How do we work together?

reply to post by LifeIsEnergy


"As Rousseau states:

"The first man who, having fenced off a plot of land, thought of saying, 'This is mine' and found people simple enough to believe him was the real founder of civil society. How many crimes, wars, murders, how many miseries and horrors might the human race had been spared by the one who, upon pulling up the stakes or filling in the ditch, had shouted to his fellow men: 'Beware of listening to this impostor; you are lost if you forget the fruits of the earth belong to all and that the earth belongs to no one.'" ["Discourse on Inequality," The Social Contract and Discourses, p. 84]"

You make some great points.

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by TRGreer

 

Am I allowed to say it's impossible yet?

You know what? Yes lets do that. Lets offer perspectives as to why it cant work. Fire away but please try to follow the guide lines I previously stated.

reply to post by TRGreer

Originally posted by TRGreer

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by TRGreer

 

Am I allowed to say it's impossible yet?

You know what? Yes lets do that. Lets offer perspectives as to why it cant work. Fire away but please try to follow the guide lines I previously stated.

Aah. Thank you.

Well first of all, saying it's impossible would be wrong. I have a hard time being absolute about anything. But I don't think everyone can work together simply because it hasn't happened yet. Even when there was under a billion people in the known world, people were at war, there was intolerance and there were atrocities everywhere. Now that there is over seven billion people in the world, intolerance has seemingly elevated and atrocities continue to intensify, I think it is safe to say that it is improbable that we can—at this time and with this size of a population—all band together and help each other.

Even when we have the ability to communicate as easily as we do now, we don't take advantage of the usefulness of the technology. Some do, but most don't.

I think the only way everyone (and by everyone I mean everyone) can work together is if there was a massive calamity or an extinction-level event that minified the human population to only a handful. Only when everyone is dependent on one another can everyone work together. In this day and age, not everyone is dependent on everyone, and I hate to say it, but very few people are valuable to the individual's life and well-being.

What do you think?

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by TRGreer

 

Originally posted by TRGreer

Originally posted by LesMisanthrope
reply to post by TRGreer

 

Am I allowed to say it's impossible yet?

You know what? Yes lets do that. Lets offer perspectives as to why it cant work. Fire away but please try to follow the guide lines I previously stated.

Aah. Thank you.

Well first of all, saying it's impossible would be wrong. I have a hard time being absolute about anything. But I don't think everyone can work together simply because it hasn't happened yet. Even when there was under a billion people in the known world, people were at war, there was intolerance and there were atrocities everywhere. Now that there is over seven billion people in the world, intolerance has seemingly elevated and atrocities continue to intensify, I think it is safe to say that it is improbable that we can—at this time and with this size of a population—all band together and help each other.

Even when we have the ability to communicate as easily as we do now, we don't take advantage of the usefulness of the technology. Some do, but most don't.

I think the only way everyone (and by everyone I mean everyone) can work together is if there was a massive calamity or an extinction-level event that minified the human population to only a handful. Only when everyone is dependent on one another can everyone work together. In this day and age, not everyone is dependent on everyone, and I hate to say it, but very few people are valuable to the individual's life and well-being.

What do you think?

I don't know to be honest. I feel we are already so very close to the edge. I think its sad that we are going to have to topple over before we realize we never had to fall to begin with. For the last week or so Bob Marley's Redemption Song keeps going through my head. I wish we could all sing along but anger, greed, arrogance, apathy, fear, and intolerance has stolen most our voices.Funny how it feels like I have been going through the stages of grief in the last week. I thank you for always giving your honest perspective.

First, we have to put down immature judegmental thoughts and focus on the wisdom of life, second, we must face the fear that another person has hate in their heart, and we need to take that fear in our hands and crush it. As strange as it is, fear is preventing us from working together more than hate. Thanks for reminding me, when I walk out of the door I am going to look at every person in the eyes, nonthreatening. If they choose to communicate they will and I will be ready to react in body language. I will greet every person that walks by me and looks me back in the eyes. If a person stops, or happens to stop by me in a close circumference I am going to say whatever comes to mind, but the key is I have to say something. These people are against us based on their actions, not that they have done much anything wrong but the fact is that that they are not with us. They haven't developed any type of perception to acknowledge other individuals. I know there are places in the world that people talk to each other in society, these places bring us so much closer to what we could have been able to write about in this thread but they are a small percentage of land.

Originally posted by TRGreerHow do we get past the petty stuff and get down to healing?

It won't happen until we genetically engineer ourselves to be less aggressive and more passive and altruistic.

This planet, the human species is going to hell in a hand basket so to speak

Is it? I thought the dark ages were much worse. There were far worse times for human beings than modern times. Get real.

Before people start posting about how impossible it is. Stop and really consider with an open mind what I'm asking. Please try to give an honest attempt at answering the question. Sending out positivity!

Ah, one of these. You don't want the truth. You want to feel good. Just more proof for what I've been saying about homo sapiens for a long time now. Well, if it's bs you want, it's bs you'll get here. I hope it makes you feel better.

reply to post by LesMisanthrope
Even then it would not happen, because what you are missing is that the reason why man acts the way man does is because it is are instinctual behavior to do so. Wars are instinctual. Power struggles and social strife, instinctual. We are dominated by our animal instincts, and will be until we genetically alter ourselves into.. something else.

