Part 2 - Where are Humans Going?

1422: 

Edited by CJ Tointon

What is our purpose, as humans, for being on this planet?  It’s doubtful that we're here just to build factories, pollute the planet and subjugate other sentient beings!  If we do have a serious purpose for being here, it might have to evolve into the consciousness of a more advanced being than we are at present.  Our purpose would be made clearer to us, as we took on a wiser role within the ecosystem, grown out of our 'early' stage of hedonistic and self-centred development.  In other words, humans developing beyond where we use our huge brain capacity exclusively to advantage ourselves.   From this point in a rocky journey towards gaining an insight into our mistakes and our potential, we would then be able to move towards becoming more advanced beings.  But we fear loss.  We might want to move to the next stage in our development, but we don't want to lose what we've so far achieved.

The transition from the earlier 'stage' to the next, involves a broader realisation of where we might be going and the adoption of an entirely different approach to daily life.  It would seem obvious that we start with a respect for other life forms, which in turn would imply a change in the food we eat.  We could then use our 'great brains' for the benefit of the planet to sustain it into the future.  Otherwise, we'll simply follow the dictates of our senses and remain unable to contemplate any other purpose than the one we've always known - identifying ourselves as prime advantage-takers.
So, if there is a logical sequence to human development, it would have to pass through various stages.  The first stage involves exploring our own sentience and creating all the brilliant things our brains come up with.  During this exploration period, life would 'suggest' its potential for anyone caring to pick up on it.  It would  appear as something more than mere existence.  We would become aware of our own capabilities to feel and sense things and thus advance to the next stage. 

It takes a long time for humans to give up what gives them pleasure - particularly animal foods - and to realise the dangers these suspect foods represent.  We have become so attached to this main source of food, that any move away from it seems to threaten our very existence, closely associated with a particular attitude of species superiority.   As ugly and unintelligent as it might seem, our brain power has been used to establish our advantage over other species (and that includes gaining advantage within our own species too).  The next stage (as far as we can see at this time) starts when our brain is willing to see beyond itself towards future untapped intelligence potential.


Homo sapiens haven't yet reached this future 'arrival point'.  It’s difficult to see what our intelligence potential might be or indeed specifically what could be holding our species back;  unless we enter the world of rather fanciful ideas.  It's easier to follow this thread if we consider Nature herself not only as the governing force of the planet, but as the embodiment of sustainability, representing the long-term survival of all life forms, each of whom is an aspect of  'Gaia' or the bigger picture.  Her 'design' allows for the possibility of humans becoming  aware of their own purpose.  This involves humans growing through a primitive stage (like any other sentient being) but having the potential to arrive at a point where 'consciousness' starts to guess at its purpose.   At first, there would seem to be no greater purpose than simply becoming  the dominant species.   But eventually, as the human goes through various stages of development, there emerges something that is more like a greater intelligence.  And the purpose of this intelligence would be to displace our more primitive human urges, in order to become a guardian presence on the planet.  In order to function into the future, humans have to make all the mistakes of an evolving intelligence, going through self-interest, violence, domination, individuality and come out at the other end into the garden of Gaia.