Humanity

[XWOLFX]

This thought has been on my mind, and from some pm's, others also.

The question is: What do you think about humanity and the way it is headed?


My idea is that it is going the wrong way and people are starting to become too independent/creative and more descrimination is going everywhere. I'm in school and there are kids that get singled out for no reason. I've been singled out several times just because I beat people so much in...well just about everything (grades/sports/strength). So therefore, i get singled out/picked on/etc. just because I'm good at things, exactly what is the thought process behind this I do not know. It seems to be getting worse, people are becoming to open about things such as sex and everything, but close minded to things such as therianthropy. Its head in the wrong direction and is ripping people apart mentally and physically. I sit and watch this happen, i like watching people, and i don't have many friends in school since every single one of them acts this way (but i do have many outside of school, that are nice and don't have the quality of ripping people to peices because they are different). Also something else i don't understand, you don't go out with anyone you get called gay and stuff, but when you do go out, you get made fun of and embarrased.
I really hope all of this changes, and people become nicer.
(FYI: Gay is the most commonly used insult in my school)

What are you thoughts?
Once again the question is: What do you think about humanity and the way it is headed?

[silenceowl]

Humanity is doing exactly what it's supposed to, it is following nature and getting more powerful. It's headed in the only way it can head.

The examples you gave here seem to be more on a personal level than a "humanity" level. The things that are going on in your life are not humanity, they are simply the people around you, and they WILL change. Just give it some time.:)

May I ask how old you are?

:)

[XWOLFX]

I'm 14, but the problem is that im more mature than everyone, so while they are making fun of ppl and having fun doing it, I think they are being jerks , and shouldn't be doing it. I don't get made fun of much, but i do sometimes for the reason already given. Everyone in my school is this way, which sucks. I pity some of the ppl this happens to. Luckily i have friends outside of school that are more like me. It just sucks, they laugh over the stupidest or meanest stuff, i think they are retarted. I just don't get it...

Ya, i guess it is personal, but the kids in school don't care about their grades, this will affect this generation with jobs and everything.

[silenceowl]

It will affect this generation, in the town you live in. (That is, if they do not change by the time they are out of school) Not in the world and thusly, it will not affect humanity.


I went through the same thing in my freshman year, It was just a simple matter of getting new friends.
If you don't like them, leave.

[XWOLFX]

Ok...so...how do I...GET AWAY FROM THE WHOLE SCHOOL!!!!!!!!

Lol, its the truth.

I'm dealing with it right now, ill keep dealing with it, no biggy.

[DarkWolf]

Point 1: xWolfx yes it sucks, but it bears little on humanity on the whole and anti-bullying tactics and policies are being employed more now that it is made legal requirement to work against bullying and ensure safe environments. At least in the UK anyway. So yes, those kids are annoying and cruel, but they don't represent humanity. And people DO change out of that. Most do anyway. For six years people all around me, from fellow schoolers, to strangers, to teachers and even family seemed intent on driving me to do something stupid.

Yes now the family is close, the bullies are mild acquantainces I can talk to without fear. They do grow out of it. If it poses a risk to you, affecting your own grades, causing you depression etc then fight back. This doesn't imply punching and kicking except as a last resort. If you can not reason with them then get something done on an official level. Make it your priority to ensure other students are not harmed. Talk to your parents or guardians, and the parents or guardians of the more immediate bullies as well as the teachers. If they fail to keep watch, listen to you or even try: contact any form of social services for advice. In many parts of the UK and USA schools are governed by law to provide a safe environment for the students and parents have the responsibility that their children promote that safe environment and do not harm others needlessly. Bullying isn't overrated - it scars many children and is a high cause of suicides during those ages. It is dangerous. So if people are bullying then they are deviating from the legal requirements of a safe environment and thus becomes a legal matter. So do whatever you can to go through the proper procedures. Something is guaranteed to get done - even if it is simply a closer watch - it wall all result in less bullying. Keep at it and you may be the one to make your school bully-free.

Point 2: Please let this be the final word on the whole "waaaah my school sucks" conversation (no offense intended). The topic raised intially asks for people's pholosophical opinions on humanity as a whole - let's keep it at that.

