What could possibly so wrong with you that you consider yourself an evoloutionary dead end?Doclector said:
Why do people have such faith in humanity?
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Where the hell do you live in? I wouldn't expect such a number even on jail...Doclector said:
No, it is not how it works. The reduction of "faulty beings" happens during generations, and mostly for things that make them unfit. I don't know you, but I doubt any fault you think you have makes you unfit. Its not just you and your "faults" against the rest of the world...Doclector said:
You deserve it? I fail to see why... Also, I don't know whats wrong with doing what you can to improve things for other people. Imagine what would happen if all 6 billion people tried to make things a little better for others... that is a lot of little things.Doclector said:
You could say the same thing about everything in nature. Nature is not ethical, not morally right. It just is...Doclector said:
Faith and Hope are pretty similar. Hope was the last thing left in pandora's box. If we don't have faith in Humanity we wouldn't have come this far.
Quite frankly, I think Humanity was the greatest thing before sliced bread and even now we're a close second. Humanity is awesome; we have art in it's various forms, we have education we have comedy, we have technology and we dominate the animal kingdom. We're literally the top dogs in evolutionary terms. We work problems out and I think there will come a time when we achieve utopia via technology and growth as a species.
So yeah, I'm a big fan the human race.
Quite frankly, I think Humanity was the greatest thing before sliced bread and even now we're a close second. Humanity is awesome; we have art in it's various forms, we have education we have comedy, we have technology and we dominate the animal kingdom. We're literally the top dogs in evolutionary terms. We work problems out and I think there will come a time when we achieve utopia via technology and growth as a species.
So yeah, I'm a big fan the human race.
I don't really have any faith either. As many other people have stated, our history has filled itself with war and violence, and we have come to the level we are in the world as a direct result of war and violence. In all honesty, however, all nature is selfish, and based on war and violence (I'm sure you are tired of me using those words over and over again, but f*ck you, I'll use them anyway). Humans have come this far, because we are winning those wars against nature, and at a huge cost as well. Eventually, we will lose, and go extinct, and nature will forget about us. Meanwhile, all the conflicts going on in nature will continue to rage on, with only the one against humans resolved, and replaced by the conflict against whatever other species is dominant by that time.
If that were historically accurate, the human race would have never gone past hunter gatherer societies. A good portion of our time on this earth has been spent developing civilization, technology, and improving our chances of survival. Most of these advancements happened during times of peace, which are far more frequent than times of war, overall anyway.Doclector said:
How do you know that these people are murderous? Do they have a tendency to kill people? If so, you should have called the police by now. Have they made attempts on your life before?
Also, you really need to do more research on evolution.
What makes you think that you are not wanted here, or are a "dead end"?
Evolution isn't about one individual person being "superior" to another, but rather it's about ability of certain biological features developed by species to thrive in it's environment. Such as crying, for example. Creatures that were able to express physical pain through tears, rather than just verbally, were more likely to survive hunting parties or in battle, since they were less likely to make themselves look like a venerable target. Overall, I'd say homo sapiens is doing pretty good.
There's no such things a "faulty" person. That's not even pseudoscience.
It sounds like you have self esteem issues, more than anything.
You should seek the services of a psychological professional, immediately.
In all likelihood you, along with most of the human population, will not die a violent death.
If you think this is how life works for you, then you may in fact be a paranoid depressive.
Because it's not a system, it is a natural occurrence, like rain or sleet.
Humankind did not become the dominant species on the planet by being cruel. It survived by being able to work in large groups, and think at a higher level than every other kind of animal. Yes, conflict over resources and ideology have caused much in the way of destruction and chaos.
Ultimately however, it is man's ability to function in a group for a mutual interest that makes him more likely to survive. Compassion and kindness exists, and it exists for a good reason. Without these things, man would be unable to raise children capable of surviving at a higher standard or be able to assist other members of the species to survive.
Cruelty doesn't make one more likely to survive in the long term.
If anything, it just makes you more likely to fail.
