sit quietly in a school designed to teach farming doesn’t make a lot of sense.
This metaphor resonates with my struggles in school, corporate life, and pretty much everything relating to systematized automated production.
When I was in pre-school, I was constantly in trouble during nap-time. It got so bad that they asked my mom to pick me up after lunch, so they wouldn’t have to deal with me and my sleeplessness. If this had happened nowadays, I’m afraid I would’ve been a poster child for ADD, becoming one of the many children (mainly boys) who are medicated to get through the depressing boredom and monotony of early education.
IMO: The problem isn’t a chemical imbalance in the brain, rather it is systematic, as those in charge do poorly at recognizing and adapting to different learning styles. Stepping back and observing the educational system – one can see why – the majority of administrators and curriculum writers are “farmer-esque” personality types. It reminds me of my high school Government teacher, who said, “High School is not to encourage learning as much as it is to form behavioral habits akin to a factory worker [or farmer].” And to be sure a hunter does not like the factory, cubicle, library or tractor seat, unless of course there are zombies, or at least the possibility of…
So. What are you – Hunter or Farmer?
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*traits below originally found in Thom Hartmann’s book, Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception.
| Hunter Traits | Farmer Traits |
| Constantly monitoring their environment. | Not easily distracted from the task at hand. |
| Able to throw themselves into the chase on a moment’s notice. | Able to sustain a steady, dependable effort. |
| Flexible; ready to change strategy quickly. | Organized, purposeful. They have a long term strategy and they stick to it. |
| Tireless: capable of sustained drives, but only when “Hot on the trail” of some goal. | Conscious of time and timing. They get things done in time, pace themselves, have good “staying power.” |
| Visual/Concrete thinker, clearly seeing a tangible goal even if there are no words for it. | Patient. Aware that good thing takes time – willing to wait. |
| Independent. | Team player. |
| Bored by mundane tasks; enjoy new ideas, excitement, “the hunt” being hot on the trial. | Focused. Good at follow-through, tending to details, “taking care of business.” |
| Willing and able to take risk and face danger. | Careful. “looking before you leap.” |
| “No time for niceties when there are decisions to be made!” | Nurturing; creates and supports community values; attuned to whether something will last. |
6 Comments on "gun-for-hire or seed sower…"
The reason I take ADHD medication in adulthood is because otherwise I truly believe I would be endangering the lives of other people when I drive. I also find that they make me a much more patient parent.
No two ADHD people are exactly alike, which is why this hunter/farmer metaphor doesn't exactly work. There are ADHD people who are attentive and inattentive, of which I fall into the later category, meaning my brain can be trained to work in an environment that is repetitive and scholarly.
IC – as all generalizations fall short of reality, I appreciate your input!
on training your brain to work in “repetitive and scholarly” environments… I know we all must hunker down and get work done, but what if you found a job that utilized your strength's of distract-ability? What would that look like?
good post.
I grew up on a farm but hunting was what I loved to do when I wasn't farming.
hmmm…..
thepsalmist – you lead a dichotomous life…
Hunter! I was a similar case for teachers, I am sure they would have preferred me to be stuffed with Adderall.
figures…