do you think humanity is worth saving?

[feral witchchild]

Both the Earth and Humanity don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Yes, the Earth is beautiful and wondrous, but it's far from unique. There are countless planets out there, more beautiful and complex than the Earth, or than we could possibly imagine. Every millisecond thousands of these are being torn to shreds by meteorites, blown away in supernovae or sucked into blackholes. A small percentage of them, perhaps, could contain basic life, or even sentient life.

The false sense of importance of our particular rock is ridiculous. Once again, the only thing that is important about the Earth, is that it contains the species of which your consciousness happens to be a part of. Apart from that, it's just another fleck of dust under the universal carpet.

This is quite possibly the best post I've read on this site to date. Well said.

[hackman]

Both the Earth and Humanity don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Yes, the Earth is beautiful and wondrous, but it's far from unique. There are countless planets out there, more beautiful and complex than the Earth, or than we could possibly imagine. Every millisecond thousands of these are being torn to shreds by meteorites, blown away in supernovae or sucked into blackholes. A small percentage of them, perhaps, could contain basic life, or even sentient life.

The false sense of importance of our particular rock is ridiculous. Once again, the only thing that is important about the Earth, is that it contains the species of which your consciousness happens to be a part of. Apart from that, it's just another fleck of dust under the universal carpet.

This is quite possibly the best post I've read on this site to date. Well said.

really?

[human?]

full solar eclipses says we are special.

reductionist materialist ideology is soooo 20th century

[feral witchchild]

Both the Earth and Humanity don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Yes, the Earth is beautiful and wondrous, but it's far from unique. There are countless planets out there, more beautiful and complex than the Earth, or than we could possibly imagine. Every millisecond thousands of these are being torn to shreds by meteorites, blown away in supernovae or sucked into blackholes. A small percentage of them, perhaps, could contain basic life, or even sentient life.

The false sense of importance of our particular rock is ridiculous. Once again, the only thing that is important about the Earth, is that it contains the species of which your consciousness happens to be a part of. Apart from that, it's just another fleck of dust under the universal carpet.

This is quite possibly the best post I've read on this site to date. Well said.

really?

I agree with what he's saying regardless of my OWN opinion of whether or not humanity should be saved. As someone with a family and friends I love, I obviously wouldn't want the human race to be wiped out. haha

...but I do genuinely think that humans place too much significance on our own relevance in the universe around us, without realizing that we are merely a speck in the grand scheme of things, especially as a species. I mean, it's ridiculous to think that humanity will somehow fare any better than the dominant species of the past which have come and go. Sure, our technology might give us a way better shot at doing so, but...it's just ridiculous to think that things will go on forever as they are. The Earth's history is punctuated with cataclysmic events that wiped nearly everything out. It's ridiculous to think that it can't or won't happen to us. :/

[_v_]

I think some of it is worth saving...

as in if most of us got wiped out somehow and the survivors continued on by learning from our mistakes and made the human race better.... then yes


but unfortunately, its human nature to get greedy and fuck things up.... so it would probably just happen all over again, same mistakes, same human bullshit.



and look, the dinosaurs were here for 165 million years and probably thought they were the be all and end all of existence and would live on earth forever..... look what happend to them, they had their chance....

we've been around for what? 200,000 years....and managed to fuck up the earth in the last 100....do your math that is some massive difference. I say were probably fucked anyway, and nobody to blame but ourselves..... peace.

[hackman]

"It's ridiculous to think that it can't or won't happen to us"

i don't think many people are doubting that, that isn't what the threads about anyways

mean, it's ridiculous to think that humanity will somehow fare any better than the dominant species of the past which have come and go.

really? ridiculous to think humanity will fare better than the dinosaurs?

[human?]

I agree with what he's saying regardless of my OWN opinion of whether or not humanity should be saved. As someone with a family and friends I love, I obviously wouldn't want the human race to be wiped out. haha

...but I do genuinely think that humans place too much significance on our own relevance in the universe around us, without realizing that we are merely a speck in the grand scheme of things, especially as a species. I mean, it's ridiculous to think that humanity will somehow fare any better than the dominant species of the past which have come and go. Sure, our technology might give us a way better shot at doing so, but...it's just ridiculous to think that things will go on forever as they are. The Earth's history is punctuated with cataclysmic events that wiped nearly everything out. It's ridiculous to think that it can't or won't happen to us. :/

so let me ask you, how is it that we have come to know that we are "merely a speck"?

[feral witchchild]

really? ridiculous to think humanity will fare better than the dinosaurs?

