The Threat

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Without claw or tooth, without speed or fangs dripping poison, what hope was there ever in the evolutionary scheme of things that humans might prevail as long as they have? How have we spread across the planet, visited the moon, explored the very depths of the oceans though lacking gills or even fins –  how have we, as weak vessels of mere bone, blood and flimsy skin achieved all that we seemingly have?

Brain capacity and a penchant for being utterly ruthless – even towards our own kind is my guess. That’s how. Some say the human brain is the crowning achievement of evolution, what with our overdeveloped cerebral cortex in relation to brain size and the sheer number of neurons and glial cells in comparison to other animals. This enables complex decision making and thought processes. And more importantly an enhanced understanding of the meaning and nature of survival and death. 

As such we perceive threat with great clarity and we search for ways to exploit in order to perpetuate and enhance our own existence and that of our genetic material, our progeny with the greatest weapon at our disposal – our minds. And so yes, we have distinguished ourselves as achievers bar none in comparison to what might have been expected. But as always, there is a catch, a shadow side.

This shadow side is what permitted the holocaust. It permited the shame of slavery and still does. It opened the door and allowed British colonialism to ride roughshod over vast swathes of the world. For women to be treated as lesser beings than men, to be abused and to live under a malison of disadvantage, without education or equal rights during much of modern history. Many people of different sexual orientations have been abused, pariahed, even killed. The shadow side of humanity has also championed the mighty fist of organized religion in many cases to both physically and metaphorically rape the very people it claims to shepherd and guide. The dark, ravenous side of human nature has allowed a situation where one percent of the global population possesses half of the world’s wealth whilst the rest clamour and sweat blood and tears just for life’s basic necessities. 

We predate on ourselves. Like sharks. Praying mantises. Spiders. We are undeniably ugly when you look at history. We are terrifying. What other species is ruthless enough or dangerous enough to wipe out 226,000 of their own in just two strikes? I am of course referring to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most of those killed were civilians. They died horrific deaths. And this dark side of us filters ever further, down through society where it occurs on smaller scales; such as cases of rape, theft, bullying, murder, abuse, corruption, racism, oppression, sectarianism etc.

It is no great stretch to postulate that every single one of us has experienced or has seen something of this nature. Maybe we belong to a culture, a family, a section of society which has been or is on the receiving end of such iniquitous treatment. But what then? How does this current pinnacle of evolutionary development (the human brain) process and respond to the fact that we are social creatures yet time and again we ‘cannibalise’ and turn on each other for our own advancement and survival?

Frequently, with hatred and retaliation if the news is anything to go by. But there are a myriad other reactions too, as you would expect from such convoluted beings as ourselves. These reactions include judicial action, bitterness, monumental and hyper inflated pride in whatever group you belong to that was or is being persecuted, fear, trauma, addiction, suicide, bigotry, altruism, withdrawal, dialogue, political activism, spirituality, the list is very long. Far longer than I have time to record here. But you get the gist I hope. That when we attack each other and predate on each other, do not behave justly or with moral integrity to all, there are consequences. Many of them, almost as bad, if not more destructive than the evil that was first inflicted.

It is hardly necessary for me to state examples since we are all aware. We’ve all seen it. Most of us have even reacted in at least one of these ways ourselves. But the key to stopping any bad cycle is reflecting. Reacting differently when presented with a similar problem or challenge if the outcome is not efficacious and constructive.

So maybe we DO need to ask ourselves for the purpose of self advancement, things like;

Is making descendants of a cultural/religious group who in the past perhaps harmed your cultural/religious group, feel bad, threatened, demeaned, intimidated or worse still attacking them, going to heal you or them? Is it helpful or are you perpetuating the cycle, hurting yourself and in turn becoming the very thing you claim to hate? – No. This is a grudge and harmful for all involved, clearly.

Is hating on women or men because you can’t find a partner and/or feel you’ve been mistreated going to help you or anyone else in the long run or will your bitterness isolate you even more? – Once again, this a grudge.

Is it balanced to be so outlandishly and vocally proud of whatever minority group you were in that has been or is still being persecuted that you literally attempt to bubble yourselves off from society – ya know, those pesky ‘others’ and then moan because they struggle to relate to you, yet many of them try anyway? – Another self defeating grudge. 

Removing or destroying statues and monuments associated with slavery or colonialism…what does this achieve apart from allowing those wrongs to still possess the power to hurt in the present, in the here and now instead of being left in the past to be seen as part of history – and history is not a dish that is meant to be palatable. It is not possible at our current state of evolution. Every nation has its errors and shames as do all people. To pretend these events didn’t happen is ludicrous. – Such incidents are actions borne of a pointless grudge. 

No matter how hard, the only way to move forward is TO move forward from the past. Acknowledge it. Fight. Fight for your right to achieve peace in this one life you have but within yourself first and foremost, not against your fellow humans. To savage each other, bear grudges and use each other will only lead to more pain and ultimately our extinction. Peace and unity is our best and only chance of survival. Until then the biggest threat to humanity is actually us.  

I hate to say this…but so much for our species having such awesome brains. But now for some great quotes…peace out folks x

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