ADD- Society Needs Hunters

In prehistoric times, we now know there were two types of human, and each type was just as important to the survival of humanity as the other. One group gathered the nuts, berries, and fruits that they found. The other group went out and hunted for meat. Without both, humanity would never have survived.

But the tasks involved in each job were different. The gatherers used their senses of sight and smell to find food that was readily available. There was little concern that they would be eaten by whatever they found, they just picked it and put it aside. But their job involved concentration and focus so that they didn't miss things that were edible along the way.

Once these gatherers learned to till the soil, they became farmers. No longer did they have to search for food. Then, they became tenders of the crops, assuring that there would be food for everyone, even when the hunters were unsuccessful.

Hunters were different. They had no patience for tending crops and so went off in search of the animals to kill. They used all their senses, especially those of sight, smell, and hearing. They were alert at all times and ready for action. If they weren't constantly searching and wary, they would lose the meal or maybe be eaten by it.

How does this apply to modern times? Well, we still need hunters and we need farmers. The farmers are the linear folks. They support everything that goes on in our day-to-day life. They're administrators and caretakers. ADD people are different. More like the hunters, we're constantly looking for the next new thing. Though we're quick and smart and are able to think on our feet, we aren't finishers. We're often people who create the systems.

But this is the thing: Though people with attention deficit might create the systems, we usually aren't comfortable running them. There is still a vital need for there to be two kinds of people in the world. ADD is now labeled a "disorder" because we just aren't happy with tending the fields or any kind of job that requires us to just stay put and do the same routine over and over. Our ADD brains just aren't built that way!

ADD people in linear jobs are usually pretty unhappy. If that's your scenario, find another job that does suit your attention deficit. You're creative, so maybe you'd be a good writer or producer of some other creative materials. Entrepreneurialism is perfect for people with ADD because you're very good at creating new ideas. You just need a team of people that makes sure they're carried out. These will probably be linear people, and the combination works out very well.

Problem-solving is another great ADD quality. What if you got a job as a detective or a computer specialist? You have to decide what's right for you and your particular brand of ADD. But think about what excites you. What makes your hyperfocus kick in? These are the places you should be creatively seeking employment.

Forget the labels. Just because you're ADD doesn't make you a misfit. You're an integral part of what makes our society go-'round. If you're in a linear-type job that's making you unhappy, find a job that's better suited to ADD, and you'll see that life doesn't have to be so hard.