Humans. Self-proclaimed rulers of the earth. Fair enough, the capacity to think has taken us leaps and bounds. We aren't even close to being a physically dominating species, yet we find ourselves on top of the food chain, and any other chain for that matter, because of our brain capacity.
We say that the ability to reason like we do is both the greatest gift and the worst trait, and I can agree with that. We're continually finding better and easier ways to achieve what we have always achieved in the past. It's a natural progression. Things become more streamlined, less resistance is encountered with the greater advancements of technology. But to what end?
Things may be better for us, but is it really better for what is around us? We continue to pollute the earth, use up the resources, and it's speeding up. We can blame capitalism or the devil or some other huge force beyond our control, like human nature. But that's just it. The word nature. We see ourselves as separate from it, as its grand conquerors and destroyers. We liken ourselves to a virus - entering a system, using up the resources and then moving on to find more. But does this make us separate?
What I'm trying to say is, what makes what we're doing wrong? I'm talking about in the grand scheme of things. In the universal context. Nature always strikes a balance. If we mess things up too much, it will hit back at us. Conversely, our very existence could be a result of hitting back at something else or even acting as a catalyst for something bigger than us.
Now I'm not at all saying that what we're doing to the earth is right, but who's to say that it's wrong? Yes, we have the power of cognitive thought and hence have the ability to know the difference between right and wrong, but it hasn't done anything to curb what we as a species are doing. I believe that everybody is essentially good but as a collective, it seems that we have no control over how we come across as a species.
A single germ may be essentially good and most of them probably are, but their reason for being is to the detriment of their host. Each individual one has no idea what impact their collective presence is having. It's nature. Nature is cruel. We are nature. We can't really change that, individually.
We can stand up for this, that and the other. Have all our views and opinions. Try and fight the system. In the end, nature's gonna win, be it human nature or the nature that we don't see ourselves as part of. We are part of nature. Our very existence is natural. Whatever happens to us, the earth or any other species living here is all a result of the progression of nature. Nothing more, nothing less.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.