ADHD Hunter versus Farmer Theory
ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder) have been with mankind since Adam. Why is it
only recently that it has become a problem? This is the question former
psychotherapist Thom Hartmann asked. He then drew a logical conclusion,
that ADD and ADHD are a result of natural adaptive behavior.
Thom Hartmann then proposed the hunter vs. farmer theory as a theory
explaining ADHD and AADD (Adult Attention Deficit Disorder).
This ADHD theory answers many of the questions about ADHD and
accepting this theory explains the behaviors and difficulties some
individuals with ADD/ADHD experience. It does not give all the answers,
as there are over 100 causes of ADHD like behavior.
Like some other alternative ADHD theories, this originated from a
child getting the ADHD diagnosis and the parent thinking, “My child does
not have a disorder.” Thom Hartmann’s son was diagnosed and that got
him to look at the ADHD controversy seriously. His conclusion was, “It’s
not hard science, and was never intended to be.” ADHD is only a list of
symptoms, with no criteria directly connected to any cause or disorder.
According to this theory, humans were nomadic hunter-gatherers for
thousands of years, but as people started farming and living settled
lives other personality traits, more suitable to a sedentary life,
developed. The ADHD person is then someone who has retained some of the
older hunter-gatherer characteristics. So-called “normal” people are the
This theory has been validated by a number of studies of people
living traditional tribal and nomadic lifestyles. Those tribes’ people
who continued their traditional lifestyles had no problems with their
ADD and ADHD, but members of the same tribe living in towns had ADHD
problems like those in western society.
The people that are covered by this theory have an ADD or ADHD
personality. They do not have a disorder, but need to find their niche
in our modern western society. A part of this adaptation is finding a
career that suits their personalities and not, as is so often the case,
fit themselves into a career considered a “good career” for the average
An important talent ADHD people have is the ability to hyperfocus.
Hyperfocus is an intense form of mental concentration or visualization
that focuses consciousness on something. It is like tunnel vision where
the rest of the world is cut off, blocking out potential distractions.
It is in this state that the ADD personality’s creative imagination is
at work. Hyperfocussing can either be while thinking, or while engaged
in some activity.
It is connected with a vivid and creative and imaginative mind.
However, if they are distracted it becomes hard to hyperfocus again.
Hyperfocussing is part of the explanation why people with an ADHD
personality have a distorted or lacking a sense of time. Hyperfocussing
makes it easier to meditate and relax if one is accepts this gift and
not be worried that one is not like everyone else.
These people can also rapidly shift their focus and attention. Their
minds work in parallel processes so they can hold multiple thoughts.
This ability causes problems at school when they are presented with
specific tasks to do. They think in a more intuitive way than the school
teaches. They do not do well when told what to think and how to think.
The hunter has to be aware of signs of their prey, dangers, and make
quick decisions. This is a stimulating experience, where impulsivity and
hyperactivity, two symptoms of ADHD, are beneficial. For such a child,
sitting in a classroom and forced to do some boring or repetitive work,
will heighten every distraction from the classroom and even from
outside. This is the reason for their distractibility.
Hyperfocussing is a mental ability that is a natural expression of
personality. It is not an ability, which can be switched on or off at
will and it is situational. This has led to many erroneous conclusions
by ADHD researchers, who assume all children are the same, and those who
are not average have a disorder. It is the child’s own interest, which
triggers it, not when, told to do something.
The errors many leading ADHD researchers make is to assume that only
one way of thinking or learning is “normal” and a child thinking or
learning another way is a “disorder.” There are many learning styles,
which are personality traits. These academics have arbitrarily defined
“normal” behavior as behavior most suitable in the conventional
The average school classroom environment is not a natural environment for a young child. Children are not designed to sit still for hours doing tasks that may be perceived as boring. This is not normal, and the reactions of ADD and ADHD children through various hyperactive or daydreaming behaviors are their coping strategies.