[Nightmare GenoReaper]

Humanity? I'm not sure whether it's the war of media these days or my own judgment that's clouded, but it seems like humanity is going downhill right now. The whole world wants to be at war with the middle east and overthrow America, so things have not come full circle yet. But trust me, once they do we'll be in another loops. One thing which we cna always count on is that people want power, and there is no rest until everybody is the "ruler of the world"

(Note, i am speaking metaphorically, so please think of all sides and arguments before criticing me, thank you)

[Lycanspirit]

Don't take these things to seriously everyone gets picked on in school I did your parents did. The people,or scapegoats, you see at school being picked on is merely the social structure of school. Its very similar to the military every has someone below them and above them. I bet you the "bullies" you see at school have bullies of there own as well. But if you really want change to happen try to start it your self by sticking up for the scapegoats rather than sitting idly by and watching it happen because how is the world gonna change if no one will start it. Sure some of these bullies are probly built like brick shitters but if you take a stand and it is truly heard others will follow. And as for your own bullies beat the shit outta the biggest one of them if theres a group and if you loose try again. Bullie s don't really understand anything much out of there own devices

[DarkWolf]

I'd recommend my method over lycanspirits...here' s why:

Mine won't get you beat up.

Mine won't get you in trouble with school.

Mine actually makes an impact on "anti-bullying".

Mine will actually work.

--

Lycanspirit, that rarely works. I tried that... I ended up with bricks flying at me, the headmaster (principle) telling me to stop my violence or be kicked out of school and got bullied and laughed at more. So going the legal route is safer, because the bullies won't know until it is too late and it forces the school to take notice or be closed down. That makes a bigger impact, as if you work hard in this route you can dramatically reduce bullying throughout your school. For most bullies you trying to fight back only makes them laugh more - it's what they want. But if the teachers, inspectors, and social services are involved there's nothing that bully can do - they fail to listen they get removed from the school.

--

Then again this thread isn't about bullying, it is about humanity as a whole. Let's continue with that.

[SqueakyOnion]

I really think that we can't tell how humanity is going to turn out. What we can say is that, at least in 1st world countries, important things are no longer being given to the best people...executive, important positions are being given to the boss's son, or the richest kid on the block. Not always of course, but it is an increasing trend. And with our very flawed legal system, a criminal who has enough money can get off or postpone jail time for upwards of 10-20 years.

Evolutionarily, the human race is getting weaker. People with life threatening diseases don't die, and they reproduce, passing along that weakness. We all carry recessive genes for at least 3 deadly diseases. The human race is slowly getting physically weaker...but perhaps this is that natural course that things will take? Who knows. We can't and won't ever know in our lifetimes.

I do think that society is becoming more socialistic in that we are all being told, especially in public schools, to strive for mediocrity. "It's ok as long as you tried." For Joe Neanderthal, it wasn't ok if he tried to kill the boar. If he tried and fail, he died or was mauled. Everyone wants to live off of everyone else, and if EVERYONE wants to do that, then things are just going downhill. Too many people just want to get by doing the minimum, and if everyone is constantly trying to do as little as possible, then things will gradually go down. There will always be people who strive to be better and above and more productive..but I don't think there will be enough of them. I think humanity is headed downhill, unless something changes, which is quite possible.

[Blazer]

I really think that we can't tell how humanity is going to turn out. What we can say is that, at least in 1st world countries, important things are no longer being given to the best people...executive, important positions are being given to the boss's son, or the richest kid on the block. Not always of course, but it is an increasing trend.

Nepotism has been around for centuries & the world hasn't ended yet. The same goes for most other points.

People who would have died in the past are now given comfortable lives by medical science. This may be slowing down our need to evolve, but as we're top of the food chain there's no pressing urgency for us to evolve anyway.

I think the world is on an upward trend. We are seeing cultures thinking about the whole world & not just their little bit of it. Also how to better the world not just invade it.

Racism and sexism are still around, but they are a lot lower now than they ever have been in the past.

For those of you who say humanity is going down hill I have one question:
when has it ever been better than it is now?

