Why I Can NOT Imagine Aliens Being Hostile

Niel DeGrasse Tyson once said that "our biggest fear is that the aliens - who visit us - will treat us the way we treat each other here on Earth." None truer words have been spoken.

Through hundreds of years of war and violence, it's hard for mankind to even trust their neighbor, let alone a nonhuman species from a non-Earth origin. Not only we fear outsiders/foreigners, but we fear the unknown, and right now.. aliens (if they exist) are the unknown. We fear the unknown of death, or the unknown of the dark. Really.. it all comes down to control. When we throw our life into the hands of the unknown, we are completely out of control, and that makes us rich with anxiety. So, it's only natural to fear and/or assume extraterrestrial life would be malevolent.

Before I go into why I think aliens would most likely NOT be hostile, I want to go into a few reasons why humans are hostile.

Mankind has been fighting in war for over 6000 (as far as we can tell) years. Usually, there is a specific reason for it too. We either:
A) want to protect ourselves,
or
B) want to improve our state of living.

Currently, we have wars over: money, energy, power, control, dominance, threat elimination, and helping our allies. All of these reasons come back to A or B. Obviously, the Elite that either start or encourage wars probably have their physical state of living at a level of high quality. They do not go to war because they worry about an enemy invading their home and taking them over or killing them. They just want more power and money and they know how to orchestrate a war so that that happens. (Of course, this is just "speculation".)

So then, why is the common man acceptive of war? Well, it most likely has to do with what the Elite does not worry about, and that is either invasion or annihilation. "If we don't go to war, they could invade us. They could take over my home, make me a slave, hurt me, kill. Or maybe they would just drop a bomb on me." We don't want our state of living to be lowered, nobody does, and we don't want to be injured or killed by somebody who we believe (through convincing of lies or otherwise) wants to do us harm. "So yes, government, please go kill those bad man."

Now, what could end these reasons for war? Well, let's throw out a few hypothetical situations:

Money. We could have unlimited currency (which would make it valueless) or everything could be considered "free". I know I'm making that concept ugly by not going into further details but you catch my drift; without the need for money we'd have one less thing to fight about.

Energy. Right now, we are a Type 0 Civilization. For us to be a Type 1 Civilization, we would need to be able to access every form of energy available to us on this planet. That is not that case, however. Although most of the fighting for oil comes back to money, it is still because we need oil for fuel. Let's say we had an unlimited source of free, clean, healthy energy. We would never need to fight for oil again and it could remain inside the Earth where it belongs. [For more information of types of civilizations, see the Kardashev scale.]

Control. Things are easier for the Elite and even us when everyone is controlled. We worry less because the people we have controlled are less likely to violently act out against us, which would effect our state of living. Also, when they are controlled we can control the world's money better. There may be some Elite that want to control others because they worry about being harmed but most likely it has to do with controlling currency.

However, since we already "remedied" the money situation, let's look at the harmful reason. People are hostile towards others because they are afraid that those others want to hurt them and vice versa. We think they want to hurt us because of what we have: money, food, water, so that they can take it. This goes all the way back to our caveman like instincts. It is natural. A squirrel invades a bird's nest for food, maybe even taking her young. But, if we had unlimited energy and currency and could produce unlimited healthy food and water, for all of the world, we would have no reason to harm another and take what they have. If anything, it would be wasting energy. We would already have all we need and wouldn't even have to get involved with other people. We'd essentially be happy. We wouldn't have to control others because we'd have all we need and they'd have all they need and we'd know that they would have no reason to harm us any more. Even the love of dominance/power comes from the fear of it happening to us.

With those things out of the way, let's look at Aliens (finally). We know that the neighboring planets do not offer any forms of life (I am referring to macrobiotic life here, full bipedal or quadrupedal life forms, not microbiotics). We also know that there are a lot of similar planets to Earth out there, like Kepler-22b. However, just Kepler-22b is about 600 light-years away. One light year is about 6 trillion miles away. That is a huge distance. If an Alien species lived there and decided to come visit Earth via spacecraft, they would have to have 1) extremely advanced technology and 2) be a more advanced type of civilization than us with either a tremendous or unlimited source of energy.

With these advancements, their planet would most likely be so advanced that they would be living in a somewhat-Utopia. Just like the one we do not have that causes us to have wars. They would not need us for currency, technology, energy, and they would certainly not need to eliminate us in worry that we would try and invade their planet. In all honesty, I can not see a reason why ETs would even waste their time on us, except for the biological advancement of meeting another "intelligent" species.

