Why Humans Have To Learn To Swim

[Spiral]

I'm probably going to make a hash of this but hope I can get the gist of it across.

Swimming has come up a lot in recent days for me, memories, stuff in films etc and it got me thinking and remembering.

All mammals can swim without being taught except humans, because they think (wrongly) that they can't swim unless taught how to, which is ridiculous, because we naturally float.

When I was a little boy (I've rather unfashionably maintained the same gender for 56 years) people tried to teach me to swim, gave up on me & then caught me leading another small boy across the bottom of the deep end of the swimming pool. At which point I had to explain my experiment and why I could cross the pool underwater without being able to swim.

They had told us we would drown if we couldn't swim, this suggested we were heavier than water, so I reasoned that if I could hold my breath for two minutes (this became a fascination) then I could go gown the steps on all fours, cross the deep end to the other steps and back up, which I did and so did my pal.

The teachers saw this & didn't know how to react, so they showed basic swimming strokes next, you were supposed to do these while clinging to the side of the pool but I just went off down the pool, because how else am I going to know if
it works ?

At some point they then taught about treading water, another nonsense, why waste energy when you can lie on your back and just breathe ?

The interesting facts about all this is that it applies to many other facets of life, we really need to reappraise so much, because sometimes our brains and "rationality" serve us very poorly

[Matthew]

I think I know exactly what you mean, but I didn't find this with swimming; I'm told when my parents took me to learn I was reluctant and just loitered by the side of the pool, so my dad pushed me in. I didn't have any 'teaching is teaching that you can't do it' with swimming. It was sink or swim and my dad tells me it was hard getting me out the pool :bigsmile: (edit add because I was loving it too much)

But music, ditto. Classical music teaching is learning from the best of the best of history of music, it's too well refined so becomes intimidating. There's an innate musical ability humans have, that we express without identifying as music; rhythm, cadence with others, inflection... we operate in a world of music and rhythm. We are music and rhythm. Try talking without them. Learn to do music? SHUT YOUR FACE WE ARE MUSIC!1

[Michi]

Funny as you mention it. I always found it weird why there is so much focus on breast-swimming. I find it soo relaxing just laying on my back in water without any problem keeping afloat. From that I experience, that it takes much less energy. :dog:

[silver birch]

As everybody knows, we are swimming in saline solution about nine months before we are born.
When I saw the thread title, I had to reach for one of my favourite books, and enclose a pair of pictures.
It is about the work of Igor Tjarkovskij and written by Erik Sidenbladh. Translated to several languages.
Happy New Year to all parents and other swimmers!

[Pam]

Great thread!!! Here is one thing that I have wondered about for many years. Every animal on the planet has natural ways to adapt to deal with the weather without buying a coat and shoes!. Nature has provided for them in a myriad of ways, change of coat thickness, hibernation, metabolic changes ect. Of course, not every animal lives through every season. Weather can sometimes be far colder, warmer or dryer than the norms.

The big question I have is why is it not the same with humans? We could definitely survive without clothing in some climates but in a huge number of areas we wouldn't make it a year. As far as I know we are the only species that perpetually requires outside assistance just to require homeostasis.

As a side note, there have been accounts of humans (Yogis) that have been able to survive the heights of the Himalayas without clothing. According to the most amazing Baba Lokenath he was able to adapt over a year period to climb to great elevations in the Himalayan mountains by an acclimation process that allowed him to create a white waxy like skin that allowed him to tolerate any level cold. Some may find that bunk, but I believe it.

It just occurred to me that if we were altered or created to require "Products", stuff, clothes ect. isn't that an incredible method for potential control.
Back to topic!!!!