Similarities Between African And Europeans

The African’s and European’s contrasting mindsets can be traced back to geographical and cultural differences. Both civilizations had different morals and values, consequently affecting their mindset. The African tribes had the ability to live side by side because of how their society was set up. There could have also been a uniting value with the African tribes. This could be assumed because it’s shown within the documentary how similar their languages were, meaning that they all most likely had a common denominator. They were understanding of each other, whereas the Europeans didn’t tolerate others, explaining why they couldn’t “live harmoniously”. While they both reached for success, their different lifestyles (hunter gatherer and agricultural
societies) influenced their goals. This helps explain why there was such a strong urge to the Europeans to colonize. The Europeans had a competitive mindset due to how they were an agricultural society; their ambition and determination to succeed could be rooted down to them wanting more resources, such as land and trading opportunities. However, with the African tribes, they’re more willing to accept new cultures and the differences that come with them. It’s self-explanatory that if someone or something threatens your way of lifestyle rather than embracing it, then you will fight to defend yourself and the values you stand for. This explains the defensive stance they took when the Europeans arrived with no respect for them. The reason why this mindset didn’t develop within Africa was due to the constant exposure of differences within surrounding cultures.