A New Perspective On Purpose (Feat. bugs)

Avery Lewis
Aug 24, 2017 · 3 min read

“What is the purpose of bugs?” Well, what is the purpose of humans?

This morning walking into work, I spotted a quite vivid green praying mantis. It was struggling against the outer wall of the factory where I work and I thought to myself what many of us think

Not actual praying mantis; just a Google search of a praying mantis

What is the point of bugs? What is their goal in life? What do they contribute, and why do they even still exist?

And then I thought again to myself, as I walked into a factory that manufactures wind towers. What is our purpose? What do we contribute, really?

Some of you may think differently, but I gained a new perspective on our purpose when I was thinking about a bug’s purpose (I suppose their life goal is to reproduce?) and our own. My first thought was that humans are insanely more important than bugs. We have endless knowledge, a societal infrastructure that has been built up over hundreds of years, and the list of our amenities goes on. However, was that the intention of Earth? Of humans? Who are we to feel as if we are more important than another organism?

Likewise, bugs might have the same sort of infrastructures and knowledge, just in a different perspective and in a way we won’t understand. Of course (as far as we know) there aren’t bugs driving around in Teslas, but they have managed to survive this long without humans screwing up their Earth leaving them in peril. They seem to be doing alright, still millions of them.

So that brings me to the conclusion I came up with this morning. I used to question a bug’s purpose and why they even exist; I’m sure a quick Google search would give me an answer to that pretty sufficiently. I now have new perspective that I don’t think any one organism is more important than another. Hear me out.

Sure, humans have done more than other organisms. To benefit humans. Not to benefit any other organism. We have actually pretty much done the exact opposite to a lot of species haven’t we? Destroying their habitats more and more as the years go on and we expand the human population and need more room for infrastructure and technology and factories and housing. For us.

And yet, even with us constantly screwing things up for other species (not to mention ourselves), animals like cows, chickens, pigs, all contribute to bettering (well, feeding, I wouldn’t say it makes us better [sue me I’m vegetarian]) our society. We even hunt exotic species in Africa. We not only destroy their environment, but we also give every other species reason to be insanely afraid of humans. Just something to think about next time you see a bug and question it’s purpose: what is your purpose?

Hey if you enjoyed this article I would greatly appreciate some applause!

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Avery Lewis

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Video Production Professional; YouTube Content Creator; Minimalist

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