Evolution of stupidity among humans
Vishesh has passed a couple of awards and tagged me to write on this topic – Evolution of stupidity among humans. With such an enticing topic, you just cannot stop me from writing…. 😀
Alien: We have abducted you. You are now on-board in our space ship.
Man: Oh no, is it a dream?
Alien: Pinch yourself and test.
Man: It’s not. Wow, I am going to be a huge star on earth… WoW.
Alien: We want to ask you a few questions…
Man: Interview? Already? Why not? Will you be broadcasting this in your TV?
Alien: No. It is a part of our understanding of your activities on earth.
Man: I will not answer questions like why we are polluting the planet by different means, why few of us make huge wealth and push more people in to poverty, why we have increased the global warming and carbon emissions, why we have wiped out so many animal and plant species off the land, air and sea, why we are destroying forests…
Alien: Wait. We would love to know about all that, thanks for those leads. But let us know this: Why did you invent the wheel?
Man: Ha, what a silly question! Wheel is a very symbolic invention of ours. In a way, it could be termed as our first scientific invention. It was the wheel which led to the invention of so many tools later on. Using those tools, we invented the bulb, we invented the telephone, we invented the train, we invented the airplane, we invented the computer and everything else.
Alien: But why?
Man: They are all tools to make things easier for us. They enable us to save time. They do a lot of what we are supposed to do.
Alien: That means, you work for less hours now, when compared to the earlier times?
Man: Well not exactly.
Alien: Or, your work has become easier than before?
Man: Well no…
Alien: You don’t do anything any more and the computers do everything for you?
Man: See, you are taking things in the literal sense. What I meant was, we have progressed as a society. We have developed more intelligence. Perhaps a day will come when the robots, which we are trying to make today would do all the work for us, and we no longer need to work at all.
Alien: So that is your motivation. You don’t want to work at all.
Man: Well, why not?
Alien: Because, the Robots which you are inventing today, might get hold of your nuclear weapons one day in future.
Man: I never told you about nuclear weapons. How did you come to know about them?
Alien: I know more than what you think, I know. I am not an alien. I am a human being from the future. One of the few humans hiding in Mars because the robots have taken over both our planet and the nuclear weapons. And humans are no longer able to live on the earth because of nuclear dust and unbearable pollution. You know what caused all this? That single invention – Wheel. We were trying to go back to pre-historic times to prevent that invention, hoping that humans will at least live in harmony with nature after that. But by some mistake, we came to your time!
Destination Infinity
PS: We are not in harmony with nature because of greed, not because of science. We were greedy in the past, we are more greedy now and we will be even more greedy in future. Think about it!!
😆
I agree. It's humankind's lowly nature 😡 that's to be blamed for all the woes of the planet 😐
Yeah, humankind's lowly and greedy nature… I don't know why someone decided to give us such high intelligence!
Destination Infinity
lol 😛 you forgot to pass on the awards and ops tag them as well 😉
but yes we have the aliens like us who have some bits of sagacity in us and the rest 🙂 Just hope we aren't the ones who are going to be tested 🙂
I will pass on the awards in my next post… Everyone born on this planet will be tested.
Destination Infinity
Very good take DI! This is awesome! To sum it, arrogance and the fallacy of a superior notion will lead us all to total destruction!
See the balance: God gave us intelligence and ability, but he has also given us the greed and arrogance. I think it is only fair on the other creatures on this earth!
Destination Infinity
brilliant!!! 🙂 hats off to u! loved it 😀
a very innovative way to showcase stupidity, i say! and i agree with u 100% on this:
We are not in harmony with nature because of greed, not because of Science.
It is always Science vs Religion. We sometimes forget the actual culprit!
Destination Infinity
try reading Dan Brown's ''Angels & Demons''. it brings forth the theory that sceience and religion are not opposing concepts, but that they ultimately proclaim the same things… but in different forms. interesting!
There was some blog where I read about the same concept, don't remember which. Makes sense actually! But there is a proper book that analyses it, then I should read… Thanks for the same.
Destination Infinity
WOWW !! I really dont know how you people think all these stuffs ! Makes me feel so little about myself !! Amazing read ! Especially the last sentence !!!! Too good DI !!