[Tahaji]

I haft to agree, but when is the world going to get less advanced? its not. We learn more and more things every day that we put down and burn into the ground itself, so knowledge wise, we wont go downhill.
Although the fear of being blinded by our knowledge is probley the biggest concern now. Its like a Company executive not being able to do intermediate math, or Small countries learning enough to build an atomic bomb, using it and not thinking about the consequences.
Another point to fear is that history is begining to repeat itself. My knowledge is alittle rusty, but if I remember correctly a Huge library was located in greece around...(insert date in which greece was a thriving populated country) and it had all the knowledge of the ancient egyptian philosophers, and other african, middle eastern and south european contries. It burnt down and with it went all of the information. We lost centuries of information and advancement.
Ok now lets take a look at the internet. What if it went down today and we could never get it back? under Half the worlds information would be lost. Yes, you can find most information in a library, but very vital and time saving information is left for the net. And Face it, How many kids are going to go to the Library for fun to look up stuff that they are actually getting helpful information off of?
This is just some information of the top of my head, but I beleive For right now, humanity is doing just fine.

[Blazer]

Ok now lets take a look at the internet. What if it went down today and we could never get it back? under Half the worlds information would be lost. Yes, you can find most information in a library, but very vital and time saving information is left for the net.
What do you think we did before computers were popular?
I'm not that old but still remember a time when the only colours you got on a screen were green & black; my first computer had a 64K memory and was tape-drive.

*Goes off down memory lane thinking about programing in BASIC*

[Tahaji]

lol I know. I remeber we got our first computer back in 92. This little black one that only worked enough to play Solitaire. But Im just saying we rely so much on the net now a days, that I think it will be a big problem in the future.

[Shoggoth]

What are you thoughts?
Once again the question is: What do you think about humanity and the way it is headed?

Humans put similar objects, concepts, people into groups. That is our nature. We like to classify, to segregate, to draw clear distinctions between sections of society. We are builders. That said, it is only natural that some people get singled out. We are more comfortable thinking about groups of people, and people who stand apart will draw attention; sometimes that attention is negative.
What I'm saying is that I think humans are just being humans. We're living the way we live, thinking the way we think. It may not seem fair. It isn't. But keep in mind that humans invented the concept of fairness. Life is no about what's fair.

As to the idea of people growing "too open-minded," I disagree with that, too. Culturally speaking, more and more liberal practices are becoming acceptable, at least in the US. On the other hand, this nation is the same tight-ass it's always been. Sexually repressed, fundamentalist, restricted by antiquated concepts of morality which refuse to die. I don't believe this is an acurate reflection of the intellectual development (or stuntedness) of Americans on an individual level. Sociology and psychology are two different fields.

What do I think about the way humanity is headed? This seems to be a question of morality. Ultimately, I don't care. I have enough problems of my own to deal with -- a life of my own on which to focus. The destiny of humanity and the changing/stagnant psychology of the American populace has little to do with how I live my life and the person I choose to be. That isn't to say I am oblivious or non-reactive; I think humanity is, for the most part doing fine.

A question:
Where do you think humans should be headed?

[Hellcat]

A question:
Where do you think humans should be headed?


Naturally humans should be climbing its way up the evolutionary ladder, we should be evolving as all living things have done since the beginning of life. As it seems that we are not, many people are under the impression that humanity is taking a downward turn- I'll come back to this later

Like someone previously mentioned, we are already at the top of the food chain, we can't be any more efficient at existing. We are one of over populated species on the planet. The fact that we have succeeded in reproducing to an extent that we now inhabit every quarter of the globe, tells us that we are a successful species. Not all creatures can claim that. So what do we do now? If our offspring is born with any physical abnormality, it is dealt with under the surgeons knife. "weaker" humans who would have normally died if we didn't have the technology to keep them alive, are now living and reproducing. Infertile people can now reproduce, and because of it all we are a sucessful species. Do we need to evolve further?

The answer is yes. Not neseccarily physically, but definatly mentally- and this is already happening, we are already changing our views regarding our approach to the planet, we are actively seeking ways to give back to nature what we take. If we can reach a balance between our needs and the needs of the earth, we might have actually reach a point in our existence where humans are at one with nature. In the past we have fought to over power nature, now we are beginning to realise that we cannot have power over nature without destroying ourselves, but we can live with nature, if we put in the effort. Right now is the beginning of change. There will be some teething problems, there always are with change.

[Xzengrim]

Where should humanity be headed?

