Humans and Humility

Greetings Cyberspace.

There was an 8.7 magnitude earthquake today off the coast off Indonesia. It was followed shortly by a tsunami warning, but the wave apparently didn't reach shore. That was followed by an 8.2 magnitude aftershock (they still called it an aftershock - even though it was stronger than most actual earthquakes). I've never been through an earthquake, but this morning's news is a sobering reminder of the power of Mother Nature.

As a species, I would say we give ourselves far too much credit. We are overly pompous and pigheaded when it comes to our place in nature. Just because we've created enough technology to overtake any ecosystem doesn't mean we should. I would even go so far to say that for all of our intelligence, we may not even be the smartest beings on the planet.

We are the best creators on Earth. There is no doubt about that...but look at how destructive our means of creation is. We destroy whole habitats, whole ecosystems - instead of trying to find a way to live harmoniously with our surroundings. And I think that's an indication of our immaturity as a species. Interdependency is an inarguable fact. Just think of the energy cycle - the sun's energy filters through the atmosphere as heat and light; it is captured and converted into chlorophyll by plants through photosynthesis; bugs and animals eat the plants; other animals eat those insects and smaller animals and so on. So if we really are as advanced as we're told, why are we involved in the massacre of the only source of edible energy we have? You might think this is a ridiculous statement, but with the rate of deforestation we've incurred, it's only a matter of time before we destroy our own habitat.

Having said that...even if we use every last molecule of every resource we have - the planet will be fine. It's not the planet that needs saving. All of these detrimental activities don't endanger the Earth - that's the most conceited statement that we could ever make. Even if every country in the world simultaneously dropped nuclear warheads on every other country - the planet would live on. George Carlin thought the same thing...you can watch it here (beware of the foul language). We can only harm ourselves and the species around us. Life will go on. Which brings me to my next point - we are far from being the most well-equipped to survive. There are something like 10 billion bacteria in a square inch of your forehead...we couldn't digest anything without the bacteria in our stomachs. We are in a perpetual symbiotic state - and we refuse to acknowledge it.

Our language is extremely primitive. Have you ever wondered how animals organize themselves into herds, flocks, murders, gaggles, flamboyances, colonies, hives, swarms, or schools? I can't say for sure either...but I'm willing to bet that there's some form of communication between them. Our language hardly even allows us to express emotion. Believe me, it's not easy to find the proper words all the time - as a matter I feel as though I hardly ever find the right ones.

I think that we need to re-evaluate our idea of our species. We need to realize that the Earth has been here so long it's really beyond comprehension. We are just a blink in time compared to our Solar system (which is actually the only Solar system - our sun is named Sol, which is why we are the Solar system, just an interesting fact) and I feel as though it's often forgotten that the Earth can shake us off whenever it wants to. Human beings are inconsequential. Let's at least try to respect our only home.

Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger

As always thoughts, comments suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!