Er, I even said that our technology might give us a better shot at surviving, but come on, man, do you really think humans would be able to survive a truly devastating global cataclysm?

I mean, we might LAST a bit longer, I'll give you that, but something like the extinction event which wiped out the dinosaurs would likely keel a significant chunk of people on this planet...if not instantly, then eventually through it's effects on the environment. Think about how poor most of the world is, think about how callous the governments of the world are, if shit REALLY hit the fan, how do you think things would turn out for the majority of humans?

[feral witchchild]

I agree with what he's saying regardless of my OWN opinion of whether or not humanity should be saved. As someone with a family and friends I love, I obviously wouldn't want the human race to be wiped out. haha

...but I do genuinely think that humans place too much significance on our own relevance in the universe around us, without realizing that we are merely a speck in the grand scheme of things, especially as a species. I mean, it's ridiculous to think that humanity will somehow fare any better than the dominant species of the past which have come and go. Sure, our technology might give us a way better shot at doing so, but...it's just ridiculous to think that things will go on forever as they are. The Earth's history is punctuated with cataclysmic events that wiped nearly everything out. It's ridiculous to think that it can't or won't happen to us. :/

so let me ask you, how is it that we have come to know that we are "merely a speck"?

I meant merely a speck in relative terms, that doesn't mean I think our existence is completely meaningless or irrelevant or something - all I'm saying is that Earth was here a long time before we popped up and WILL be here long after we're gone.

[human?]

I agree with what he's saying regardless of my OWN opinion of whether or not humanity should be saved. As someone with a family and friends I love, I obviously wouldn't want the human race to be wiped out. haha

...but I do genuinely think that humans place too much significance on our own relevance in the universe around us, without realizing that we are merely a speck in the grand scheme of things, especially as a species. I mean, it's ridiculous to think that humanity will somehow fare any better than the dominant species of the past which have come and go. Sure, our technology might give us a way better shot at doing so, but...it's just ridiculous to think that things will go on forever as they are. The Earth's history is punctuated with cataclysmic events that wiped nearly everything out. It's ridiculous to think that it can't or won't happen to us. :/

so let me ask you, how is it that we have come to know that we are "merely a speck"?

I meant merely a speck in relative terms, that doesn't mean I think our existence is completely meaningless or irrelevant or something - all I'm saying is that Earth was here a long time before we popped up and WILL be here long after we're gone.

thats what im saying tho, how did we figure out that we are "merely a speck in relative terms"?

the science is that the necessary conditions for biological life with celestial observational capacities is probably quite rare indeed.

i dont think we are the first to walk this path, but i do believe we are actually THE grand scheme of things...

[soulshynchyld]

a frivolous momentary point of view...

why would humanity be in need of being saved? is it in danger? i can't seem to find a check point & there doesn't seem to be an autosave option. it's not like we have a choice. are some humans doing fukt up things? yup mos def. but not as horrific as what we have in the past! I think the real question should be.... is the earth worth saving? CAPITALISM: the means of creating revenue from unsustainable resources... this is the major problem humanity faces. is wealth worth saving? do yall wana live a lifestyle that maintains a stable ecosystem, do yall wana start biking everywhere, grow veges with & for your community, get rid of supermarkets & malls? we are our own destruction!! each one teach one! the only way forward is to go backwards!!

the moral of the story is... save yourself & humanity will follow!!

[hackman]

really? ridiculous to think humanity will fare better than the dinosaurs?

Er, I even said that our technology might give us a better shot at surviving, but come on, man, do you really think humans would be able to survive a truly devastating global cataclysm?

of course, we will have the technology (i believe we already do) to colonise other planets (which i believe we already have)

[_v_]

a frivolous momentary point of view...

why would humanity be in need of being saved? is it in danger? i can't seem to find a check point & there doesn't seem to be an autosave option. it's not like we have a choice. are some humans doing fukt up things? yup mos def. but not as horrific as what we have in the past! I think the real question should be.... is the earth worth saving? CAPITALISM: the means of creating revenue from unsustainable resources... this is the major problem humanity faces. is wealth worth saving? do yall wana live a lifestyle that maintains a stable ecosystem, do yall wana start biking everywhere, grow veges with & for your community, get rid of supermarkets & malls? we are our own destruction!! each one teach one! the only way forward is to go backwards!!

the moral of the story is... save yourself & humanity will follow!!

this......... the right track for sure, or we can ignore it and die.... which is most likely. Learn to swim.

