There are many ways to define “civilization” but we should not confuse this word with the concept of being civilized. This is because each culture, both past and present, should be judged on its own merits and not through the lens of our own cultural biases. By being able to see a culture through unbiased eyes we can learn more and be increasingly connected to others. Thus, avoiding racism, the idea that some people and groups are inferior or superior to others, nativism and stereotyping. Being unbiased can and does lead to greater understanding. Anthropologist Margaret Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal. broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts. We are at our best when we serve others. Do you agree? It the care for others a defining hallmark of human “civilization” more important than lets say learning to domesticate animals or farming? Is it the baseline which let our ancient selves develop and migrate out of Africa? Is the base ability to care for others distinctly human? Was Mead right? There are examples of other animals acting to care for others. Does that mean those animals are “civilized”