How did we ever survive this long???

Question

I have been on this site for some time now. I must admit I am both frustrated and dismayed at the state we as humans seem to be in.
The youth keep asking the same questions we asked 20 years ago. Are we truly doomed to keep making the same mistakes generation after generation?
Every once in a while I am impressed by someones insight but I am usually horrified at the pettiness, the selfish, narrow minded state we find ourselves.
Is there any hope for us to evolve or are we doomed to become extinct sitting on the sofa eating bon bons watching reruns of American Idol?
How can we pass the wisdom of experience to the youth in a medium they will accept?

Answer 1

You answered your own question.

The fact that you hear the same questions from this generation as you did from twenty years ago does not indicate humans are "doomed", but rather that either the problems are getting solved, or that the "problems" are not as cataclsymic as that generation thinks.

Today's internet addiction was last generation's TV addiction, which was preceded by movies, radio, etc. The printing press was accused of causing idle minds and lazy industry. Mozart was a blindly idoled by teenagers at a level that makes modern idols pale in comparison. There have been dozens of sexual revolutions, dozens of diseases equivalent to AIDS (before penicillin, Syphlus was fatal) and wars that wiped out a far larger percentage of this country's population than any that have been fought in the last 60 years.

And for those problems that are real, this generation will do what past generations have done. Solve them.
The AIDS epidemic still hasn't killed even a fraction of the percentage of people that the flu epidemic killed in the early 1900's. Gas is cheaper now (compared to wages) than ever before, and car's don't fall apart after 80,000 miles. The world accepts far more diversity than ever before (watch old cartoons or movies if you want to see obvious and socially accepted racism). Slavery is virtually wiped out compared to the global level of slavery that existed in every generation before ours (Remember South Africa when you were a kid?).

How can we pass on our wisdom? We have. Previous generations have solved their problems within the context of their generation, and have passed on a significantly better world than they received. This generation simply has to pick up the torch (and they will) after they realize that the existence of a problem is not a signal of a civilization's death, but of a civilization's life.

Answer 2

First, in the history of the world as far as we have been able to document it, "this long" is the tiniest blip in time.
And to (possibly) depress you further, at the rate we humans are going, we may just poison the earth beyond repair or bomb ourselves out of existence or BOTH. Either scenario spells extinction for (human) life as we know it!
I wouldn't necessarily judge humanity by what pops up in/on Yahoo! Answers. Most of the people really working for and making a difference are out there doing it. And some of them are young too!

Answer 3

You know I also have felt like you , and after talking to my wife she showed me how important is our comprehensive answer even if we have to repeat the same answer for so many same questions , because the questions are all of the same base , of the same subject of life , and the answers that are idiotic basically will always be , just because of point gaining and always will be some one intelligent and some one less than , so don't despair just keep on answering with your best of knowledge and dignity , And your educated answers you can bet will teach some one that needs to know , so just answer the questions that are intelligent and don't bother the other ones that's what I do and not for the points .

Answer 4

'How did we ever survive this long??? '

There is no universal answer to that question because humanity is an ever changing species-being.

http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/bublitz.htm


'How can we pass the wisdom of experience to the youth in a medium they will accept?'

The medium is self: the Will is positive, the Judgment is negative. If you can accept that those two organic compounds in human consciousness are that, and not confuse them for each other, and teach that with everything that follows logically, then that is a positive start. Firstly because it is an undoing for thought-error and secondly it helps to put the Judgment in its proper place, as servant to the Will. As a matter of course there is necessity for a much greater philosophical inquiry to educate the Ego. Generally the Spiritual essence gladness is far superior to that of Pride for with gladness there is no need for personal comparison but with pride there is 'need' for PERSONAL comparison, and that is negative as personal perfectionism is social whereas gladness is decision in relation to physical contingent conditions and positive for the decision, i.e. 'I am glad I did that'.

http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Erickson

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/manuscripts/comm.htm

Answer 5

America.

Answer 6

WE HAVEN'T SURVIVED ALL THAT LONG COMPARED TO MANY OT HR SPECIES. THE DINOSAURS LASTED I6O MILLION YEARS BEFORE BECOMING EXTINCT. WE CALL THEM AN UNSUCCESSFUL SPECIES. SHARKS HAVE BEEN UNCHANGED FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS. WE HOMO SAPIENS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR, POSSIBLY, 10 TO 20 MILLENIA.

THE WAY WE ARE GOING INSURES THAT OUR REIGN ON EARTH WILL BE SHORT. WE'RE FAR AHEAD, TECHNICALLY, BUT WE'RE AS SAVAGE AS WE WERE THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING IN OUR CURRENT ABILITY TO DESTROY ALL LIFE ON THIS PLANET.

THE ODDS ARE VERY STRONG THAT WE WILL DO JUST THAT.

Answer 7

My Grand parents said the world is going to the dogs.
My parents said the world is going to the dogs.
I told my kids the world is going to the dogs.
The other day I heard my son say the world is going to the dogs
The dogs are still waiting.

Answer 8

survive long

Answer 9

A medium like, say, this one?

Perhaps you can try to pass on your knowledge here instead of fretting about human ignorance and stagnation.

Answer 10

If we can survive Dick Cheney that arch b.. whose private company is making millions out of the Iraq war we can survivie the coach potatoes. They are the least of our worries.