I really love science fiction, so I'd like to say The Stars! But I know that we're nowhere near that close. You know what our real problem is? Humanity is not together! There's a lot of political and religious infighting. Not to mention the technological discrepancies. Sure, America has private citizens who are flying around in their own spacecraft now, but there are people in Africa who are still eating dirt, running around naked, and worshipping rocks. You know?

Think of the AVERAGE human on this planet. He's brown, probably poor, and NOWHERE NEAR having the technological development to go to space or make clones or anything. So my point is, humanity is not going to move en masse for a while. And it's not going to be like the movies and books say it is.

We should make some clones in the meantime.

[daughtersere]

Humanity is disgusting. There is no other creature on earth that abuses its own poeple. The worse part about it is that the problem is there and we all see it yet no one does anything but make half hearted attempts at change. I am 15 going on 50. I was forced to grow old before my time simply to survive. That is what humanity is doing to its children. It is killing us and we are the ones that will inherit the earth. I watch my little sister grow up and I can already see the signs of disillusionment.
I am not asking for everyone to suddenlychange. I am not asking for rainbows in clear skies everday. All I am asking for is a little compassion so that I won't have to sleep with the light on at nigh terrifed that my father will come home drunk tonight and beat me. so that I won't have to walk down the street and see a child prostituting so tha she can eat. So that I won't have to read about another shooting in school. So that I won't have to worry about my best friend committing suicde. Then maybe I can stop mourning for humanity and finally be what I am, a child.

[Defender]

We are all gonna burn in the fires of Hell on Judgement day, just like the wacko armies of Christians say.
Seriously, though. I think human beings are all turning into shit.

[Lost_Soul]

the wacko armies of Christians

WE'RE NOT ALL WACKO!
Just the majority of us...

[blueeyes]

daughtersere, you do realize that snakes eat other snakes, wolves will fight and kill each other for land, if it must come to that, and felines can end up maiming each other just for what they consider basic rights. Some animals will eat their own young in order to better provide the best evolutionary path. Human-kind's ability to abuse itself is far from original.

That said, given the human ability to really consider things on this scale, you should have at least improved somewhat on your choices, even if kindness doesn't always provide well on an evolutionary scale.

I do agree on the topic of required maturity. A lot of the world is having to really figure out their place too soon, and if it's even remotely like how I had to deal with it, it's not fun.

On the topic of the original thread...
Short version: People suck.
Long version: I think that humanity is both interesting and unusual. It's a unique result of either evolution or whatever you want to say, and its current state seems to be different from that of any other species in the world. On the other hand, it seems to be pretty similar in thought structure to other species, with the exception of a talent for self-perception. It is both destructive but nostaglistic about said destruction. It's also not too nice to itself, being it's own primary predator.

Where is it going? I'd say it will enjoy the same prosperity as it currently does, following the same path, for about 500 to 600 years before it is no longer the dominant species on the planet. Isn't self-destruction entertaining? That's just a guess, though.

Where should it go? I'd like the human race to develop itself along some of the lines in which only a species such as it could. Developmental tracks focusing on the merger of technology and living things would be interesting, although possibly not too cost-effective in the short term. I'd like to see spider silk, plant-powered electrical stations, 'grown' houses. It's a good possibility, if only for the inexpensive materials, and would prevent the 'ditch the planet' idea. What else? Walking mechs, laser communications, somebody realizing that modem cables don't have to run in binary (how many sound frequencies are there?), development of better social systems, all the rest.

[DarkWolf]

Daughtersere:

I did have a long thought-out reply with quotes and everything. But my Internet screwed up and I lost it all. So here's a shorter version:

Stop being a hypocrite. I'm sorry it's harsh, I'm just putting it honestly:

Animals don't abuse one another? Rubbish. Animals abuse one another, kill their kind, steal, rape, the works. The difference is they don't stop to whine about their doomed race - they just get on with it.

About your father: Why aren't you doing anything? If he beats you, get the police or social services. He'll be drunk, he'll beat you and probably pass out later on - while he's asleep call the police and whisper. The police will come, see him drunk, see you with bruises, and he gets arrested. I know it may not be that simple: but the point is it will stop him beating you. Child abuse is a serious crime, and others don't have to put up with it when they finally do something so there's no reason why you're different.

Child prostuting? And you haven't reported her... Why? Report her, she stops having to prostitute, gets put into care and fed and clothed and kept warm and given a new life. It'll be foster care, yes, but that's better dying of STDs or of starvation if she doesn't earn enough.