[cyberneticghost]

really? ridiculous to think humanity will fare better than the dinosaurs?

Er, I even said that our technology might give us a better shot at surviving, but come on, man, do you really think humans would be able to survive a truly devastating global cataclysm?

of course, we will have the technology (i believe we already do) to colonise other planets (which i believe we already have)

You don't need to go that far ahead to see that our technology gives us far better chances. If there is a mass pollution of the water supply we have filtration techniques. If the earth returns to an arctic climate we have cold weather gear combined with moving to the warmer parts of the earth. If the earth becomes irradiated we have radiation suits. If volcanic ash blocks out the sun we have hydroponics to grow our food indoors. I think that mankind's most promising feature is our ability to adapt rapidly. If the dinosaurs were faced with these situations they would have to wait for their species to evolve over long periods of time. Hell they might die out before that even happens, but we can invent something to help us cope with the situation.

[_v_]

Its our technology that makes us think we are something special, god-like and will live forever no matter what happens... but its our technology that is killing us.


fuck the human race, and fuck our god-like egos.


if the time comes it comes.... no amount of technology is greater than the force of nature and the universe.

[human?]

Its our technology that makes us think we are something special, god-like and will live forever no matter what happens... but its our technology that is killing us.


fuck the human race, and fuck our god-like egos.

its our forgetting of our divinity that is the source of our woes.... all in all... its the reductionist materialist who destroys and consumes.... lol @ god having a ego...

[human?]

if the time comes it comes.... no amount of technology is greater than the force of nature and the universe.

technology IS the force of nature & the universe... nothing exists outside and apart from nature. nothing exists that nature doesnt allow for.

[_v_]

yeah maybe I wasnt clear on what I meant by "god-like egos"


I meant that we believe ourselves so powerful and so superior to everything else because of our technology, that our egos have risen so high we believe ourselves to be like gods..... that clearer?

I mean, just because some tnuc invented a television it dosnt mean we're the be all and end all of everything, the universe has been around a lot longer than us and its power is much greater than ours, we are its visitors.

we are 2% off from being chimpanzees for fuck sake. picture the scale.

[human?]

yeah maybe I wasnt clear on what I meant by "god-like egos"


I meant that we believe ourselves so powerful and so superior to everything else because of our technology, that our egos have risen so high we believe ourselves to be like gods..... that clearer?

I mean, just because some tnuc invented a television it dosnt mean we're the be all and end all of everything, the universe has been around a lot longer than us and its power is much greater than ours, we are its visitors.

we are 2% off from being chimpanzees for fuck sake. picture the scale.

ahhhhh see, youve expressed my point covertly!! lol

picture the scale!! exactly the type of abstraction & observation that makes us completely different than chimpanzees.

we arent at all visitors. we are its beautiful children, here to observe and participate in the glory, and the father mother mind has alot of plans for us!!!!

we ARE gods!!!!!

God with a big G? no.... but that name is unknowable...



*edit* i tried to go back and read the rest of the thread, but couldnt lol.. but early on theres comparisons of the human race to a cancer or virus... i dont think thats the case at all... unless you consider a fetus a cancer...

if you were to know nothing of human child birth, and all of a sudden were in the room while it happened, you may indeed be under the impression that the baby is killing the mother, and that something awful is happening.... which is exactly whats not happening... altho, sometimes women do die in childbirth...

point being, birth looks messy.... its bloody... lots of screaming, lots of pain.... but its still birth, not cancer.

[_v_]

man you are full of hope for a better future, as am I..... to get back to the original post, yeah I do think theres something worth saving.... but not as things are at the moment, something has to change dramatically for that to happen, wether it be from our own actions or the actions of nature/the universe.... because as I see it we are heading down a dark path to extiction.


I dont want to prolong this debate about the human race being "gods" or having "god-like egos".... I see your point, but I think its really is just based on hope, your alot more optimistic than I am man, and we do need that optimism, but we also need to realize we are raping our own mother in the ass at the moment, and she aint happy about it.... she is and will fight back for her existence, I dont think its that obscure to consider, look at natural disasters etc escalating more and more since records began... but we will continue to create a justification for this one way or another because thats our nature, and continue with our greed and destruction untill its too late... I dunno, maybe this 2012 shit will lead to another chance/ start. Then we will have to wake up and see our fortune, learn from our mistakes, be thankful and understand that we cannot live again the way we did in the past... we are all to disconnected for this to happen at the moment, but unfortunately it takes a tragedy to unite us, so maybe a "tragedy" on a global scale will unite us on a global scale....