Observations of the BaMbuti Pygmies

It is important to mention first of all what the BaMbuti Pygmies are. These are said to be the most fascinating people living on planet earth. The pygmies are a nomadic group which hunts in the Congo Forest of Africa. The BaMbuti are the most famous Pygmies and also the shortest with a height of about 4-5 feet. These Pygmies are psychologically conditioned by what they are surrounded they do not carry a very busy social life nor do they see or interact with things, people or animals within more than 100 meters from them. Colin M. Turnbull is an anthropologist who was captivated by these creatures to make a study on them. Colin M. Turnbull decided to condition these Pygmies something that they had never been shown or taught. Turnbull decided to take on Pygmy out of the dense forest of Congo in which they lie in and take them to a plain where there were no mountains surrounding it whatsoever and in which animals were seen miles away. The Pygmies were intrigued by the fact that thing looked too small for what they thought they were and this was something obvious to happen since they had never had the opportunity to see objects, animals or person from far away. This perspective had never happened to come across their eyes and it is why they were wondering why things looked so small and how all of a sudden when they were near them they had changed size from being really tiny to being big and tall. Colin figured this entire thing out in a very simple way, he assumed that since the Pygmies were never able to see such things in a different perspective their brains and their vision were not accustomed to this. It is why it was impossible for the pygmies to assume that objects “change its size” from a farther or nearer perspective. All of this sums up in one special point, people do not perceive things the same way everyone else does since we as individuals are taught by our parents and by experience the things we know, see and feel. There is not one person with the same perspective of the universe of another whatsoever.

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