Your friend is depressed and suicidal? Try to get them to see or talk to a counsellor. If they won't, call one yourself for advice.

There are institutes, organisations, social services and government policies and laws that can all work in your favour: but you have to be the one to use them.

I'm sorry, but whining about how your life sucks isn't going to change everything and nor does it reflect on the whole of humanity. I feel like smacking people who go on about "war is evil" - why is it? War kills millions, sounds terrible, but if they didn't our world will get a lot more crowded and living situations and costs are negatively affected. I cringe when people whine about pollution and how humanity is so unnatural - yet they're on a computer, store-bought meat in the freezer, and with empty cola tins in a bin... Pollute the lands, ruin it all, kill all species before dying out - so what? Nature had worse to work with before and created a paradise. Do you honestly think one species is going to ruin the nature that built paradise after paradise? Oh please. :rolleyes:

If your life sucks: shut up and do something about it. Yes bad things happen, wah wah wah... get over it. The only reason why good things happen to others is because they worked for it.

Welcome to the nature of all life that exists: do nothing and be nothing.

Please, no more "my life suck so humanity sucks" posts. This is a thread about Humanity as a whole in a forum devoted to philosophy: that's philosophy - ya know? Viewing things on the whole, thinking outside the box etc? I am not trying to be harsh. Yes things tend to be bad and you want somebody to talk to - send me a PM I'm willing to listen. But it doesn't mean humanity sucks or is doomed and that you should be posting your whines and whinges in a thread that has nothing to do with your situation(s).

[Defender]

WE'RE NOT ALL WACKO!
Just the majority of us...
I'm referring to the ones who try to ban all videogames after a kid shoots someone after playing Grand Theft Auto. I have no problems with Christians as long as they don't try to steal away my videogames.

[chriz]

Where is it going? I'd say it will enjoy the same prosperity as it currently does, following the same path, for about 500 to 600 years before it is no longer the dominant species on the planet. Isn't self-destruction entertaining? That's just a guess, though.

Curious why you pick 500-600. I mean, why not 50-60 or 5,000-6,000?

[blueeyes]

Just a guess on about when a few different lines on a graph will intersect. There's a good many variables and random chance related, but that's what I put my best guess at, 500-600 years.

Anyway, 50-60 years is a real small window for a major disaster to come in, while a thousand year gap sounds like a bit too much of a room for error, particularly since that would be a tenth of the lifespan of humans on the high level of the chain at that point. As I said, just a guess.

[chriz]

Just a guess on about when a few different lines on a graph will intersect. There's a good many variables and random chance related, but that's what I put my best guess at, 500-600 years.

I'd love to see what graphs you have that can predict centuries out like that.

However, the next half-century will likely bring us to a decision point with regard to bioengineering and cybernetics. Are we going to go the Borg route or reverse course and luddite it all away?

[LV426]

Hey I always loved Cyber Punk! JACK ME UP BABY!

[Klark]

I have to say that I'm in agreement with George Carlin on this one. "We aren't anything to the Earth. When she's done with us, she'll shake us off her back like fleas and everything will start over." ...not a word for word, but damn close.

[Alaric]

George Carlin rocks. End of story.

"I hope we aren't just a bunch of human garbge going to the end of the sewer, but I think we are."

[Okami Ryu Kurai]

I remember him saying something about the earth only needing us for plastic, lol.

Alright: Humanity from a third person view.

We are just like any other race. I'm sorry, but that's how it is. It was survival of the fittest, now it's survival of who can work the best, and who's the smartest. People with strength work in menial tasks, while it's the brains that get paid. One of my friends said something about humanity being a parasite. This is a conclusion drawn from small ammounts of detail. What happens when we die? We're either burned or BURIED. What happens when something dies? All those nutrients go straight into the earth, and the cicle of life starts over. Humanity is no more a parasite than a dog, deer, cat, snake, or plant. We have to understand something my dad has been telling me for years: "You're not the only one." That's one hundred and ten percent right. Other species, hell, even whole different kinds of animals are fighting everyday, dying everyday, and suffering, It's part of life. We could be doing more, but we're doing some good things. My dad went to pick blackberries today. That's precisely why fruit grows: To spread the seeds. There's a big difference between knowing what you are and seeing what you are. If you haven't found it already, you need to. Look at the bigger picture. That'd be my motto.

