himself he picked the was / of shall and finding only why / smashed it into because
You know,
I’ve always differentiated among minerals, plants, animals, and people on the basis of consciousness. I’ve always said that what set mankind off from everything else was his self-awareness - his realization of time and of his own mortality.
I’ve always believed that rocks simply existed; that vegetables lived or died according to the vagaries of their mindless biology and the environment into which they were cast; that animals had more options, but were different from us in that they were still, for the most part - if not entirely, as some have suggested but not yet established – unconsciously ignorant of their situation, both in respect to what they are required to do to survive and in respect to their own mortality.
I’ve always believed that human beings were apart – but not because as some say, “Man stands upright, like god.” Even as a child .I found that absurd.
Likewise, the idea that because he took six days to work up to making us we were, therefore, his special pet never seemed very sensible either. And the assertion that we are “made in his image” always seemed both self-serving and not very flattering to god.
No, I thought we were supreme among “creation” because – as a result of self-awareness – we were able to THINK. We were able to look at ourselves and THINK about what we saw. We were able to ADJUST. Unlike rocks and plants and animals, WE were able to move outside the pre-ordained biological imperatives, to improve ourselves and improve our situation. WE were able to overcome the limitations of the “lesser” beings, able to reason, able to use the scientific method to learn and to improve both the world and ourselves.
I’m not so sure any more.
At sixty I’m beginning to suspect that although we have the equipment and ability to think, our vegetable programming, our animal needs, and our socially-influenced emotions short circuit our ability to actually do so. Yes, we are able to SEE what we should do; we are simply unable or unwilling to DO it.
In a way I feel foolish for having taken so long to realize this. It should have been clear all along. But then - there are so few people paying attention that my embarrassment will most likely go unnoticed.
- Uke Man
I’ve always differentiated among minerals, plants, animals, and people on the basis of consciousness. I’ve always said that what set mankind off from everything else was his self-awareness - his realization of time and of his own mortality.
I’ve always believed that rocks simply existed; that vegetables lived or died according to the vagaries of their mindless biology and the environment into which they were cast; that animals had more options, but were different from us in that they were still, for the most part - if not entirely, as some have suggested but not yet established – unconsciously ignorant of their situation, both in respect to what they are required to do to survive and in respect to their own mortality.
I’ve always believed that human beings were apart – but not because as some say, “Man stands upright, like god.” Even as a child .I found that absurd.
Likewise, the idea that because he took six days to work up to making us we were, therefore, his special pet never seemed very sensible either. And the assertion that we are “made in his image” always seemed both self-serving and not very flattering to god.
No, I thought we were supreme among “creation” because – as a result of self-awareness – we were able to THINK. We were able to look at ourselves and THINK about what we saw. We were able to ADJUST. Unlike rocks and plants and animals, WE were able to move outside the pre-ordained biological imperatives, to improve ourselves and improve our situation. WE were able to overcome the limitations of the “lesser” beings, able to reason, able to use the scientific method to learn and to improve both the world and ourselves.
I’m not so sure any more.
At sixty I’m beginning to suspect that although we have the equipment and ability to think, our vegetable programming, our animal needs, and our socially-influenced emotions short circuit our ability to actually do so. Yes, we are able to SEE what we should do; we are simply unable or unwilling to DO it.
In a way I feel foolish for having taken so long to realize this. It should have been clear all along. But then - there are so few people paying attention that my embarrassment will most likely go unnoticed.
- Uke Man
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