Originally posted by Balkan

Originally posted by TRGreerHow do we get past the petty stuff and get down to healing?

It won't happen until we genetically engineer ourselves to be less aggressive and more passive and altruistic.

This planet, the human species is going to hell in a hand basket so to speak

Is it? I thought the dark ages were much worse. There were far worse times for human beings than modern times. Get real.

Before people start posting about how impossible it is. Stop and really consider with an open mind what I'm asking. Please try to give an honest attempt at answering the question. Sending out positivity!

Ah, one of these. You don't want the truth. You want to feel good. Just more proof for what I've been saying about homo sapiens for a long time now. Well, if it's bs you want, it's bs you'll get here. I hope it makes you feel better.

I got the truth already and you helped me to find a very important answer. Thank you.Yup! I am one of those!

Originally posted by TRGreerI got the truth already and you helped me to find a very important answer. Thank you.Yup! I am one of those!

I am sincerely glad I could help in any capacity, even if you're being as sarcastic as I was. Good luck and peace to you.

reply to post by Balkan

It won't happen until we genetically engineer ourselves

Ah, one of those. You technocrats sure are a jittery and fearful bunch, caffeine much?

I thought the dark ages were much worse.

Oh wow, and you're a time traveler too. How cool! A technocratic time-traveler!

Wars are instinctual.

Really? A technocratic time-traveling genius who has made a massive scientific breakthrough! This is amazing! For hundreds of years science has been asking this question and they have found no definitive answers one way or another. And here you come, with the evidence to end the debate once and for all! Please do share your evidence with us...

Originally posted by LifeIsEnergy
Ah, one of those. You technocrats sure are a jittery and fearful bunch, caffeine much?

Don't touch the stuff. I'm a health nut.

Oh wow, and you're a time traveler too. How cool! A technocratic time-traveler!

No, I'm not and not claiming to be, I just think I'd choose living in modern times over the dark ages. Probably just me. I'm an oddball.

And here you come, with the evidence to end the debate once and for all! Please do share your evidence with us...

Then I will disappoint you as I have no concrete evidence. I'll clarify for you that these are just my ideas and opinions. From my own observations and study of history, war and social strife have been a cyclical part of all tribes and civilizations. I see evidence and studies all the time that continue to intrigue me such as this that I've posted about several times now recently because it's worth reposting:

Baboons can distinguish between written words and gibberish. Monkeys seem to be able to do multiplication. Apes can delay instant gratification longer than a human child can. They plan ahead. They make war and peace. They show empathy. They share.

For a few years, scientists have watched chimpanzees in zoos collect and store rocks as weapons for later use. In May, a study found they even add deception to the mix. They created haystacks to conceal their stash of stones from opponents, just like nations do with bombs.

The evidence that animals are more intelligent and more social than we thought seems to grow each year, especially when it comes to primates.

Hare points to studies where competing chimpanzees enter an arena where one bit of food is hidden from view for only one chimp. The chimp that can see the hidden food, quickly learns that his foe can't see it and uses that to his advantage, displaying the ability to perceive another ape's situation. That's a trait humans develop as toddlers, but something we thought other animals never got, Hare said.

It was once thought the control of emotions and the ability to empathize and socialize separated us from our primate cousins. But chimps console, and fight, each other. They also try to soothe an upset companion, grooming and putting their arms around him. "I see plenty of empathy in my chimpanzees," de Waal said. But studies have shown they also go to war against neighboring colonies, killing the males and taking the females. That's something that also is very human and led people to believe that war-making must go back in our lineage 6 million years, de Waal said. When scientists look at our other closest relative, the bonobo, they see a difference. Bonobos don't kill. Hare says his experiments show bonobos give food to newcomer bonobos, even when they could choose to keep all the food themselves.

xfinity.comcast.net...

I lost my train of thought because I accidentally hit the reply button before I was ready.

reply to post by Balkan


No Sarcasm. Maybe your right or maybe its time for humanity to evolve. I am thinking evolution but that's just me. Genetic manipulation? No thanks. I have seen what they have done to plants and animals. It never works the way they plan. Have you seen the article here on ATS about the genetically altered Bermuda grass? Thanks but no thanks.

Just wanted to add ....

"Is it? I thought the dark ages were much worse. There were far worse times for human beings than modern times. Get real."

Okay reality. Nuclear weapons, nuclear leaks, genocide on a scale never before witnessed by humanity, uneducated children ( this blows my mind because LOOK at all our technology and wow we are doing so well)
We are still constantly at war but with weapons that the dark ages could never even dream about. Still have disease and hey! they are becoming resistant to our antibiotics or they have no cure, AIDS, cancer, hepatitis. Oil spills in our oceans. Fracking operations pumping chemicals into our ground and destroying water tables. A complete disregard for our planet, our home. No one kills the earth better than us. Governments taking freedoms. Governments lying to the people they are supposed to represent and I could list a whole lot more. The dark ages? Did we ever leave them?