There are tons of bad humans. Tons of messed up ones. but nature is a never ending cycle, and it doesn't care who you are: When you're dead, you're dead. And when you're dead, you feed other organisms, and that's how the cycle works.

[Alaric]

do other animals destroy hundreds of acres of rain forest, bury barrels upon barrels of radioactive waste and other very dangerous chemicals, rip gigantic holes in the atmosphere, and increase the tempature all over the world by one degree every year or so?

[chriz]

do other animals destroy hundreds of acres of rain forest, bury barrels upon barrels of radioactive waste and other very dangerous chemicals, rip gigantic holes in the atmosphere, and increase the tempature all over the world by one degree every year or so?

Find a single animal other than a human who has the capacity to realize he's causing environmental damage. We've only recently seen the amount of damage we're causing (and it's really not much, it just has the potential to spiral out of control) and we're taking steps to fix it.

Oh, and the average temp of the planet is predicted to rise 1 degree over the next century, not year.

[DarkWolf]

do other animals destroy hundreds of acres of rain forest, bury barrels upon barrels of radioactive waste and other very dangerous chemicals, rip gigantic holes in the atmosphere, and increase the tempature all over the world by one degree every year or so?
As stated before, we can ruin this Earth completely with great nuclear global wars and wipe us out, many forest, most to all other species..... So what? Nature still wins, and will simply start again - after all Nature began with a LOT less.

To say we are killing mother Earth, is pure ego. We're not that great. In the eyes of nature, even as the "most dominant species on the planet" - we're still small and fairly new.

[Varg]

Humanity isn't the problem here, it's human society. Over hundreds of years humans have built thamselves a society based on what they believe. The majority of humanity will stay inside society because it makes them feel comfortable and safe, but some people will break free of the shackles of society and those are the people who are ridiculed. This is because humanity fears them, thinking them to be a threat to the society that they have worked so hard to create (a society, might I add, that is on the verge of destroying its self). So yeah, humanity is going in the wrong direction because it doesn't listen to the people who have broken free from society.

SOCIETY BLOWS! HUMANITY IS DOOMED! GET USED TO IT!

Thank you for listening to me ramble. ;)

[Snackrib]

This thought has been on my mind, and from some pm's, others also.

The question is: What do you think about humanity and the way it is headed?


My idea is that it is going the wrong way and people are starting to become too independent/creative and more descrimination is going everywhere. I'm in school and there are kids that get singled out for no reason. I've been singled out several times just because I beat people so much in...well just about everything (grades/sports/strength). So therefore, i get singled out/picked on/etc. just because I'm good at things, exactly what is the thought process behind this I do not know. It seems to be getting worse, people are becoming to open about things such as sex and everything, but close minded to things such as therianthropy. Its head in the wrong direction and is ripping people apart mentally and physically. I sit and watch this happen, i like watching people, and i don't have many friends in school since every single one of them acts this way (but i do have many outside of school, that are nice and don't have the quality of ripping people to peices because they are different). Also something else i don't understand, you don't go out with anyone you get called gay and stuff, but when you do go out, you get made fun of and embarrased.
I really hope all of this changes, and people become nicer.
(FYI: Gay is the most commonly used insult in my school)

What are you thoughts?
Once again the question is: What do you think about humanity and the way it is headed?

I hate humanity because it's totally destroying nature. I hate being a human, and if I ever become a werewolf, I will try to save as much nature as possible (that means eliminating alot of humans)

[MyNameIsScott]

I hate humanity because it's totally destroying nature. I hate being a human, and if I ever become a werewolf, I will try to save as much nature as possible (that means eliminating alot of humans)


Uhhh buddy, first off your 14, so go play hop scotch or something, go to the playground. /PLEASE/ leave. We've got enough of you tards running around

[LV426]

You do realize that you can do other things besides killing humans to help nature. You canh do volunteer work for many environmentally oriented programs such as cleaning up by roadsides, beaches, and parks. Instead of whining about how humans suck why don't you go out and actually help fix the problems that humans have caused.

[Darth Cluich]

Why bother doing that when you can just dream of being a tr00 w3r3?