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Benjamin's Share: the Hadzabe tribe has no chiefs
From Benjamin: The Hadzabe Tribe in Tanzania is a completely Egalitarian society and I think that's wild. There are so many strange emergent behaviours that come out of this philosophy:
- There's awesome photos of children arguing with elders around a campfire for any tribe decision. It's strange thinking that kids could sway a decision of a tribe, and that elders potentially with more information have to convince and debate to persuade.
- By age five, children gather up to 50% to 60% of their own daily calories themselves
- Gender differences exist, but they do not become inequality. There's no hierarchy and no power dynamic at all.
It's eye-opening to think that this could be a way of doing life considering we generally live in a place with hierarchy across so many dimensions. Very cool
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Barry Wood
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Sep 11, 2026
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If I understand correctly, the Hadzade people, numbering around 200 individuals, follow a semi-nomadic hunter/gatherer lifestyle. There are no hostile tribes and no large predators in the area. They have evolved resistance to all waterborne diseases in their lands. Their gut microbiome includes more variety than that of agriculturally dependent people, and varies according to the season and the foods available. Socially, no one can make a decision for another person.
In this Eden, Hadzade women, on average, have 6.1 children during their lives. And yet, there’s no mention of population pressure. Instead, it’s mentioned that the lands used by the Hadzade are being reduced by farmers. Curious.
I’m also curious as to how men compete for the attentions of women, and vice versa. One would expect that, like any group of humans, there’s at least a ranking (hierarchy?) of more desirable and less desirable mates…
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