🙂 Thanks Vishesh or who ever came up with that title. That was the inspiration…
Destination Infinity
Oh1 its me 😛 Vimmuuu , why don't you give it a try 😉 I think I will do it as well 🙂
Amazing DI… this one is really good and cant add anything more… well said 🙂 the last one sums it all 🙂
Actually, I was about to sign off without the last sentence… but thankfully, I added that!
Destination Infinity
Yes, the Wheel is the culprit! Very well written, Destination Infinity. Yes, why do we want to live lazily without doing any work?
Robots taking over our nuclear weapons…it might happen but definitely not in our time…again human selfishness surfaces!
In Japan, there are robots that react to human emotions and show emotions too… The Japanese seem to be so much fascinated by Robots!! There is one branch of study called the neural networks which enable robots or computers to automatically learn from the surroundings, just like us! Go figure 🙂
Destination Infinity
I am scared, Destination Infinity! They might murder us also!
Interesting , as long as the "big brains" keep it for themselves and don't sell it we are safe.. 🙂 Thats the problem , wrong toys in the hands of kids 😉
I am ok as long as the tools are with sensible people like the Japanese. I wonder if we have robots that can learn as much. Fortunately, they cannot learn emotions as only the emotionally unstable people get in to such activities. 🙂
Destination Infinity
One interesting idea- what if being greedy is human nature?
It is. We could have been deliberately programmed to be greedy.
Have you looked at the ants? They work so hard and save food to distribute among the ones living in the colony – they keep doing it all the time but we still cannot call them greedy. Some Humans on the other hand, have enough food, have enough resources to buy more food, but still will deprive a lot of people of their food! And will keep working to achieve position, power, wealth and everything else in higher number without realizing why they need all that and whether they need it at all! I think stashing away billions in Swiss banks is stupidity at its heighest! It is actually useful to no one, but still considered valuable! I don't know if making that money gives happiness to people or denying that money to others gives happiness to people!
Destination Infinity
This was a good piece of imagination.
Some of the fears are plausible. But some are not–especially, filling the Earth with nuclear dust. Some agencies have been spreading very wrong impressions about nuclear energy. It's the best thing to happen to mankind.
Also, the 'man' in your account is not observant enough, and he panders to the widespread popular, uncharitable misconception about role of technology in our lives. Indeed, machines have made our work much easier. I'm surprised the 'man' didn't notice it. Imagine, even if one works for fourteen hours a day in an air conditioned office, it's nothing compared to hunting for a rabbit, or a buffalo, not knowing, if you'd earn yourself a meal, or become yourself one for a pack of wolves or lions or tigers.
Also, office work is much much simpler than working in fields under the scorching Sun, without bullocks to help you ('cuz we won't have wheel!), not knowing if the rain God would bless you.
It's much easier to live under the fear of AIDS, swine flu, hepatitis, and what not with their causes known (and thus preventive measures), and to an extent, even their treatment, as compared to living under the fear of 'wrath of evil spirits' (small pox, malaria, cancers, etc. with unknown causes). It's much better to know our children will outlive us 95 percent times as compared to only two to three surviving out of a dozen that would be produced.
Imagine, with all those fears if you could ever have time and inclination to think about all the philosophical, social and scientific things that you blog about? Maybe, we would have all been sleeping in a cave, bitten by countless bugs and mosquitoes, without a fire outside, and with complete knowledge of the possibility that when you'd wake up one of the children would be missing playing its part in the food chain ('cuz fire wouldn't have been invented!).
The only thing, in my opinion, that has changed is we crib more than in the past. Yes, maybe greed is the reason for that.
But biggest reason you've forgotten is overpopulation. Imagine if the population had been tenth of what it's now, everything would be tenth of its price, and much easily available, with much greater freedom for keeping our environment cleaner and greener…
In a sense, the nuclear energy is one of the major breakthrough – it makes us wonder how much of energy can be packed in to small atoms! It broadens our understanding of the universe. But, it can be used for constructive as well as destructive applications. Though we might feel that we are in full control of nuclear weapons, all it takes is one missile/nuclear war-head in wrong hands. The way world works, that is very much possible.
