I recently read a blog post about a theory in psychology proposed by Thom Hartmann called “Hunter vs. Farmer” which is kind of interesting. It is a possible explanation of the origin of ADHD, and suggests that ADHD is, in fact, a strength instead of a weakness—if it is viewed in the right way.

As the theory goes, millions of years ago, agriculture was discovered (invented, whatever your view is) and there became two roles in a tribe: hunter and farmer. These two roles had very different characteristics necessary for success.

The hunter, a role which predates agriculture by millenia, needed to be able to quickly focus all of his attention on short bursts of motions so that he could catch a potential prey. This concept is known “hyperfocus”. The need for quick adaptability also could be a partial cause for poor planning abilities in people diagnosed with ADHD. Meanwhile, the farmer, a much newer role, would spent a large portion of his time comparing results from certain seeds and soils, preparing for weather, planning a harvest, etc. These new tasks—observing, researching, planning—have become accepted as preferred behavior in today’s society. This could be because over time, the farmer role became more and more prevalent, and the hunter role was diminished.

Is the hunter approach really a negative, or is it just different to what we are used to? The linked article goes into some ideas about how knowing your intended audience (whether they are hunters or farmers) could help you be more successful in selling, persuading, or teaching them. There’s also a brief Wikipedia article about the theory as well as Thom Hartmann’s own site.

So, what are you: Hunter or Farmer?