why are we doing what we are doing?

Question

does anyone really think about the here and now, what are we, why are we here, i don't care for bullshit about god and ****.. there must be a reason why we evolved, some reason for it all, intelligence just doesn't happen - does it?

Answer 1

Hell, I don't know who I am yet.
I'll work on that later.

Answer 2

I believe I am doing what I am doing because I have a destiny to fulfill. Most of the stuff I do helps me to deal with hurt that I have suffered in the past. If I can help someone else, not go through a situation, I gain from that. It's as if a part of me that was taken is being replaced, or restored. I believe we are here for purpose. And no intelligence doesn't "just happen". There are some very intelligent people, who can't put their pants on without help!!! No kidding. Good question! Thanks.

Answer 3

It is sort of long but be patient.

I am guessing the nature has all species coded that we will do everything to survive and mulitply. That is the basic encoded program in all living being.

Animal evolved is also driven, knowningly or unknowningly, by that encoded program. Evolution is basically to find a formula to be successful in surviving and multiplying. There are animals that has changed a little for millions of years, it is because it's physical designs has proven successful for the generations.

We evolved because our ancestors did not have the most powerful and gift physical forms and shapes require to dominates other animal competition. We somehow must find a formula to be competitive.

First off, we becomes group animals instead of solitary. Bigger in numbers does offer higher chance of survival. Next is learning of using tools, fire, agricultures and other stuff. We are using more of our brain and less of our physicals strength. From that point, we becomes one of the most successful species in Nature.

As our success grows, population grows, human has become the top dog of the nature. The competition is no longer just against other animal species or nature. We start to have competition among human beings ourselves. We start to develop tools, methods and other things to compete with other human beings. That started the chains reactions and set the tone in the human society. Today, many of the people don't have to worry about the survival of the being itself, but now, it is the drive to compete for more money, fame, success and so forth. We still continue to uses our brains to learn and think so that we can be as good as other people or better than they do. We study hard in school so that we compete in entrance exam to a good university. We study even hard in university to compete for a position in work place. We are still evolving because every generations will learn more and use their brains more. We we will become more intelligent every generation.

Conclusion, the original reason why we are here is to reproduce the next generation, just like other animals. We evolve because we need to have higher successful of survival rate against competition. Nowaday, we are not competing against other animals but to other human beings.


Does it make sense ?

Answer 4

We evolved because of genetic mutation; a profitable mutation that was deemed 'desirable' by each generation of species. Our intelligence will likely not increase as this will cause an excessive amount of time that humans would have to spend in raising children (the higher intelligence, the more parenting involved). Moreover, the more intelligent, the less likely one is to pro-create as 'primal lust' is replaced with a thirst for knowledge. We are currently at a nice intelligence equilibrium.... unless we setup embryo colonies that take out the need to precreate, and will pave the way for a species of human super geniuses who all they do would be think. OH GOD NO!

We 'began' thanks to Q from Star Trek Next Generation. Ever seen that episode? Explains everything. Thank God Jean Luc for saving the human race.

Answer 5

I am not exactly sure, what the nature of your question is, but it seems as if you are asking how it is that we as human beings evolved intelligence ( a big word, but let's just assume we all have somewhat of an idea of what that may imply). The answer may be found in the evolution of social group structures.

Throughout the evolutionary history of life on earth, numerous animals have evolved social structures that had their very benefits, but came with rather particular challenges. The social group provides protection against predeators, can involve the division of labor and also concerted efforts in hunting that proove very efficient. Unlike in a swarm, the members of a scoial group know each other, and in fact HAVE to know each other. Without this ability to recognize group members many of the advantages of the group are lost. Consequently, the neural substrates for face recognition (or voice recognition or scent recognition) where favored by evolution (or perhaps better put, were a trait that was not selected against). With it, other cognitive abilities evolved. For example empathy, which seems to have a certain phylogenetic continuity throughout numerous animal species. or the ability for communication. Also, the ability for conflict resolution, as we can find it in great apes. The reason for these abilities, and thus for the evolution of the cognitive abilities that such complex social behaviors presuppose, is quite obvious. To maintain the social structure functional, the abilities are crucial. In a group, you have to not only recognize another face quickly, you also have to be able to somehow understand what makes this particular individual tick or ticked off.

In other words, there is ample evidence to show that the evolution of our cognitive abiliteis are actually closely related to our life style as social animals.

That said, forgive me when i say that I think that "God" is not bullsh... at all. The fact that we can look closely at evolution and the mechanisms that drove evoltuion does not at all mean we have to deny the existence of a divine being. i respect if you feel you ahve to do so, but it has really no bearing on your question, unless you really want to ask the question WHY is it that we do things the way we do them? Then, the methodological reductionism of science fails to answer your questions. Take for example love, a very important phenomoneon most of us understand from experience, but no one can truly articulate. Poets have tried again and again... There is obviously no reason to believe that our ability to love evolved in some way, and that it is related to the evolution of scoial structures. But to reduce love to merely a biochemical reaction out of evolutionary necessity would be, in my eyes, philosophically naive. But in order to understand love fully, the fact that it bears evolutionary significance has to be dialectically considered vis-a-vis our other approaches to udnerstanding it, all of which are ultimately based on our experiences.

Thanks for ebing patient with this answer, and I hope it may help you a little with your problem.

Answer 6

The only real function of life is to perpetuate itself. We (and other mammals) have evolved into such complex organisms because that is one way to achieve that goal. But only one way. There are far more efficient, much simpler ways to perpetuate life, as demonstrated by beetles (who outnumber us by the millions-to-one), or even simpler organisms like nematodes.

It is said that if everything on earth suddenly disappeared except the nematodes, you would still be able to see the planet, all its cities, all the plumbing!

Answer 7

Yes, intelligence has just happened. That happens to be the way evolution worked (but it did not have to end up that way). I recommend reading "The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins for more on this important and fascinating subject.

Answer 8

I think it was all an accident - fortunate for us, not so much for the planet we've now almost destroyed

Answer 9

You will always be lost! Good luck buddy!!

Answer 10

We are here to be happy.