What concepts in the Sawi culture intrigued / reviled / saddened / angered / surprised you?

For me, the piece that really intrigued me about the Sawi was how vastly different they were, and at the same time how incredibly similar they were to what I see as a typical culture. As we read and learned about the Sawi and got a sense for the hierarchy or the society and how life functions in the Sawi villages, I became more and more intrigued. I was in awe that this culture was able to establish such an opposite set of moral values in which treachery is seen as a skill and is desired and encouraged. There is a passage which deals directly with this similar feeling that Don Richardson found when living with the Sawi and the feeling that I had when reading about them. This deals with both the similarities as well as the differences between the cultures.

Taken from chapter 15, page 148.
From the perspective of Don Richardson.

Basically, there were two presuppositions I shared wit the Sawi-belief in a supernatural world and in the importance of interaction between that supernatural world and men. The Sawi believed in a hierarchy or disinterest, if not malicious, demons and departed spirits of the dead. I trusted in an infinite yet personal God who loves justice and mercy.
The Sawi were convinced that no misfortune happened by accident, but was invariably caused by demons who could be either activated or restrained by witchcraft. I was persuaded that all things were either commanded or permitted by a divine Providence which in turn could be influenced by prayer…”

Marked up version:

[ ]= Don Richardson and his beliefs
[ ]= The Sawi and their beliefs.

Basically, there were two presuppositions I shared wit the Sawi-belief in a supernatural world and in the importance of interaction between that supernatural world and men. The Sawi believed in a hierarchy or disinterest, if not malicious, demons and departed spirits of the dead. I trusted in an infinite yet personal God who loves justice and mercy.
The Sawi were convinced that no misfortune happened by accident, but was invariably caused by demons who could be either activated or restrained by witchcraft. I was persuaded that all things were either commanded or permitted by a divine Providence which in turn could be influenced by prayer…”

For me this was a really interesting passage that contributed to my interest in the Sawi and how their culture functioned. As presented by Don in this excerpt the differences between himself and the Sawi was immeasurable. And following this excerpt Don confirms this in saying that “Beyond this point there was little common viewpoint in our respective world views…” I am unsure what it was that so quickly occupied my interest with the Sawi but my best guess is based upon “opposites attract” and that seeing the Sawi and their values nearly opposite of mine I had to wonder how can they live that way, I’m sure however, if they were to have looked at our culture at the same time they would have asked something similar.