At the end of the day, you need to see someone, because I'm afraid that you may be suffering from a kind of paranoid depression. I'm not saying this would need to be medicated, most cases of any given mental disturbance don't actually require that stuff.
However, it wouldn't be a bad idea just to talk to someone.
Because our lives are good, people around us are good, and we've had better experiences than you. I see plenty of bad things in this world but also plenty of good that balances it out. That doesn't make me stupid, it means im not cynical and don't hate life, two things I (and most people) consider to be good qualities. I like to think of myself as an optimistic realist, I take a favorable view of the world in situations where its reasonable to expect such. It happens that this works for me much of the time.
and mostly 15 year old recluses have "no faith in humanity". If you're older than that I suggest you start growing up. It's kind of pathetic and self centered.
and mostly 15 year old recluses have "no faith in humanity". If you're older than that I suggest you start growing up. It's kind of pathetic and self centered.
Look back 500 years. Life expectancy of about 35 years. Life expectancy now, 72 years.Doclector said:
First powered flight in 1903. 58 years later, first man in space. 8 years later, first man on the moon. There was a total of 66 years between flying for the first time, and landing on the moon. Isn't that deserving of a WOW?
Mankind has successfully created the process by which stars are powered. We have sent probes out of our very solar system. We can split and fuse the atom. We have written millions of works of literature. We have created machines that can calculate billions of equations a second. We can communicate with each other across the entire planet in a fraction of a second.
We have done some wondrous things. Show me a creature that has accomplished more. Yes, we fight each other. But we create much more than we destroy.
Well my friend...*chuckles* the debate as to whether humans are inherently evil or inherently good or inherently...well, neither has raged for centuries. History gives us a rather depressing outlook. Interestingly, your experience has contributed to your negative perspective. In contrast, I know many people whose personal experience with fellow humans has given them much more faith than doubt in the goodness of people. *shrugs* That isn't to diminish the validity of either our views, however.
The best answer I can come up with is...Faith is akin to hope. Without hope, there is death. I know those are vague terms, so here it is in other words: to believe humanity is evil and out to get you is a belief of despair. If you lose faith in humanity, you're liable to lose other things: your own charity, your perseverance, even your will to live, if it's extreme enough. It's a belief that automatically deems humanity as hopeless and unreliable, and that has a (usually negative) impact on your relations and interactions with every single human you come in contact with. A great source of affirmative endurance in this world is some sense of solidarity with your fellow humans. That is lost when one has no faith in their goodness (assuming you consider yourself good, which the vast majority of selves do).
If humans are no good, why give them the time of day? But if humans are at least partly good, it is worth working with them, investing in them, and spending your life in their company.
On a side note, I personally have this perverse belief that all humans are inherently good (and have the possibility (ok, inevitability) of doing evil...so they're at least all good when they start out at birth lol). And--I'm not certain of the extent of this--deep down in their soul, no one is evil, at least in their own eyes. Their actions can be monstrously evil, but the motivations are almost always justified in their own minds, however deviantly. So...you could say all humans intend ultimate good (though that good may be horribly wrong for most of us).
The best answer I can come up with is...Faith is akin to hope. Without hope, there is death. I know those are vague terms, so here it is in other words: to believe humanity is evil and out to get you is a belief of despair. If you lose faith in humanity, you're liable to lose other things: your own charity, your perseverance, even your will to live, if it's extreme enough. It's a belief that automatically deems humanity as hopeless and unreliable, and that has a (usually negative) impact on your relations and interactions with every single human you come in contact with. A great source of affirmative endurance in this world is some sense of solidarity with your fellow humans. That is lost when one has no faith in their goodness (assuming you consider yourself good, which the vast majority of selves do).
If humans are no good, why give them the time of day? But if humans are at least partly good, it is worth working with them, investing in them, and spending your life in their company.
