To put our evolution in another light

I like to think that I’ve written this first little piece, like I was talking to an alien life form (who, for all practical purposes, has not probed me in any uncomfortable places, and is interested in hearing a brief summary of what Homo sapiens have been up to since their coming about).

It begins

Alright, so we’re far from the top of the food-chain.

We lean back on two legs a couple of million years ago and stood up in the Savannah. Eat sh** Sabre-tooth tigers.

We hung out in the trees for a few moments before realising we could probably run around, and when we figured out that those ‘weird looking rocks’ could be used for more than just looking like some ‘weird rocks’, BOY were we onto something. Hey presto — spear, axe, knife.

Oh, and eventually the wheel.

And here, we, COME!

Fast forward in time, and fortunately, our big ol’ brain starts to serve some higher purposes. We begin to communicate more effectively, strategise about killing our next meal, and hell, we even start moving around the globe to check out what’s goin’ on.

I hope you enjoyed this rough little story about the origins of our species, because in my eyes, it begins to take a bit of a downward spiral after that.

Present day

So turns out that big ol’ frontal cortex, which set us apart from other animals, became pretty useful, and we use it to establish cities, build huge structures for the means of transportation, utilise resources from any point on the earth and establish our species as top of the food chain (TOLD YOU THE DAY WOULD COME, MISTER SABRE-TOOTH).

We begin wiping out other species along the way, as well as one another. Those civilisations which did not bow down to the one reigning supreme we consider redundant, so unfortunately…well…yah’ gotta’ go.

Seemed like global domination was the ‘in thing’ for quite a while.

Tribes and populations which seem to lack in the innovative and progressive expansion of this new concept of ‘greed’ we seen as inferior. But after a while, we think ‘hey, they’re weird, but let’s play nice for once and leave them as oddities’.

So we leave them alone — only after making sure to take whatever we could find to serve our unquenchable thirst for power and space (eg. slaves, land, food, water, oil, etc).

Along comes Industrial Revolution and Technology

We figure out there are MUCH easier ways of living life. So we start printing books — meaning that the cool stories about Christianity and whatever else we like to read to one another, we can ship around to my Uncle Freddy and co’. Oh, he’s hanging out in different parts of Africa and Europe. Yeah, they’re still ‘behind the times’. They could do with some education. On what the ‘right way’ is.

The speed and efficiency for communication took a step up with the invention of the printing press.

Another couple hundred years later, and things REALLY ramp up again. Not only have we realised we can use any natural resources anywhere, but we’re beginning to look into the microscopic and sub-atomic interactions of elements (those things which apparently make up anything and everything).

How exciting? HOW REVOLUTIONARY!

But. Just make sure that all the nerds doing the hard yards are coughing up the goods in the labratories. The big boys heading the corporations and governments will take over after that. They ‘know’ how to use this for the good of man-kind…right?

Freeze frame

Let’s make a quick evaluation of our current state of affairs.

Looking around, we’ve reached a point where our mere existence has critically altered the state of the world. Not even for ourselves, and not even for the rest of the animal kingdom — but for the biological phenomenon that would otherwise not have occurred, had we not developed and evolved into the parasites we’ve become (I use the word ‘parasite’ to describe the notion of our non-mutualistic relationship with our ecosystem).

(And I think it’s fair to point out that yes, climate change is a thing, or we atleast sped up some processes).

We’re stuck in an age where drastic change would alter the comfort of millions — and people aren’t ready to give that up.

There are minorities who’ve acknowledged our organic and natural origins, alerting us to the dangers of our constant ‘use-and-abuse’ attitude.

Unfortunately, the masses are born into cultures that are educated on how they can fit into their relative colonies. They’re not necessarily taught to utilise their brain for themselves, but rather, for the greater good of the society they shall provide for.

Fortunately, accompanying the development and progress of our species is an unprecedented intelligence and awareness.

The United Nations — our initial attempt at establishing a global, undivided community.

These two, placed into the hands of traditionalists, spawn further greed and understanding, that the blink that is our life-time, should be enjoyed. And rightfully so, but at the cost of leaving more problems for generations to come.

Oh, and those different tribes, which turned into countries, which turned into cultures — the differences between their ancient and idiotic feuds should continue to divide us. I mean, war, famine, poverty and prejudice aren’t that bad to put up, are they?

If, however, these two characteristics are placed into the hands of the more progressive and unprejudiced individuals of this world, we begin to notice a shift. Not only in global awareness, but in action towards creating a new era, where prosperity and sustainability are held as primary importance.

Do we continue to grow away from nature? Or should we re-unite with our lost origins?

And not just that ‘hippie bullsh**’. But the intelligence I mentioned, instead of drawing us further away from our organic origins (which we should arguably nurture and not cut our ties with), should bring us back to a close relationship with the environment from which we evolved from.

So, what’s in store for us?

No one has the exact answer, from what I’ve heard. Nor should they. The closest concepts I’ve come across, that even touch on a grand enough change, is a change in mass consciousness.

We live in a world where our emphasis on the past to dictate the future rules supreme. Lucky for us, times have changed and those heretics we used to imprison or kill for speaking out — well, they actually raise some pretty gosh darn relevant points. And there exists a variety of platforms from which they are to be heard.

Preeeeetty sure this would have been me.

If we don’t completely annihilate ourselves in the next few centuries, maybe we have a chance. And if we don’t completely soak up every resource around us, perhaps the environment from which we came from may have a chance as well.

Until enough people figure out that the world we live in isn’t THAT great (especially ruled by a select, lucky few, who couldn’t give a rat’s ass about the rest of us), we’ll just keep on going the way we are.

Anyway, let’s go back to drinking coffee. And eating a burger. Then watching that re-run of Friends where Monica makes those weird noises when she gets a massage.

I mean after all, sh**…