If we are the most intelligent lifeforms on our planet why does the mass population not care for the planet ?

Question

I dont get it!? It seems to me that the simpler a lifeform is, the less chaos it contributes to the universe. Will everything just keep getting exponentially worse or am I thinking to much about weird questions?

Answer 1

I do not think that, you are not thinking too much. The fact is that you are thinking with a different sort of intelligence, and this is right. Now, what type of intelligence is this? I come to this a little later. The first question that we can diabolically ask ourselves is: what after all is wrong with us?

The answer to this question we might find in the way of our own thinking, in the fact that not only we think that we are the most intelligent life form on the Earth, but that we are the most intelligent mind in the entire universe, and herein lies the problem. You see, we hope that if we end up destroying this planet, we are smart enough one day to get intelligent enough to find another one somewhere in the galaxy, after all there could be million of Earth like planets around. This is partly the reason we do not hesitate ransacking our own cradle – a blatant abuse of optimism and hopefulness.

The second reason is the fact mentioned in you question: our tendencies to get embroiled into complexities of living that eventually we cannot handle; the elaborate systems to cater for our over arching extra needs that we design eventually start controlling our lives; and structure that we put in place in the end start structuring the ways we live. This is true that the simplest organs in nature are the most efficient and least harmful for their environment. Threes for example, they do not harm to their environment, and in my understanding they are intelligent exactly the way they should be – bet are we intelligent the we should be, is the question!

The one outstanding difference between all non-human intelligence and human intelligence, however, is that human beings are endowed with extended abilities: the ability to choose, find alternatives, modify and develop along entirely new directions, and to altogether different levels. This faculty in essence is what makes us human and what make us think in comparison with the rest of the creation that we are the most intelligent life form; after all we can influence all other things the way nothing else can influence us in turn.

Our intelligence is an essential tool for our ability to choose, to make decisions, but our intelligence serves another very important purpose, the very purpose that has made you ask this question. That purpose is to extract wisdom that we may call conventional wisdom. With the help of our wisdom we place checks upon our own intelligent thinking; we develop critical mind, a mind that not only makes us thinking and act intelligently but also wisely. And this conventional wisdom says that we are doomed unless we change our ways altogether.

We are like on a slippery slope of so-called development that we cannot fully check or control - we in the hand of our own intelligence. Now, we must develop the way we have always developed. And in this we have no option, development is a need, or a compulsion, that we must constantly address to survive. The irony is that the cost of development and staying developed is killing us.

Answer 2

You are right to question whether things will get exponentially worse because there are predicitons that are made which suggest this, like global warming, for example. As for mankind and whether we care for the planet, to be honest, we have the choice whether to care, but we do not choose because we can't. All we need to make our survival its best is those things that are by large destroying the planet, like fossil fuels. We burn these things everyday and polluting our atmosphere that contributes to the global warming.

But what interests me about your theory when you stated that "the simpler a lifeform is, the less chaos it contributes to the universe." Is this so? You have viruses and bacterial bodies that are mostly single-celled, therefore, simple organisms that are the causes of deadly diseases... I'm not bashing you, but every lifeform, no matter how small or big, has its effect on the universe good or bad. You are right to say that humans, being the dominant species is making the most damage, but can we really help what we are doing and therefore put a stop to it?

Answer 3

Probably worse. Humans became the dominant species on their planet due to their ability to exploit all resources available to them at the greatest extent. And it turns out, three million years later, that this might be their undoing.

And it should be known that 'intelligence' on a cellular scale (say an individual human being) has nothing to do with intellect on a mass, six-billion man scale. You don't turn off the shower until only cold water's coming through. Six billion people are much dumber than only one-just look at the concept of the lynch mob mentality. No individual drop of rain could ever claim responsibility for a murderous flood. So when we turn the Earth into a smoldering hulk, we'll only blame the other five billion.

We're unique in our ability to predict what the outcomes of our actions in the far future might be, but we're still just animals. And as animals, we'll seek to eat, reproduce, and stimulate our pleasure glands as long and as prolifically as we can. If that means at the expense of every other creature on Earth, then so be it. We're not gonna care.

