Evolved or Mutated
The word “evolved” has many positive connotations. The main one is better than the older versions. Wow! We have evolved. Our science, technology, and understanding of the world are better than in the past. The word “mutated” on the other hand implies “degenerated”….
Are we evolved or mutated?
Well, it’s been said that we humans survive thanks to our ability to adapt to changing conditions. I don’t doubt it. Adaptability however is a double-edged sword. We adapt to the good and the bad; to the better and the worse.
We survived because we adapted. We continue surviving because we keep on adapting. The question is: what do we adapt to and how does the ongoing adaptation affect us?
We have always been convinced that we are adapting up and therefore evolving. That’s flattering but, is it true?
For over 100 years, we have been adapting to contaminated water and polluted air. A little shorter than that, we have been adapting to chemically altered and – more recently – genetically modified food. Our homes are built of synthetic materials. Our furniture, cooking pots, etc. are toxic. Our clothing is synthetic. Man-made soles of our shoes insulate us from contact with the ground.
More or less smoothly we adapt. (We know that feeding cattle the wrong food resulted in mad cow disease. No, we don’t have mad cow disease. We only have rising rates of infertility, cancer, Autism, and dementia. All is good….) Are we becoming healthier, stronger, smarter, and better than our counterparts from 150-200 or a thousand years ago?…
• We created the atomic bomb. However, it was Democritus in ancient Greece who introduced the atom theory. (How did he come up with it without the benefit of “modern” science and technology?)
• We build skyscrapers. They are lower than many ancient structures. (How were the monumental ancient structures erected presumably without knowledge, tools, or technology?)
• We build boxes and live in boxes. Take a good look at the sophisticated buildings from 100s of years ago, we can’t compete.
• We take pride in our knowledge of astronomy. Well, several indigenous tribes have known for thousands of years about the existence of certain stars and galaxies we are just discovering. (How did they know if they were so “primitive”?)
How does it make sense? In our infinite hubris, we always assumed that the ancients were inferior to us but were they really? We believe that they had no science, no tools, no technology, and so on. Even the remaining relics showcase their impressive knowledge and engineering skills.
Archeologists continue finding remnants of advanced ancient civilizations whose builders vanished without a trace. Maybe history repeats itself and the Earth’s civilizations destroy themselves; others start from scratch, develop, and create only to self-destruct, over and over again. Just look at us.
Our “primitive” predecessors didn’t destroy the ozone layer, cause climate change, deplete natural resources, spread plastic trash, or poison themselves. We did and we do.
We manufacture nuclear weapons. We are drowning in trash. We are responsible for massive amounts of toxic waste. We engage in fracking, built nuclear power plants, and land space shuttles next to earthquake faults…. What does it say about our ability to reason?
Maybe we are not more and better. Maybe we are not the evolved, superior humans we believe ourselves to be. Offensive as it may be to today’s sensibilities, maybe we are less? Maybe we are not evolved, merely mutated? How else to explain our willingness to degrade our bodies and minds or our efforts to destroy the only planet that supports life?
The ancients respected their bodies, minds, and Nature. We don’t. It doesn’t seem like progress but degeneration. Do YOU think we are evolved or mutated?…. Share your thoughts below, in the comments.
