SHARING IS CARING!

Humanity’s

Great Self-Delusion

Origins

Corona Virus has brought into stark contrast the reality of life on our planet and the illusion we have that we are in charge. It appears we are not in control of the planet, our environment or the universe. What we can control is ourselves: our behaviour, thinking and our attitude toward the planet. The origins of our own self-deception dates back to our primitive survival instincts.

Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash

Back then the environment challenged our ancestors’ ability to overcome invasions, pestilence, disease and starvation. Man is a resilient species and probably will survive future challenges. The problem is, in our effort to control, conquer and progress, we forget that we are not in charge. We have deceived ourselves into thinking that we can do anything with little or no accountability. We have to change our thinking if we hope to overcome the setbacks created by our own delusion.

Priority

If our priority is survival, then we must realize how our lifestyles affect the very effort that makes this happen. Definitions of ‘realize’ are: become fully aware, give reality to, and so forth. What is it that blinds us to the reality we see all around us? The reality that pollution, consumerism, and a need to control sabotages our survival efforts? Are we really unaware or are we living in an unreal bubble? Or are we just plain stupid? If we are unbelievably stupid, will we learn our lesson when we see how stupidly we behave? Will the latest challenge of COVID-19 teach us? A challenge depicted so perfectly in several aspects of our current situation.

The Common Denominator

Depicted in the visual of a boot on the neck of George Floyd cutting off the life-giving oxygen needed to breathe. Is Covid putting the boot to humanity’s neck, cutting off our supply of oxygen to get our attention? What of the visuals of overcrowded hospitals running out of oxygen for COVID-19 patients. Or the sea-life dying from pollution and unable to produce the very oxygen humanity needs to breathe! The visual of the depleted rain-forests cut down for our needs, no longer supplying oxygen to the very hand wielding the axe.

It strikes me as strange that we cannot do simple maths to work this out? Are we bent on mindless destruction for the sake of destroying? What will it take to learn this most vital lesson, that we are the greatest threat to our future and that we have to learn to live with viruses? It all depends on the level of our concern and respect for all life on the planet.

Photo by Lucien Lumumba on Unsplash

Water

We often hear that water is so vital to survival that future wars will be for water supplies. This is already happening in some African countries that threaten war over water. However, water and people need oxygen to exist: no oxygen, no water, no oxygen, no soldiers to fight any wars! We put the cart before the horse – what’s the point worrying about secondary issues when a vital ingredient for them is nowhere in sight? Nature will always restore what man has destroyed. Will man live to see the restoration? Only we can restore within ourselves the proper regard for the planet. We lost our respect for nature when we advanced to current levels of industry, innovation, and exploration. This fooled us into thinking we are invincible.

Lessons

It is so easy to forget that in all that we do and attempt to do, we only advance as much as our natural boundaries have allowed. As tempting as the idea of boundless exploration and development may be, we have to stop to fix the basics first. I have a mind so I must explore yet, there is so much on this planet to explore and learn about before we try to colonise other planets. We must seek the simple solutions first, before we try to bask in the glory of conquered new planets or try to be the first to land on any other planet. Populating other planets with destructive human beings will not do the universe any good either.We have to walk before we run to achieve and deserve the prize. If we have not taken care of this planet, how will we care for any other we hope to occupy? When we stop deluding ourselves into thinking we can go on as before, where nothing changes in our daily lives, we may still have hope for our children’s future.

Self-Delusion