Venting The human species

[GreenDagny]

The human species makes me sad. We all function on fear (pain and hatred and anger) and instinct. Corrupt aspects religions and governments have halted social, emotional and intellectual evolution for millenia. We have no idea how to actually help people or ourselves a lot of the time whether emotional or physical problems. We either only see the worst when unnecessary or we have no foresight of the worst when needed and humans are usually able to make everything bad even if it could be good. We live in narcissistic selfish bubbles not caring about others unless it affects us somehow. When does it end? Such a sad species too aware for its own good yet not able to figure things out and with basic animal functioning in the end. That's it. I hope this makes sense even if it doesn't I felt like venting this pain. I do not mean to offend anyone somehow.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

We are a species in transition. Like all things we change and evolve. It feels to me like modern humans are still in our infancy as a species, and close to a make or break point of growing up. Intelligence really is a curse unless you can learn the wisdom to use it properly, and that can take many generations of mistakes. I think that's why it's important to remember the past.

 

[Misanthrope]

I hope we would evolve to a better state of being beyond just glorified often deluded animals pretending at being civilised. But that takes knowledge and an ability to learn from our species mistakes and recognise where we are wrong. Ourselves included, as we are all stupid in some areas and few like to accept that if they believe they are right. You would think in the information age that we would understand better how to do things in a more sensible way avoiding pitfalls of old. Well documented pitfalls of prior civilizations failing to adapt or let go of rigid systems. Especially with all of this history and science at our fingertips to draw from and be a useful guide. But we have entrenched systems that deny facts if it is convenient to do so. Systems that rewrite history to suit and piss all over science and the ability to think critically and state what is true versus what is comfortable. You are right things generally don't change until it is made personal enough. Most the rights won today come from that breaking point. Maybe we will get there but I am doubtful because there is so much distraction and things to hate and use as scapegoats instead of making difficult changes. While all that noise is going on the always non unified human species will continue as it has done. Justifying atrocity to suit itself. It will dress that up in all sorts of sanitised language because there is no way to loot and pillage otherwise.

Are we deluded for thinking we can beat this cycle? Whatever utopian alternative you come up with will still be hamstrung by being human and the natural tribalism that brings. I think unless we can examine that and incorporate that into the fabric of how society operates in future and guard against those toxic elements through knowledge. We will just continue repeating history. As currently everything comes at the expense of something else. But that really is just nature. How do you step outside the bounds of the sum totality of existence? We are very flawed animals. Maybe we are just an evolutionary dead end waiting to happen. Maybe it is the cockroaches turn? They will likely be just as flawed if they grow big enough and develop their own complex global problems, while dealing with their own evolved traits. Maybe that is just the cycle, till the sun consumes the Earth or an asteroid hits. Or aliens arrive with their own manifest destiny and turn what is left of humanity into space Mcdonalds. Until their own civilisation collapses or they become another species Burger King. Or fail to adapt to a threat in space they deny exists until being steadily destroyed by it.

I share your view, the human species makes me sad too. Suffering being justified as acceptable for ideological reasons is pretty sad as is the attack on knowledge which could probably save us if we let it. Despite all this absurdity I hope there are still things you value that do not make you quite so sad. Sometimes I think that may well be all there is.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

You hit the nail on the head there. I call it the toolmaker paradigm. It seems to me that once a species reaches a certain level of intelligence, it accelerates it's social evolution at an obscene rate. This is marked by the development of tools.
We started out with stone tools which made our lives easier. We could do more with less. That is the key. We stopped moving in the landscape and cleared the forests for agriculture. We settled and produces crops. Society became differentiated into the more powerful and the less depending on who controlled resources.
This pattern of technology making things easier especially for the elite few continued with both bronze and iron.
Eventually this pattern crystallised in modern industry and a boom in population in the modern age. The technological revolution is the apogee of this paradigm.
Now we use technology to do amazing things but we are only just starting to realise that nature is fighting back and our technology, for all that it makes things easier in the short term, is ruining our environment in the long term.
But what do we do?
Reduce population pressure?
Redistribute wealth and resources?
Reduce the level of technology?
Localise food production?
How?
These are all steps backward and no society would sanction them.
So we go forwards?
Again, how?
By investing in more technology?
By getting off the planet,?
By creating a benign nanny Ai that we can program to take care of us?
All highly unlikely.
It seems to me that we are reaching a natural crisis point as a species and the only way to survive is to actually outwit the forces behind evolution. To cheat.
Maybe this is what the universe wants!

 

[Darkhaven]

Such a horrible species to be born into.
Most humans are cruel and selfish by nature.
That's why there is so much evil in the world.
If most humans were good intentioned and less self centered the world would be much better than it is now.
Not perfect but much better

 

[Deleted member 1465]

Such a horrible species to be born into.
Most humans are cruel and selfish by nature.
That's why there is so much evil in the world.
If most humans were good intentioned and less self centered the world would be much better than it is now.
Not perfect but much better

True. But I think there ARE people in the world who are trying to buck the system, even though it''s an uphill battle. We are animals prone to all the ugly stuff that natural selection makes us do, monkies with guns and money, but I think we need to use that intelligence to figure out a way to be better.