A Conversation on the Dunedin Study

While discussing the Dunedin Study with my wife, which tracks the lives of 1,037 individuals from age three onward, I was intrigued by the finding that personality traits established in early childhood remain stable throughout life. My wife’s response, which translated to a Chinese proverb, “Three years old determines eighty years old,” perfectly encapsulates this phenomenon. This illustrates how centuries of wisdom can sometimes align with modern scientific discoveries, shedding light on what took researchers forty years and extensive funding to uncover.

The Original Millennial Approach to Science

Is it possible for a culture to develop scientific insights through extended observation? The scientific method is fundamentally about rigorous observation and testing. Could a society gradually reach similar conclusions simply by reflecting on its own experiences over countless generations?

Contemporary societies often resist such notions, particularly due to historical conflicts between religious beliefs and scientific inquiry. This skepticism may have led to a disregard for mystical or ancient wisdom. However, the oldest cultures, particularly Chinese and Indian, have accumulated vast stores of knowledge over millennia, often revealing profound truths about human behavior.

Modern science is increasingly validating these ancient practices. For instance, Bessel Van Der Kolk incorporates the traditional yogic practice of Pranayama in addressing PTSD, supported by over 1,400 studies highlighting its benefits on various physiological functions. Similarly, Feng Shui, often perceived as superstitious, is essentially an ancient architectural guide. Acupuncture is gaining acceptance in medical communities for pain management, while botanists are investigating rainforests for potentially life-saving remedies.

The Urgency of Preserving Ancient Knowledge

As science delves into these age-old traditions, the urgency to preserve such knowledge grows. Civilizations rise and fall, as exemplified by the Cultural Revolution in China, which nearly erased millennia of cultural wisdom. The loss of Roman and Greek texts during the rise of Christianity further underscores the fragility of knowledge retention. With modernity erasing indigenous languages at an alarming rate, and climate change threatening the extinction of numerous species, the time to document and understand ancient practices is swiftly dwindling.

Our Last Chance to Learn from the Past

Instead of dismissing these ancient insights, we should catalog what has proven effective. What practices do people find beneficial? Is it merely the placebo effect, or is there a deeper significance?

In the next century, humanity risks losing a vast reservoir of folk knowledge. History suggests it could take millennia to rediscover such wisdom. We must seize the opportunity to record and learn from what remains.

While my wife may possess a wealth of knowledge, even she is not immortal.