The last of my breed

“We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.”
~ Stephen Hawking, a British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author.

What does the future have in store for the human race? How will human time and human history end? It is true that if taken individually, at the singular level of our existence, the end is always near, a mere less than a century away. But collectively as a species; are we just a walking, talking enigma; a dying breed on a road to nowhere: Or are we born with a purpose?

To answer this, let us first look at what the humans have achieved thus far. From a significant amount of man made human suffering, the extinctions of some human and many non-human species, and creating the scarcity of resources required by humans to sustain the innocence with which a child is borne; humans have either, made, bred, or tolerated all afflictions.

These apart, in retrospect, baring a few developments in the physical world, there is truly nothing much to crow about.

Human history is about human wars; human greed; human poverty: all brought about by human folly.

If these are the exclusive accomplishments of the human kind; considered to possess the only ability - to be able to think and rationalise - that distinguishes and elevates us from the rest of life forms; we should hang our heads in shame.

The way we have conducted ourselves will make any intelligent being wonder whether we are a fit species to hold the honour of superiority.

On the other hand, let us look at some of our achievements. If we hold that we are proud of our cities; ants - that small social hymenopterous insect - with its limited capacities and capabilities, have shown greater achievement in construction by building super colonies, as habitats; some even measuring 100 kilometres in width, that are not only environment friendly, but also are innovative structures.

Not bad for a puny species, the size of a cumin seed, mostly trampled by humans.

If we are pleased of our performance in the fine arts, it is only because we have not seen and heard the beautiful presentations of the non-human world.

If after a mere 200,000 years of existence after evolving, we boast of our ability to survive; what about the cockroach that is estimated to have inhabited the earth for almost 400 million years, and known to have the ability to survive even a nuclear catastrophe even though they are not considered smart. The list of human pride is endless: ample proof that proud people only breed endless sorrow for themselves.

Given evolution’s trajectory, we will almost certainly transform into augmented versions of our current selves. The big question now is, can we survive long enough to become the next humans? Evolution, as the past four billion years have repeatedly illustrated, holds an endless supply of tricks up its long and ancient sleeve. Anything is possible, given enough millennia. Inevitably, the forces of natural selection will require us to branch out into differentiated versions of our current selves, assuming that we have enough time to leave our evolution to our genes. Ever since the monkey-kind evolved into humankind, we have been pushing and pursuing to achieve more in our life.

As the most, or even assumedly and self-importantly the most intelligent and creative individuals of, all known life; we, humans, have the potential to achieve many great things in our life.

Yet see how we behave: Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children said William Penn, an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony.

How true: we travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; we fall into an animal stupor that gapes at existence and we think we have seen everything.

Yet we fail to see the better side of humanity: altruism and empathy; morality and reason; love and compassion; talent and creativity; bravery and justice.

There was an era when courtesy, bravery, honesty, magnanimity, were the hallmark of a people. In that age, not long ago, due to these traits, people were happier, well cared for, and satisfied with their life. Living was delight, and afforded time for the pursuit of pleasure and joy.

Unlike today, trust ruled, and those who ruled trusted the people and spoke the truth. Today, we breed doubt and fear instead of confidence and trust, courage and generosity.

We breed contempt – and children - through familiarity; not love. We have only opinionated people who breed ignorance in place of knowledge.

Thus, we have recreated and established the backwardness of the dark ages: the term is a historical periodisation used for the Middle Ages, or roughly the 6th to 13th centuries, which emphasizes the cultural and economic deterioration that supposedly occurred in Western Europe following the decline of the Roman Empire.

Is it any wonder then, that we live in despair; because our habits have brought us, neither economic well-being, nor happiness.

It has caused anguish, depression, desperation, hopelessness, and these only breed disease. An afflicted people become an isolated people; and isolation breeds neurosis.

When humans are devoid of the faculty of insight and introspection, they terminate their claim to be the most advanced species amongst all life forms.

Without the power of discernment, that investigative reach of humans, man lives at the level of animals. Without keen insight and good judgment, he is no better than that.

As a virtue, a discerning individual is considered to possess wisdom, the power of true and right discernment, and be of good judgement; especially so, not only with regard to subject matters that are often overlooked by others but also on all matters of human conduct.

In fact, this ability, of acumen, is greater than any other virtue; and is the queen and crown of all the virtues.

Devoid of such virtue - where there is no insight - the people perish; for a lack of discernment, a people lose restraint, and discipline. Restraint and discipline are the sine qua non of civilized behaviour of a civilised community: the essential condition without which, structured and orderly society is impossible.

If today, our society has lost this essential condition, it is only because parents have failed their children; teachers have failed their students; religious dignitaries have failed their followers; politicians have failed their nation.

The result is there for all to see: the people are interested only in acquiring wealth, forgetting that a fat stomach never breeds fine thoughts. As such, I am afraid that the world as I knew it has changed.

My generation and its values is giving way to a new, unscrupulous, arrogant, world. Perhaps, we are the last of our breed.

See you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking; keep laughing. Life is mostly about these two activities.

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