The Animal and the Human.

I'd like to preface this by saying that I've been contemplating a lot on my place in the universe. I've been watching documentaries on the vastness of the black hole that we live in on a daily basis. In a split second, anything could happen on the outside of our galaxy that could destroy us without warning. In a few million years, maybe even billions, we're going to fall into the sun...That is unless something else demolishes us first. We're survivors, but insignificant to just how great the universe is. And who knows if our universe is even the only one? It was blown into existence so long ago, and it's just too huge to ever see all of it...But what if it's not the only thing out there? What could possibly be bigger than the universe? Then, I think...nothing. Nothing could be bigger than it. I just cannot wrap my brain around the idea that my life is nothing special and that compared to just how large the whole universe is...I'm tinier than the tiniest microorganism. And I thought I was stuck in a huge world already...There's so much I will miss because my life is nothing in the eye of the whole.

I definitely believe in infinite complexity. I know that there is no simplest form, no start and end point. Forever there will be things that we still need to discover, and it may take all of modern human intelligence to do so. This brings me to my main point. What does it mean when you say that human beings are animals? Yes, we're evolved from ape like creatures which evolved from similar forms as other animals, so technically, we're nothing but beasts. However, our consciousness, our necessity to have language and protection and homes, our ability to use resources productively and widely...That seems to separate us from our evolutionary cousins. To call us anything other than animal would make sense, but we're all made up of the same things. We're mammals, who are constructed of bones and organs, tissues and blood. Our intelligence is what draws us apart from animal-life.

Modern human beings, I believe, are even more so intelligent than human beings in, say, the medieval times. I don't think this is because of any significant brain developments or mental doors being unlocked over hundreds of years; that would be too fast for such a big evolutionary leap. No, I think it's strictly because we've become more aware. We've learned more medically: we know what our bodies function for, we know how we process nutrients and information, we know how to cure diseases that would have once ravaged and killed us instantly. Human beings have discovered more about the known universe and have become more situationally aware. We know that we are not the only thing out there any longer. There are earth-like planets directly surrounding us. Life could be found elsewhere, because the likelihood that it's happened once (and can happen again) is so high. It could be possible that over the course of the universe's life, hundreds of other life supporting planets were born and destroyed. The universe is just that huge and that old and that predictable. If life evolves in the same way, if there's only one way, we may not even be the only human beings out there.

But with our greater knowledge, we've put ourself into a desperate box. Overpopulation is one key thing. As human beings, with human consciouses, we cannot live for natural selection. We will do anything to preserve human life because we feel that it is so special. To be honest, I see nothing special about being a human. We are animals. We live and then we die. But if we are healthy, natural selection would only allow us to live. Any children born with defects would die in the wild. Animals don't put other animals who are brain dead on life support. It's just not how they think. We have such complex and deep emotions, all of which are illusions, but we heed them at such a high cost. The world is not built to sustain seven billion people...but we push her to her limits.

Another thing that we as human beings do, setting us apart from animals, is that we rape the land. We take more than she can healthily give, and then we even expect more. We waste too much and conserve too little. Animals take what they need and they don't overindulge. It's beautiful and it's easy: survive. Human beings are greedy. We don't respect what our mother earth is giving us. We take advantage of her. Saving our planet takes more help than most people are willing to give. It takes a deeper, more animal-like appreciation for our planet.

I like to think that I have a personal relationship with mother earth. I can't say for sure that I will never rely on modern conveniences; that would be ludicrous. But I will conserve. I will spread knowledge. I will treat the planet with the respect that it deserves. It is our home and it won't be here forever, so make the most of it while you still can.