Answer 4

Perhaps we can define some terms here. Intelligence and wisdom, egoistic and altruistic, the balance of power, survival of the fittest, virtue and so on. Two examples of intelligent people i can give consist of: (a) a well advised methmatician, best in nuclear anergy with phd. He manufactures nuclear energy and manufactures a nuclear bomb that can destroy a third of the earth. (b) another exactly with the same qualifications above, manufacters a large nuclear plant that can supply electricity to the whole of Africa for a period of 10 years. One of these is intelligent and wise and is an assert to society. The other is intelligent and not wise and is a more than a liability but a destruction to society. The mass population we have is a mixture of these kind of people considering also the other characteristics I have highlighted. You can reflect on all these characteristics and see how each of them affect our life on earth.

Answer 5

We care for ourselves. I suppose that is similar to most other organisms in the universe. We simply do more damage because of the fact that we have ego's instead of reliance on innate drives to teach us how to be. When you really look at it that way, it isn't much of our fault, because a deer or antelope or any other perceivably innocent creature, born as a human, in a human environment, would then become a product of it's environment, and behave as destructively as any other human. It's not our faults egotistically. It's our basic drives that have done this. So if every human that ever lived was turned into an innocent animal, and animals put in the place of humans at this very instant, eventually you could bet it'd be the same way with them. In a way that's already the case, because we know nothing when we're born. It simply supports the idea that everything begins, and ends, at exactly the right time.

Answer 6

Simply because they dont. They are too busy trying to survive in Africa! (Even if they know the dangers they are powerless to prevent it) They are too busy fighting over meaningless racial and religious differences! (If the power of nature kills us or a Nuclear war what of skin colour or religion then) They are too busy trying to obtain wealth and possessions to prove they are succeeding to stop and think! (How will having a big car, house and all the money help them stop the hurricane or bomb that will destroy it) and finally They are too stupid to see the threat is real and its a lot closer than they think. Our babies today may be the grand parents of the last generation of babies. That is if war hasn't killed them off first.
There are even some who sit back and say, Don't worry God will come and sort it out.
If he is then pray it's sooner rather than later. we need help now!
Personally I think we stand little chance of surviving as we are and cant see the masses changing in time and worry that War will destroy the planet before the planet can destroy us! I don't worry for myself, I've had a good 50+ years but I do worry about what my childrens children will face. But I know who they will blame! Us and past generations. I also see the problems that Global warming will bring however slowly it happens making the threat of war greater rather than smaller!
The earth will survive and all we can do is the best we can while we can however little it is and HOPE!

Answer 7

Because we are selfish and lazy generally.

Most people would agree with the fact that we are spoiling our planet, but few people actually make the changes to their lives that would help. No one is perfect, but if we got used to making small changes then we could all make a big difference as a whole.

We also need governments and large organisations to help. Better public transport so we don't need to use cars as much, local authorities making recycling easier, and companies watching the amount of energy they are using by, for example, having the air conditioning on when it is not needed, printing out documents when they could be emailed, and leaving lights on all night.

We need to get off our bums and make the effort!

Answer 8

Well, mate, if these answers don't tell you why we're up **** creek then I don't know what would.(go on, give me your petty little thumbs downs folks...)

You're not asking an unreasonable question. It's a good one. Maybe the most important right now. And there are a lot of different answers.

I think that this species isn't that bright & needs a little humility & to let go of their petty mythologies...sorry, religions. They do no good in the long term. Between our lack of genuine intelligence & motivation in the right circles, we are seeing about our world's destruction. Maybe people aren't desperate because they can't feel their great grand children's pain or because they are too unimaginative to envisage a bleak dystopia that is being brought about by our daily actions.

Within the universe we are but a small species & this is so very evident right now.

Wish us luck...!

Answer 9

We are the only intelligent lifeforms. But that does not meant that we all know how to care for the planet. There are different definitions of intelligent.

Answer 10

scary, isn't it?

Just for fun, read an article called A World Without People by Alan Weisman, published in The Week magazine, Dec 1st issue or in the book Best American Science Writing 2006.