For a person born and brought up in city – living in AC rooms is quite normal. Ask any of your friends if at all they felt happy every time going in to such air-conditioned offices. We adopt to such conditions and they are no longer comfortable – say when compared to a farmer who would first time experience such comforts. And then, he too gets used to it. Just like how he got used to the sun, hard work and everything else. In fact, the skills that a farmer gains and passes on to further generations is lost with the city-dwellers. One small scratch in the legs, and the city dweller would keep crying for the entire day! which a farmer might think is crazy!
I think human race has actually survived all the factors you mention and come to this stage. In fact, humans develop skills to survive such natural challenges, continuity of which I very much doubt with the city dwellers. Of course they have developed other skills – but I still don't see why or how technology is bringing down the number of hours put in work! Isn't that the basic idea of developing technology?
Ability to survive/live alone doesn't mean better life. If that was the logic, the animals in the zoo should be the most happiest and lucky creatures on earth – they get food and social security without having to work!!
Having twelve kids and nine of them dying because of lack of health care is anyday better than just having one kid brought up in the most pampered atmosphere but still throwing out the parents during the old age. Having more resources doesn't always mean it is better or used efficiently. Just look around you to see how money is wasted in the name of luxury!
I agree with the overpopulation part.
Destination Infinity
…Incidentally, it's the second time in succession that I've disagreed, but that's because I actually had something to contribute. Hope you don't mind. 🙂
TC.
The very idea of blogging, according to me, is to disagree. That broadens our horizons and makes us think in different levels. I wish more people disagree and make the blogs different from the real world!
Destination Infinity
Swine flu attack at its worst is a way of nature to tell us, who is in-charge!! 🙁
I look at it objectively – we are the food to the swine flu virus 🙂 Nature's workings are indeed strange. It doesn't react when we expect it to, but it does when we are least expecting it to! And nature is any day in-charge. No doubts on that. It controls us through illusions.
Destination Infinity
Amazing take on the subject. ..Vishesh's topic was interesting and I was curious to read your post ever since you mentioned you would be writing it.,
Humans as a a species do suck a lot..I agree…but there are some who make me hope and thats the only thing I think that keeps this world going…
for every stupid decision on this planet there are hundreds who will sit on roads and protest their lungs out..against that decision..
That makes it worth it.
I agree with your last lines
We are not in harmony with nature because of greed, not because of Science. We were greedy in the past, we are more greedy now and we will be even more greedy in future. Think about it!!
yes, science is not to be blamed when we ourselves are the culprits..
reminds me of Gandhi Ji's words
''The earth has enough for man's need but not for his greed''
You seem to know a lot of MG quotes! That quote was very appropirate for this article. We get a chance to look at both – extreme hopefullness and extreme hopelessness! And that gives us a better understanding, I guess!
Hi DI,
You have been awarded:
http://kanaguonline.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/blog…
Please accept it 🙂
Accepted, thanks!
Destination Infinity
A terrific thought provoking post! I liked the way you analyzed your points and also the answers to the comments. If only we could survive in peace!
Sometimes we go to the level of becoming pieces, to understand the value of peace (in vain) later on…
Destination Infinity
What a beautiful beautiful story! I agree! It is not science but the greed thats the root cause of all the problems.
I would like to go a step further and say.. its not just greed but greed coupled with stupidity and no future vision that has caused this mishap.
For if one is not after immediate gratification.. one can be greedy and yet not hurt the apple cart 🙂
Nice comment. Maybe we should name this 'blind greed' !
Destination Infinity
a wonderful depiction!
Thanks,
Destination Infinity
"We are not in harmony with nature because of greed, not because of Science. We were greedy in the past, we are more greedy now and we will be even more greedy in future. Think about it!!"
Thinking about this, I actually think science, as we know it in its most incomplete form, is being used as an excuse. "we need to improve this, that…", "oh we are trying to create a hybrid human", but eventually, it ends up as "please pay us $100 billion for research"…
No wonder that almost all bonafide religions warn against Lust, Greed and Anger. (Incidentally, one leads to other in the same order. Just think about it :))
now guys you should do the opposite tag to be coherent: evolution of wisdom among humans 😉
Brilliant post!
There will come a time when human scum creatures completely annihilate themselves and I'll be extremely glad even if I'm going to perish myself. However, I hope the other creatures (animals and plants) are saved. They didn't do any harm and they don't deserve to perish due to the actions of the clothed-apes-with-opposable-thumbs 😡