Category: Humanity

Is It A Wonderful World?

Sometimes it feels as though everything is awful. Does that feeling obscure how wonderful the world is? Or is it, in fact, not full of wonder?

It’s a simple fact that humanity faces existential-level crises, from climate change to species extinction. In addition, ongoing wars, uncertainty over artificial intelligence, political unrest add to an uneasy sensation that sometimes feels like it permeates everything.

And yet, there is great wonder in the world. There is stunning natural beauty, like waterfalls or mountain ranges. There are is an amazing variety of animals, birds, and fish that populate every nook and cranny of the world. In addition, there are man-made wonders that are a testament to our species’ ingenuity. We understand the world as never before, and have ever-increasing ability to improve things.

Of course, some of these are in conflict: our ability to impact the world is putting our climate future in jeopardy. We risk losing the amazing diversity that exists in the animal and plant world, which in turn endangers our own future.

But shouldn’t that add to the wonder, in fact? Just because the ecosystem is fragile doesn’t take away from how special it is. In fact, just the opposite: fragile, impermanent things can be the most wonderful. Think of, say, the intricacies of an individual snowflake, which exists for such a short moment in time.

As the famous song begins:

“I see trees of green/Red roses tooI see them bloom/For me and youAnd I think to myself What a wonderful world.”

Is that, in fact, true? Or does the peril we face, human stupidity and greed, and our uncertain future detract from it? Is the world wonderful?

Related questions: How can we maintain wonder? What’s the most amazing natural wonder you’ve experienced? What is the greatest problem facing humanity? Is it a cruel world?

 

How Do You Prepare For A Crisis?

The sad reality is that each of us will face a crisis — or even more than one — over our lifetime. What, if anything, have you done to prepare?

Climate change threatens all of us. Rising sea water, stronger storms, weather disruption, even species extinction are all possible consequences of runway global warming. What might you do to be ready for this future?

But maybe you don’t think this is a serious threat, or you have confidence that we will address this problem before it becomes too serious.

The western coast of the United States is due for a major earthquake. Tectonic plates have been shifting, building up energy, the release of which could flood entire cities, impacting millions of people. What can individuals do to prepare for this eventuality?

But maybe you don’t live there, or know anybody who does.

Artificial Intelligence could very well reshape our entire society over the next decade or two. The worst case scenario would see mass layoffs and a collapse of the job market. And that doesn’t include the possibility of A.I. becoming self-aware, and the dangers that might pose. Are there steps that could be taken with this in mind?

Even if you discount any one of these possibilities, it seems like one or more of them could very well happen. Another financial Great Depression, a global pandemic, a meteor strike from the heavens, the rise of dictators across the globe threatening another world war, any of these could happen. Or something we haven’t thought of could catch us by surprise.

But we shouldn’t simply react. We can anticipate bad things, and prepare ourselves for them. So: How do you prepare for a crisis?

Related questions: What is the greatest problem facing humanity? How do we prepare for the next pandemic? Should we try to predict the future? How can we turn sadness into constructive action?

 

How Do You Support Others?

Helping to support people in need is one of the most fundamental of human traits. How might you go about it?

Supporting others is something we are called upon to do at various times in our lives.

From a strictly transactional point of view, it makes sense to do this. After all, there will no doubt be times in your own life when you will need to rely on others. To make sure that help is there when you need it, it makes sense to provide your own support when you are able.

It’s also true that helping others simply feels good. Even when it might be difficult or cause some hardship for you, the happiness or relief that you might bring to someone going through a difficult time can be worth it.

Moreover, you probably want the best for your friends and loved ones. You want to ease their struggle, if you can. Not because you expect something in return, but you want someone you love to have a better life.

So assisting in providing a framework to assist people makes sense. How might you do that?

It might be difficult to provide a simple answer. After all, the ways in which people need support can vary almost infinitely. It might be difficult to list all possibilities.

One way to help is to imagine you were in their shoes. What kind of support would you need in that situation? Is that something you can do, or you can mobilize others to do? You might also ask what help is needed, if you’re unsure.

Can you think of other ways? Are you attuned to who in your orbit needs your support?

Related questions: How can you help? When have you asked for help? What are our responsibilities to others?

What Do We Owe Animals?

Humans live alongside animals of all kinds, and have a very complicated relationship with them. Do we owe anything to them?

The exact relationship we have with animals varies wildly depending on which ones we are talking about.

Some we have driven to extinction, or very near it. The once plentiful bison was overhunted, as was the passenger pigeon. The former, with protections, managed a population comeback after near extinction, but the latter was not so lucky.

Others have thrived living — willingly or not — alongside humans. Pets, like cats and dogs, have fared well. So have rats, which have lived in or near human civilizations since the introduction of agriculture.

As human populations have increased and spread out, we often inhabit land that used to be the home for various animals. Thus, you see odd videos of a moose walking down a street, or a bear entering a grocery store.

These interactions raise a question: what should the relationship be, between humans and animals? A predator could pose a danger to humans. People die each year in animal attacks. Animals can also spread disease, and it seems likely that the COVID pandemic started when a virus made the jump from bats to humans.

Of course, humans are animals too. And we are all part of a larger ecosystem, which has evolved over millions of years, with each species having a role to play. Changing or eliminating those roles can have significant impact on the web of life on the planet.

Beyond that, there is the ethical question: do animals deserve to be treated respectfully? And if the answer is yes, what does that look like? What happens when they inevitably come into conflict with humans?

Related questions: Do animals have rights? Does nature have rights? How are humans like other animals? How are they different? What do we owe the future?

Why Do We Allow Poverty To Exist?

Poverty is a known, defined problem that we could end if only we had the will to do so. So why doesn’t that happen?

Think of a disease, like smallpox. At one point in time, we didn’t know much about smallpox. Then we learned what it was, how it was transmitted, and how it could be treated. Then it was a difficult, but straightforward, process to eliminate smallpox.

Like smallpox, we know what poverty is. We can easily separate out the people who live under the poverty line from those living above it.

We also know what causes poverty. And finally, we know how to “treat” it. It regularly happens that an individual or a family is raised out of poverty. We know what to do to erase it from someone’s life.

So why, then, haven’t we, as a society, taken the final step and eliminated it, just as we eliminated smallpox? We could rid the world — or at least our country — of food insecurity, unstable housing, lack of health care, etc.

Of course, eliminating something is not easy. We can treat other diseases, but not eliminate them.

For example, cases of measles are on the rise in some communities, even with an effective, cheap, commonly-available treatment. While the numbers are down significantly from its peak, we’ve never been able to eliminate measles.

And, of course, poverty and disease differ in many ways. The analogy is not exact, and it may be that the differences are telling.

But the point is that we know there are things that can be done to reduce poverty, like pay higher wages or increase affordable housing. However, we don’t do them. Why not?

Related questions: Can we end poverty? What is the purpose of money? What are our responsibilities to others?