So I recently came up with a social theory that I think that pol will appreciate.
The TL;DR is that following laws and having good rhythm are negatively correlated.
Essentially, Europeans developed society independent of much influence from other groups of people from areas like Africa, Asia, and the New World. This makes sense as before modern times, travel across distances like that was more or less impossible. So as Europeans were setting up society, they stopped having a need for things like dance circles and whatnot. Meanwhile, they needed things like conformation to societal norms and rules. A self imposed artificial selection of sorts. Developing a strong society and civilization is what Europeans focused on, with things like strong, permanent settlements, farming, career specialization, etc. Meanwhile the people in places like Africa and the New World (think Hispanic) didn't develop as strong societies and therefore didn't need as much conformation to societal rules. Drums and dancing remained an important aspect of their societies because it brought them together and whatnot, thereby increasing their likelihood of survival.
So the lack of focus on advancing civilizations and technologies (such as farming) kept the need for drums as an important aspect of their relatively simplistic societal structures and traditions. So those who could dance and play drums well had a better chance of survival. The focus on drums and simplistic, beating rhythms is what gave rise to the good senses of rhythm (and can be seen in modern African-American music as well). Meanwhile law breakers are bad for advanced societies as a whole. So those not willing to follow the rules of society were weeded out in Europe.
If you accept this as true, then it becomes apparent that societies that place heavy importance on drums and simplistic music and dancing are more likely to be lawless and have simplistic societies, cultures, civilizations, and technologies.
not true. i've been to drum circles on Venice Beach. you should go to on any Saturday so you can experience it for yourself.
Charles Lewis
I am speaking specifically of evolutionary and sociological trends, not anything specific. We are all still human and still have a lot of the traits which came from our time before splitting off into the relatively distinct groups in Europe, Africa, etc. This includes an affinity for certain musical aspects such as a 4/4 time signature and rhythms that closely resemble a beating heart. But again, this post is more about the trends more than anything specific.
Oliver Jenkins
A load of shit. The reason why 'lawful' societies are memed about not having rhythm/whites can't dance is because they don't practice it anymore, simple as that. Look at musicians of any origin and you'll notice that they have excellent rhythm because they practice it.
If there are two people who aren't professional musicians, one who never dabbles into music at all, and the other who e.g freestyle raps or beatboxes frequently because its part of his culture, the latter will have a better sense of rhythm.
Robert Foster
Again, I am speaking generally about the trends of societies. Sure anyone can learn to have rhythm, and sure practice will definitely help. But it comes more naturally to hispanics and blacks. That is something that I assumed that everyone had come to terms with by now. It is pretty apparent imo by just observing people. I didn't think that the "white peopel have no rhythm" stereotype was true at all until I was around a large group of them which originated from places that were not primarily black. It was very obvious that they had very little, if any sense of rhythm. Some white people that I know have to actively focus in order to maintain any semblance of rhythm, hardly able to clap on beat.
And those people who don't have any rhythm don't practice it? You practice just by listening to music. It is literally the most basic of musical structures. So by simply listening to music regularly, you should have at least a decent sense of rhythm. But I can attest that many white people don't. I didn't think that was something that was disputed.
Ian Evans
>But it comes more naturally to hispanics and blacks no it doesn't
> So by simply listening to music regularly, you should have at least a decent sense of rhythm depends on the music
Lincoln Parker
I have yet to meet a black person who has no rhythm. But I've met plenty of white people over the years who don't.
What music is popular that isn't 4/4? That alone should be enough to impart at least passable rhythm. But you can disagree with me on that if you want. The association is still there. Cultures that focus more on simplistic, drum based music also tend toward simpler societal structures and more lawlessness.
Kayden Rodriguez
>Europeans developed society independent of much influence from other groups of people from areas like Africa, Asia, and the New World.
False, Most of Iberia and part of France were occupied by North African Berbers for almost a millenium, these berbers were in contact and heavily influenced by Arabs (Asia) and sub saharan Africans, also therehas always been a strong, though not as obvious in the years A.D.) between Eastern Europe, particularly the Baltics, and Persia, India, C. Asia.
The Chinese also ha a very advanced civilization albeit using a wide range of percussion instruments.
Although the cold climate=more advanced civilization due to having to be "tougher" in orer to survive theory has some validity it still has some voids to fill as for example why did the Aztecs and Mayans of tropical Central America have a more sophisticated civilization instead of the natives of the cold Patagonia region...
Also, all memes aside, Mediterranean peoples and Middle Age Arabs had civilizations eons more advanced than Northern Europeans of the time...
Joseph Barnes
correlation doesn't equal causation, and there is a difference between generic pop music and very beat heavy rap/hiphop with the lyrics neatly divided into bars, it's a rhythm heavy genre
Zachary Morris
>Svenska making excuses for niggers beat boxing and rapping because it's 'cultural'
Rap has been around for like 30 years. Negroes have been stomping their feet around Africa since before they could figure out how to incorporate a bonfire into their savage ceremonies.
If only the Euros of the 1600s and 1700s could have seen what was going to happen. They would have exterminated the whole waste of a continent.