Of course, they could have some motive unbeknownst to us, but logically, I can't fathom a reason for aliens to be hostile towards us. If anything, they come here to either help us because they are spiritually advanced or they merely document us for their studies. I don't see hostility.

Any way, I'd love to hear your thoughts or why I am wrong. Thanks for reading.

Here are a couple links that may help you to lose the alien worship attitude.

Although I do agree with what you had to say I think it best you discover the reality within the balance in all things including the alien agenda's.

It is really hard for me to accept the negative spin on many Alien species even though I know first hand that not all are benevolent.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I think the stronger, smarter species will always take advantage of the weaker in order to survive and prosper. Where I work, after hours, apes are brought in for experiments. They are hooked on drugs or given diseases so that they may be studied on what things work and what doesn't. I feel like these intelligent creatures with feelings are probably in pain or scared or mad and dont deserve what is happening to them. Whenever I start complaining, I am told " Humans wouldn't be where we are today without these studies. " So because our species is "more important", that makes it ok. I'm afraid aliens with a greater intelligence might feel the same superiority over us. Im not saying there might not be some benevolent beings that are superior to humans, but the benevolent ones are usually not in control. Just my 2 cents to your very intriguing question

reply to post by antar


This is not "alien worship". I'm on the fence about whether highly advanced species exist outside of our Earth (technologically advanced). This is just logic. There could be a highly barbaric species of alien out there but that is not what I wrote about. I wrote about a highly evolved, Type 1+ Civilization of aliens.

I dont know to be honest.

Just because a race of creatures is able to police itself well enough to survive the level of technology necessary for interstellar travel it doesn't follow it would have to be benevolent towards other species. To proceed on that basis is planning for the best. That rarely works out well.

We've had nuclear energy for 50 years and still treat other mammals as food and playthings (and they come from the same evolutionary tree).

With the size and age of the universe its probably filled with species ranging from the benevolent to the insanely xenophobic and all in between.

We're like a toddler alone in a big city at night, how it goes depends on who we run into first. For now its best we hide in the corner and watch.

You are using human motivations to build your viewpoint, what if E.T. is closer to this...?

Originally posted by Drunkenparrot
what if?

Human motivations are mental motivations. If they have a consciousness, they aren't different than us.

Originally posted by justwokeup
I dont know to be honest.

Just because a race of creatures is able to police itself well enough to survive the level of technology necessary for interstellar travel it doesn't follow it would have to be benevolent towards other species. To proceed on that basis is planning for the best. That rarely works out well.

We've had nuclear energy for 50 years and still treat other mammals as food and playthings (and they come from the same evolutionary tree).

With the size and age of the universe its probably filled with species ranging from the benevolent to the insanely xenophobic and all in between.

We're like a toddler alone in a big city at night, how it goes depends on who we run into first. For now its best we hide in the corner and watch.

Having nuclear energy does not solve our eatery needs. I agree with you point, on the size of the Universe. I just can't imagine a civilization being so technologically advanced that still falls prey to such barbaric ways. It would make no sense. Conscious evolvement follows planetary advancement.

The only hope is that aliens learn as humans did that they can get a lot more accomplished by cooperating with each other than they can with sheer self-interest. One person alone, or a lot of individuals, can't really build a pyramid or a rocket to the Moon.

What makes that all possible with humanity is the idea that your work can be exchanged for goods, services, money, etc. We hire ourselves out so that our smaller family needs can be taken care of while at the same time a large societal need gets addressed. We remove ourselves one step out of the equation so that we become a "human resource," rather than just a human out looking for some way to survive. That nullifies a lot of problems. It ultimately becomes less expensive to do things that way. For instance, you may hate somebody from another tribe, but if they have something you need, it may ultimately be less expensive for you to trade with them rather than get your army up and violently take it. We are smart enough to understand a win-win situation, and war is something you do when you don't have any other options. When the thing you want is so scarce that your enemies won't trade with you for it.

What might ultimately save our skins is the fact that we probably don't have anything on Earth that an alien species couldn't find elsewhere a lot cheaper. If you have the power to travel between stars, then you aren't going to be fighting anybody over land or gold or diamonds or food. You'll already have it, you can find it, or you can make it.

