For one, It’s almost universial for us to stress over the future, idealize our childhoods, bemoan the state of society, and be obsessed with and sometimes even claim to spiritually be animals.

  • sylver_dragon@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    3 hours ago

    As a species, homo sapiens have managed to adapt to every environment on Earth. We are the first species to have any measure of control over the natural forces which have wiped out countless other species. Diseases which once ravaged our populations are now gone or minor inconveniences and we continue to find new ways to mitigate the worst effect of many diseases. Should a large asteroid be heading our way, we are the only species which may stand any chance of diverting it or mitigating the long term impacts when it does hit us. While it was certainly not a “choice”, the evolution of higher cognition, problem solving and intra-species communications has put our species in a unique position of having a high degree of control over out fate. Sure, it has its downsides (we are the only species which might be able to end all life on Earth), but it’s been a pretty amazing run for us. On the balance, I think we’re in a much better position to keep going as a species than our ancestors or cousins (homo erectus, homo hablis, neanderthal, great apes, chimpanzees, etc).

    So, was it a “mistake”, I think the current state of evidence is against that. While it may result in a really shit deal for individuals of the species from time to time, as a species I think it would be silly to consider it a mistake.

  • owenfromcanada@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    17
    ·
    14 hours ago

    In the beginning the Universe was created. This had made many people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

    • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      14 hours ago

      I think a better quote would be

      Many were increasingly of the opinion that they’d all made a big mistake coming down from the trees in the first place, and some said that even the trees had been a bad move and that no one should ever have left the oceans.

  • FriendOfDeSoto@startrek.website
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    12
    ·
    15 hours ago

    A mistake implies there was a choice involved at some point. And it doesn’t even matter if you’re on the evolution or intelligent design side of the argument, us monkeys were never given a choice.

  • limer@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    13 hours ago

    Humans domesticated themselves, making tools they later depended on for survival. Each layer of entrapment, by tools, over the millions of years demanded some sacrifice that never went away.

    Each generation learns the pain of entrapment on their own, and are invalidated by the older ones who shrugged the feelings away. But the feelings of unease never go away.

    Any other animal can tell people this is insanity

  • YappyMonotheist@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    13 hours ago

    Just because the global dominant culture at the moment is profoundly confused and emotionally unstable doesn’t mean that humanity at large is not up to the challenge of consciousness and free will. 💪