A philosophy of posture
A fascinating article about how posture is the defining characteristic of being human.
Main point: “The very notion of what in the ancient world defines the human being in contrast to all other living things is simple: upright posture.”
Key points:
- “…it was Plato who used upright posture to move the rational mind as far from the center of the appetite and the organ of generation as possible: The head, for Plato, is the “acropolis” of the body, its highest point both literally and metaphorically.”
- “For the Jews, Adam’s upright posture was a sign of being superior to the animals created by God, even after the expulsion from Paradise.”
- “Life itself is defined by human posture. Once life is extinguished, posture is no longer possible.”
- “[According to Hegel} Man does not hold himself erect naturally but stands upright by the energy of his will; and although his erect posture, after it has become a habit, requires no further effort of will, yet it must always remain pervaded by our will if we are not momentarily to collapse.”
Who knew history’s great thinkers took posture so seriously? What about us ordinary people? Let’s look at Nordic walking. Nordic walking begins with good posture and helps resurrect good posture if you haven’t done it in a while.
Here are some thoughts from my experience:
- I tend to stand straighter when I have those poles in my hands.
- I tend to lose the hunched over posture that comes from hours at the computer or staring down at a smartphone.
- The poles make me feel like I can more easily align myself from head to foot.
And the level of exercise intensity and the walker’s ability to control that intensity makes it possible to engage in that most human of activities: carry on a conversation with fellow Nordic walkers.