Of course, this assumes that efficiency is something an alien would be interested in. Humans have had to learn to be relatively efficient because Earth is a hard planet to live on. It could also be, though, that once you solve the problem of unlimited power, you don't have to be efficient, and you can concentrate on killing everyone who doesn't believe in the same god you do, or you can destroy entire planets for the fun of it and eat the inhabitants just because you like the taste of them. Like, whatevz.

We'll just have to see how it plays out.

Double post somehow.

reply to post by ErroneousDylan

Originally posted by ErroneousDylan

Obviously, the Elite that either start or encourage wars probably have their physical state of living at a level of high quality. They do not go to war because they worry about an enemy invading their home and taking them over or killing them. They just want more power and money and they know how to orchestrate a war so that that happens.

........[color=D6BC94]In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds

[color=FFCA85]Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor

[color=D6BC94]Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'til their judgement day comes.........


[color=000000]'War Pigs' - Black Sabbath

It is impossible to accurately predict what the agenda might be, since it is possible that they have never even existed at all.

Why do people often think that Aliens if they exist will annihilate mankind? Wouldn’t you think that if they wanted to do this, they could have done it years ago? Why wait around for man evolution to get to where we are in order to “attack”? If Aliens exist, they aren’t causing harm to people, is the Secret Societies doing so to human kind.

And if you think we stand a chance against aliens,(because of all those stupid movies making it look that we are better than them) then lay off the drugs and splash some water on your face, it’s time to wake up!

Fortunately material resources become meaningless/negligable when either a technological sigularity (no need for a body or life support) or interdimensional technologies (no need to extract resources, because time itself is meaningless) are discovered. Either one is needed to travel the vast distances between planets. There would be no need to go world to world harvesting anything except information.

The aliens would defend themselves if attacked, but would not be hostile otherwise.

If aliens came today, i can only imagine what it would be like. If we attacked them it would be something like Skyline happening immediately after.

reply to post by Blue Shift

Originally posted by Blue Shift

The only hope is that aliens learn as humans did that they can get a lot more accomplished by cooperating with each other than they can with sheer self-interest.

When did we learn this?

I'm fairly certain that as a whole, we humans have not yet learned that lesson.

Originally posted by TheEnlightenedOne


Why do people often think that Aliens if they exist will annihilate mankind? Wouldn’t you think that if they wanted to do this, they could have done it years ago? Why wait around for man evolution to get to where we are in order to “attack”? If Aliens exist, they aren’t causing harm to people, is the Secret Societies doing so to human kind

That's an awful lot of assumptions, that you're trying to push off as absolute facts.

Just because something may be desired, that does not mean that those who desire it are actually capable of obtaining that goal which they desire.

Originally posted by TheEnlightenedOne

And if you think we stand a chance against aliens,(because of all those stupid movies making it look that we are better than them) then lay off the drugs and splash some water on your face, it’s time to wake up!

You should probably take your own advice on that one.

Originally posted by BrokenCircles
reply to post by Blue Shift

 

Originally posted by Blue Shift

The only hope is that aliens learn as humans did that they can get a lot more accomplished by cooperating with each other than they can with sheer self-interest.

When did we learn this?

I'm fairly certain that as a whole, we humans have not yet learned that lesson.

It's easy to be cynical. I understand that.

But just go out and drive on any street. We all got together and built those streets. And we all agreed which side to drive on, and what the turn signals mean, and what kind of fuel to use. Why? It's not because we love each other. To hell with that.

It's because it makes it a whole lot easier for us to buy and sell things. That's what I'm saying. It's ultimately easier for us to go into a store and give somebody a little money for a gallon of milk than it is to get our gun and go take the milk by force. Our willingness to cooperate with each other has allowed us to build a population of over 7 billion people on the Earth. We haven't become that much less aggressive. We've just channeled it into more productive endeavors. Hopefully an alien species would have found out that same thing. Trade is more efficient than war.

But like I said, if they're so powerful that they don't care about being efficient, or if they don't consider us to be worthy trading partners (we don't have trade agreements with cows or shrimp, for instance), then our only other hope is that we're so insignificant, or they can get what they want easier somewhere else, that they just don't even bother with us. That might give us a chance to get our intelligent robots out into the galaxy before all traces of us vanish. Not that it would matter, but just for fun.

Interesting. I would like to think as well, that a being(s) that advanced enough as far as civilization, mentality, and technologically - without killing themselves off in the process - would be generally benevolent and have evolved past our animalistic mentality. But then again, what if that barbaric, animal-like disposition is genetically woven into who they (or we) are, no matter how advanced. Like Neeka has posted, maybe it's their attitude as well to say - "if we don't treat them like this than we will soon be done-for" (for whatever reason). Just like we don't despise apes, or the like, but feel superior to them to where it's ok to put them through that because, in the long run, we are more important.

