Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Without the internet, and with only his extended family around to converse with, how did Grok self-obsess?

I'm thinking his extended family would have little patience for his idle hypothesizing and ruminating over esoteric minutia - elders would probably roll their eyes and make jokes at his expense, while children threw their half-gnawed bones at him. So how did he find other people to help him determine the latest detail to obsess over as he rams into the diminishing marginal returns of the last 2% of his chosen compulsion?

edited Mar 7 2010 at 23:07

Patrik♦♦
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asked Mar 7 2010 at 21:28

PortlandAllan
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	I love it. A thinly veiled poke at PaleoHacks itself! LMAO! – Patrik♦ Mar 7 2010 at 23:04
	PS I am voting this up!. – Patrik♦ Mar 7 2010 at 23:04

The Satirist · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-07 21:43:44Z UTC

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I'm not quite sure. But I can almost 100% guarantee that Grok didn't do dairy. Maybe.

answered Mar 7 2010 at 21:43

The Satirist
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David Moss · Answer 2 · 2010-03-08 11:33:39Z UTC

Sheesh, why would we bother about precisely how much 'Grok' self-obsessed?

The real issue is what would happen if we ran a controlled, randomised, double-blind trial testing varying degrees of self-obsession! Blinding it would be hard though, does any-one have any epidemiological data on this?

Cave Man Mind · Answer 3 · 2010-03-07 22:32:40Z UTC

I like Art De Vany's idea that a modern day mathematician hunting for an equation in a mathematical solution is just using brain circuits evolved for hunting prey. Our most obsessive traits, and curiosity would have all been in full effect out on the savannah when obtaining food for or protecting our family.

Paleo Dave · Answer 4 · 2010-03-08 01:51:37Z UTC

Haha, great question.

I would guess that he spent a lot of time obsessing over how his actions affect things completely out of his control. "Hey, maybe this hunt isn't going well because I didn't properly respect my game last time. Maybe if I draw some stuff on this cave wall." We're pretty much the same -- we just think we're enlightened.

The funny thing is that a lot of us are initially attracted to Paleo because of the simplicity of the "naked with a sharp stick" diet plan. Eventually that devolves into pill cases full of vitamin supplements and worries about things like nightshades. I'm as guilty as anyone.

To obsess over minutia is to be human.

Alex · Answer 5 · 2010-03-08 18:34:13Z UTC

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Can we all make an effort to leave the whole Grok bullshit off of this website and on Sisson's forum where it belongs? I am not knocking Mark at all, I just find the whole Grok thing very grating - it is romantic primitivism of the worst kind and frankly pretty stupid. And before the internet people obsessed about the same crap they obsess about now: mates, livelihood and status.

answered Mar 8 2010 at 18:34

Alex
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I have to admit that having come to this site from PaNu (and not knowing anything about Sisson) the whole Grok thing still throws me for a bit of a loop. I'm more interested in what the human metabolism seems built to do than any form or primal, tribal re-enactment. I think I've come to understand the Grok thing as a bit of a metaphor, and while it does strike a more romantic and less than scientific tone in my ear as well, I just accept it for what it is: a bit of verbal shorthand as a means to an end. – AllTooHuman Mar 8 2010 at 18:46

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and there are definitely some people around today who are totally into paleo re-enactment, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. – Louisa Mar 8 2010 at 19:08

@Alex -- I am not a huge fan of the "Grok" thing either, however, as AllTooHuman points out, it is simple, catchy verbal shorthand. – Patrik♦ Mar 8 2010 at 21:02

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Dude, I think you might need to chill a bit. I think it's a fun and harmless shorthand. Is it really necessary to throw attitude around like you're the second coming of Lyle McDonald or something? – John R Mar 8 2010 at 21:07

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Alex, while I agree with the sentiment, I think your tone is uncalled for. – PortlandAllan Mar 8 2010 at 22:16

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henny · Answer 6 · 2010-03-08 01:02:57Z UTC

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Without internet, he must have had a terrible time! No-one to bounce ideas off, decide whether or not to try the damn grass seed as an alternate food when mastadons were in short supply. Poor bugger.

answered Mar 8 2010 at 1:02

henny

Pieter D · Answer 7 · 2010-03-08 15:27:30Z UTC

We obsess because we can...

likewise: we have bad eating habits because we can... we have bad physical condition because we can... we have bad posture because we can...

Our motives and behaviour have always been restrained by the environment. Now change the environment, and some motives or behaviour patterns will be 'unbalanced'.

We àre our ancestors.

Rick · Answer 8 · 2010-03-07 22:04:43Z UTC

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He planted some seeds.

answered Mar 7 2010 at 22:04

Rick
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Gazelle · Answer 9 · 2010-03-07 22:32:03Z UTC

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I have been obsessed with figuring out the answer to this question ;-)

answered Mar 7 2010 at 22:32

Gazelle
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Marc · Answer 10 · 2010-03-26 18:03:18Z UTC

In all seriousness, did he perhaps self-obsess why he wasn't as big/muscled as the other member of the clan? Or why he was more hairy then the other fellow, or why that pretty hairy lady slept by his friend's fire and not his...

Not over food...but I'm quite sure he self-obsessed

vmary · Answer 11 · 2010-03-27 13:17:50Z UTC

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the people with the most reputation points are the most paleo-obsessive (just trying to make myself feel better for being lazy).

answered Mar 27 2010 at 13:17

vmary

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Either that or we need to find jobs :-) – PortlandAllan Mar 27 2010 at 15:21

ecb · Answer 12 · 2010-12-17 19:57:30Z UTC

I think this question is

a) just awesome

b) does a very clever job of pointing out the fact that probably the one thing most really healthy food cultures have in common IS NOT WORRYING ABOUT WHAT THEY EAT EVERY SECOND/i.e. actually living their life and enjoying their food.

I love walking into restaurants with the girl I'm currently dating. She grew up on a farm in a third world country before coming to the US at ten. She has a great body and eats like a horse (not paleo exactly, but avoids most processed stuff, likes the natural stuff she grew up on...i.e. used to drink milk straight out of the udder, etc.) and really enjoys her food. All the waifish white girls eating rice-cakes look like they want to murder her. Love it.

How did Grok self-obsess?

12 Answers