Neither dog nor wolf, psychology of an old Indian

“The earth is deep, and its wisdom is great. She listens to the stones, and listens to the wind. If everyone did something for everyone else, there would be no one in need in the whole world.”

In the book “Neither Wolf nor Dog. Along Forgotten Paths with an Elderly Indian”, Kent Nerburn brought us the testimony and words of a Lakota Indian. Sometimes, it is always worth remembering or looking back at these towns that are so different from our own lifestyle.

And why?, you might ask. Maybe because it doesn’t hurt to know something new every day, something that has to do with our nature as human beings. Sometimes, almost without realizing it, we tend to dress up our rush with morning coffee, binding ourselves with obligations and worries while we close the windows to that which, possibly, gives us oxygen and light.. The really important.

The thoughts of the Lakota Indians are rooted in the simple things they make up by themselves, an authentic psychological legacy that is well worth remembering and taking into account. This is a type of wisdom that can perfectly help us develop truly useful social and personal skills.

THE LEGACY OF AN OLD INDIAN

-Active listening: The Lakota Indians used to say of the white man that he always settled things by arguing. That they were incapable of listening to each other to learn. This is undoubtedly an essential dimension in many perspectives of current psychology: active listening. “We Indians know about silence. We are not afraid of him. In fact, to us it is more powerful than words. Our elders were educated in the ways of silence and they passed that knowledge on to us. Observe, listen and then act, they told us. “That’s the way to live.”

-Learning capacity: Keep an open mind, know how to observe, learn to adapt and survive. The Lakota Indians lived from nature and understood the need to learn day by day of their environment and of the people, to advance in their environment of existence.
Respect was essential for them, hence they would never understand why the white man could never have that same point of view with them. “Watch the animals to see how they care for their young. Watch the elders to see how they behave. Watch the white man to see what he wants. Always observe first, with a still heart and mind, and then you will learn. When you’ve seen enough, then you can act”.

-Negotiation and conflict resolution: We have all read and even learned many of the guidelines written in hundreds of books on conflict resolution, articulated from various psychological perspectives. The need to know how to listen actively, to empathize with others to understand their point of view, and to be assertive enough to voice our thoughts and needs..
The Lakota Indians were also clear about it and tried to convey it to the white man, the need to listen, to remain silent to understand each other.

“In his parties everyone tries to talk. At work they are always having meetings where everyone interrupts everyone, and everyone talks five, ten, or a hundred times. And they call it “solving a problem.” When they are in a room and it is quiet, they get nervous. They have to fill the space with sounds. So they speak impulsively, even before they know what they are going to say.” For Indians this is very disrespectful and even very stupid. If you start talking, I’m not going to interrupt you. When you finish, I will make my decision on what you said, having first understood your point of view.”

The value that the Lakota attributed to words was essential. For them “they were seeds to plant to let them grow.” Perhaps that is why they came to understand each other and remain so united as a people and as a family unit.
“Raras avis” for the white men, who never seemed to understand the reason for its calm stillness, its incomprehensible harmony, and that primitive air intimately rooted in nature.
They may still seem strange and somewhat old-fashioned to us today, but his legacy is filled with great truths and simple teachings that deserve to be read and listened to.. In silence and for ourselves. To make us think…