I just hope there is something to being advanced in your place in the cosmos, and would have effect on how you would act towards other species, even less advanced than yourselves. But, it may also be possible to be that advanced and still have the need to do what you need to do in order to protect / advance your own; maybe a dying world of their own? I would imagine it would be entirely situational to whatever species it may be.

I like where you are going with this though.

Or maybe another possibility. What if you knew that WE ourselves are some sort of "food" for the ET's and don't even know it. One day they will come back for us, harvest those who they can get to go willingly, reprogram the minds of a sellect few who know about them to repopulate the earth for a new crop of humans, and leave the rest for dead.

Now what if this happened and we never knew it or even saw it comming. You don't know if "you" were reprogrammed or not- or even if you were harvested.

Originally posted by Sw1tch3d
I just hope there is something to being advanced in your place in the cosmos, and would have effect on how you would act towards other species, even less advanced than yourselves. But, it may also be possible to be that advanced and still have the need to do what you need to do in order to protect / advance your own; maybe a dying world of their own? I would imagine it would be entirely situational to whatever species it may be.

It all boils down to what you need and how you get it. Maybe desperate aliens on a dying world would be forced into a position of having to take another planet from some other species to survive. But again, if you have the kind of power available to you to fly from one star to another (and that's a lot of power), and then have a good chance of conquering it once you get there, then you can use that same power to terraform a planet from scratch and not muscle in on anybody else's territory. Or you could build a ship big enough for everyone to live in. Or a ring world or Dyson sphere. If you needed gold, you could make it yourself. Or mine it from asteroids or collapsed stars.

I guess the danger is that the aliens would have just enough power to get here but not enough to make all the things they needed. That we'd be pretty well balanced, power-wise. But in that case, trade and cooperation would still be the most economically efficient way to go. I could see us willing to trade some of our water for a few of their speedy space ships. Or something else we have a lot of that they need. It would be a lot cheaper than fighting for it. Peaceful co-existence, not because we're loving Space Brothers or any of that garbage, but because we want to make a buck or two.

Originally posted by ErroneousDylan

Originally posted by justwokeup
I dont know to be honest.

Just because a race of creatures is able to police itself well enough to survive the level of technology necessary for interstellar travel it doesn't follow it would have to be benevolent towards other species. To proceed on that basis is planning for the best. That rarely works out well.

We've had nuclear energy for 50 years and still treat other mammals as food and playthings (and they come from the same evolutionary tree).

With the size and age of the universe its probably filled with species ranging from the benevolent to the insanely xenophobic and all in between.

We're like a toddler alone in a big city at night, how it goes depends on who we run into first. For now its best we hide in the corner and watch.

Having nuclear energy does not solve our eatery needs. I agree with you point, on the size of the Universe. I just can't imagine a civilization being so technologically advanced that still falls prey to such barbaric ways. It would make no sense. Conscious evolvement follows planetary advancement.

The point I was making that high technology (nuclear fission) and barbarism (eating other animals because we like it, we're past the point of needing to long ago) can exist quite happily as long as societal rules are followed to restrict the infliction of our baser desires to 'lower lifeforms'.

I dont believe conscious evolvement necessarily follows planetary advancement. It might, but it doesn't have to.

Its entirely possible another civilisation could be quite civilised with each other (or at least manage the effect of being uncivil) while paying us the same regard we would pay to a termite infestation.

Originally posted by eywadevotee
Or maybe another possibility. What if you knew that WE ourselves are some sort of "food" for the ET's and don't even know it.

The most difficult thing to fight would be something that had to do with the way we see reality that would be different from the aliens. I've used this example before. What if, for instance, the aliens had a different way of looking at reality that basically went that all living things are wonderful constructs of energy that are temporarily, ignorantly trapped inside horrible physical bodies full of decay and pain. And when you die, your energy matrix is released to be joyfully reconnected with the grand energy force of the universe to live in bliss and pleasure forever. This is what their science had ultimately discovered, and out of the sheer love and goodness of their hearts, it is their mission to find all living things in the universe and "release" them from their physical prisons.

That would be a tough philosophical problem for us. Even if they could show us they were right, it would be hard for us to let them slaughter us all. But that's what you could run into with aliens. They're really alien, and unfortunately, we only know about ourselves.