On a side note, I personally have this perverse belief that all humans are inherently good (and have the possibility (ok, inevitability) of doing evil...so they're at least all good when they start out at birth lol). And--I'm not certain of the extent of this--deep down in their soul, no one is evil, at least in their own eyes. Their actions can be monstrously evil, but the motivations are almost always justified in their own minds, however deviantly. So...you could say all humans intend ultimate good (though that good may be horribly wrong for most of us).
Why do you have so little faith in humanity? Both are valid question since both are questions about your personal opinion. I have faith in humanity because I'm just a romantic like that. Hobbes also believed that people were good and had faith in them to do the right thing (even in anarchy). People can believe whatever they want to believe but asking me to supply some reason beyond "because I do" seems unreasonable. It's like asking a religious person why he believes in his faith. Its a question that just holds as a general notion or belief on something.
"By the data to date, there is only one animal in the Galaxy dangerous to man--man himself. So he must supply his own indispensable competition. He has no enemy to help him." --Robert A. Heinlein.
The horrors seen throughout history can be explained by this quote. We must kill each other. It is the only way for our species to survive.
What faith in humanity I possess comes from my belief in our species's nigh-infinite potential. We have the potential to challenge all the miracles of the divine, and then best them. First, however, we will have to get over ourselves.
The horrors seen throughout history can be explained by this quote. We must kill each other. It is the only way for our species to survive.
What faith in humanity I possess comes from my belief in our species's nigh-infinite potential. We have the potential to challenge all the miracles of the divine, and then best them. First, however, we will have to get over ourselves.
Because their are people that remain human after seeing the worst of the worl incredible, the brilliant individuals that create such amazing things, because I am alive and as long as I remain so I have a choice I can leave the world to the looters and murderers or I can fight the inepttitude that allows their continued existence.
...Because they don't want to believe what people are capable of?
Personally, I think it's naive to believe in people, but since I hated humanity the more I leaned what they were capable of... I'm not a very good example...
Personally, I think it's naive to believe in people, but since I hated humanity the more I leaned what they were capable of... I'm not a very good example...
I had my fingers poised to type that. It pretty much sums me up. I am so far off the median in so many ways I have wondered quite seriously if I am actually human. While I often wish to fit in, I'll pass if it means I have to start liking pro sports, Justin Bieber, or fruit-flavored ice cream.Hiikuro said:
OT: First of all, Doc, you make me realize my own cynicism and persecution complex aren't nearly as bad as I thought they were. Thank you for providing me some perspective.
Morality is a construct of the mind. Good and evil are highly subjective terms. We call murderers evil but most murderers see themselves as the ones who were wronged. The word that best describes humans is selfish.
We are not unique in being selfish. Every organism is selfish. Trees try to grow taller, spread farther than their neighbors, eat the most sun, so their neighbors will starve. Viruses are quite willing to give us the sniffles, or even kill us, if it means they prosper. A lion will kill cubs sired by another male so he can impregnate the lioness himself. All life is hostile to all other life.
We are the most self-aware form of life here, it's true. But anyone who thinks self-awareness leads automatically to moral behavior is using false reasoning. Selfishness combines with self-awareness to multiply our capacity for selfishness. Understanding concepts more complex than hunger, shelter, or fatigue only means we can be selfish about more things.
But!
Selfishness isn't always bad. Primitive man worked to gather food for the tribe, because if the tribe ate and grew strong, so did he. We give our resources to our children because doing so fulfills our own emotional needs. We build hospitals because we want a safety net for our health. America put a man on the moon to one-up the Russians. All that work, just so they could say they did it first. In doing so they pioneered new sciences and technologies that made life better for everyone. The storekeeper who is extra polite to you is being selfish. He's not being polite because he cares what kind of day you have. He knows if you're happy you'll come back and buy from him again. His selfishness is the only reason the shop is there in the first place. He wants to profit, so he makes available something you want. Because you're selfish, because you want, you buy it. He wants, you want, and you both end up happy.
We have war, crime, drug addiction, all that stuff. But that's not all we have. Two sides to every Schwartz, my friend.