Why aren't we as humans getting closer?

Question

Why in spite of all the advancement in social sciences, psychology and Anthropology; We as humans tend to grow just more apart and the rift widens as time passes? Is it our human nature, conflict of interests or just my pessimism lol? I do believe in Anthropology as a way to promote understanding and to bring the different people of the world closer but why isn't that happenning !!!

I need a scientific approach please.....

Answer 1

Land, money, power. Reason why all wars start and never end. Peace is a lie.

Answer 2

People aren't evolving or improving at all, only improving our collective and individual knowledge and technology. Human nature is exactly the same as it was 2000 years ago and that's why things never change. History keeps repeating itself every few generations, just with different scenery and technology. There are long and short cycles in the way everything runs and cycles within cycles. No matter what lens you look at humanity through, you'll see repeating patterns of groups of people/societies/governments coming up with a new and better way, not knowing that that new way has inherent flaws within it that will ulitimately lead to its destruction. Then people go to the opposite extereme of whatever just stopped working until that doesn't work anymore. Kind of like the boom-bust cycle in our economy or the cyclical nature of the real estate market or long skirts vs. short skirts. These are relatively short cycles. Longer cycles would be the rise and fall of civilizations.

IMHO, there are only two possibilities for how things will play out for the human race:
1) We will just keep repeating the same mistakes, our civilization will one day collapse, the human race will drop down to a very small number, then a new civilization will rise from the ashes. Eventually, that civilization will fail for the same reasons, etc. until something so catastrophic happens that people can no longer live on this planet (sun becoming a red giant, for example).
2) There is a god and he has a plan for us. I'm investigating a few religions to see if there's anything to them that makes sense. I don't want to blindly believe something just because #1 above is depressing though!

Answer 3

I would argue the reason we are drifting apart is because (1) the socio-economic and political fabric of the United States emphasizes the individual and (2) technological advancements - which always hold the promise of bringing people together - are actually making it easier for people to survive and thrive with a minimal amount of personal interaction.

For example, the Internet, cell phones, etc. now give us the ability to quickly communicate (and more to the point communicate CHEAPLY) across vast distances. As a freelance photographer and writer, I no longer even speak to most of my clients - I get an assignment via email, send the photos/articles via email and then get a check in the mail - although I suppose I could opt to have direct deposit.

In short, America's obsession with convenience, individuality and technology is fueling the social distancing you see.

It's also instructive to remember that there are certain types of comfort associated with distance - you don't need to be a psychologist or anthropologist to understand that it's emotionally easier to kill large numbers of people from a distance (with say cruise missles or high altitude bombers) than it is in close proximity.

Same thing with our consumptive habits - when we buy shirts and socks at Target or WalMart do we bother to consider the miserable working conditions of the people in Pakistan, China or Guatemala where these items are produced? No. All we care about is that we're getting a dozen socks for $4.99.

Answer 4

Our world as we know it is becoming extremely fragmented. The influences behind this are predominately economical and social. The majority of academic influences (theories) are anthropocentric whereby mankind is seen as seperate to nature. That is, we are "independent" of nature. Most of the hardship society faces are through environmental aspects, such as food sources and natural resources. For better understanding look at the 'New Ecological Paradigm'..extremely insightful. Add to this the pressures of a post modern society and we will see greater fragmentation. On top of this we live in a litigious world where anything that 'one' does to 'another' can be litigated...one has to wonder where it will end. If you get a chance, check out a book by Jared Diamond, 2005, "Collapse: How societies choose to fail or survive" Chapter 16..very interesting reading.

Answer 5

I would love to know that myself. What is it with the lack of compassion, the lack of morality, as well as prosperity in this world? People just want to step on everyone just to get to the top unless they want to sleep or sponge off of someone to get there.
There are so many jealous narcississtic parasites in the world, today, among whom is my sister. Why can't people do for themselves, be able to stand back and say "I did it"?
Why would a person be willing to steal, lie, cheat and manipulate and lose a friendship or relative for a buck? I value people. It was intricate making friends growing up due to their prejudices, but it's a lot better now. I love that my coworkers don't judge my seizures; I have had a lot at work due to stress.
Teen pregnancy is a problem today. The results of it just don't care about life at all. They don't want to get ahead at all. My mother, a formal counselor at a high school, told me that some of these kid don't think that slavery existed. Who would make up such a story. How can anyone make up a name like Tubman? It's just as easy as John Brown or Fredrick Douglas. I have met kids who have never heard of Rosa Parks. Can you believe that? It's bad enough when they've never heard of Durran Durran, but Parks is another story.
I don't know what will become of this world.
I am just glad that I was in the last of the generation for whom it was safe to play outside with the parents in the house: Generation X.

Answer 6

Any approach that does not allow free will to do it is only bringing them together against their will. All the sciences do their best to make this happen so that people decide to do so, perhaps they need to do so and thus have the same want to do so and usually do so. If you can succeed in doing so in some way do so and enjoy the success of your genius.

Answer 7

If you look at it from a geological point of view we are evolving and our behaviors are changing. Just think about humanity 300 years ago was far more savage than people of today. 300 years in a geological sense is a speck of time. We will get there but it will take thousands of years for us to evolve out of our primitive instincts. Millions of years of evolution can not be undone in a few hundred.

Answer 8

People are hoarders. They don't want to share. We are failed by our belief of the 'Survival of the Fittest' motto. We help, only if it benefits us. I need to be better than you. I can't help you unless I know I will still be better for it and you will be in debt to me.
Through technology, if I have a material object you want, I am better than you, and will you fight to top it.
Envy and Jealousy.

However, if we possess nothing, share everything and never suffer from a loss, then we are equal and have not thing to gain or lose. We do grow together though.

Answer 9

we are more growing apart each year to year. the last ten years has shown that we as a society has changed . we change because of progress and trends and we follow them like sheep and every now and then some person comes up with an idea to change the world and it upsets the nature of progress and advancement. and then someone follows them you either conform to other ideas or non cofrom meaning you are on your own to struggle. and to survive and we become monkeys of the cage. we need only one line of advancement and that is to follow com on sense and practical living we follow to many trends now and folow to many rules

Answer 10

We are a highly aggressive species, and are making life much tougher than it really needs to be, mostly for the benefit of the well off few, and it's going to get worse, people, unless you start doing something about it. I'm glad I don't have children!

Answer 11

You want a scientific approach, but your question isn't scientific. You do not define specific criteria for how people are moving apart, and so you are unable to actually demonstrate that they are.