4 ms·

I'm not a big fan of humanity. We are pretty awful. Self loathing of the human race needs to stop, there are an incredible number of hard working people making

by xd 8y ago

I'm not a big fan of humanity. We are pretty awful. Self loathing of the human race needs to stop, there are an incredible number of hard working people making the world a better place one step at a time. Our impact on the world barely registers to past extinction level events. Humanity has just as much right to exist and be as any other species. If you don't like what we are doing, work to improve things. Are you aware how many countless people have and do work to improve your quality of life, protect you, make sure you are fed and watered and provided with distractions like HN to complain about how awful we are.

collyw 8y ago
As a species we seem to be a cancer on the planet. We are pretty much responsive for the current mass extinction event. That doesn't mean that individuals aren't good.
- sharpneli 8y ago
  There has been global cancers before. With the difference that we may be able to restrain ourselves. As an example see the great oxygenation event. Where bunch of selfish green algea pumped waste product into the atmosphere killing almost all anaerobic life. Then there is the carboniferous period where trees grew so much that due to lack of lignin breaking fungi they basically sucked out all CO2 from atmosphere causing global glaciation and killing themselves in the process. Life has been crapping itself since the very start. We are no worse than others, however we have the chance to be better.
- Radim 8y ago
  "As a species we seem to be a cancer on the planet." This platitude is actually interesting in this context. It connects multiple threads: * One of the previous major extinctions was the Oxygen Holocaust [1], caused by photosynthesizing cyanobacteria. It killed pretty much everything alive back then. And turned our Earth into a snowball to boot. * This oxygen is a major contributor to CANCER, via free radicals etc. It leads to a faster (and more ruthless, more side effects) metabolism, enabling evolution of highly reactive creatures such as us. * And trees, the "speaking organisms" under discussion, are one of the major producers of this highly volatile, carcinogenic O2 substance. Tongue in cheek? Maybe. But hopefully no worse than the naive "humans are a cancer to the planet". [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxygenation_Event https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxygenation_Event
msiyer 8y ago
"Self loathing of the human race needs to stop" I completely agree. "Humanity has just as much right to exist and be as any other species" I completely agree. "Are you aware how many countless people have and do work to improve your quality of life, protect you, make sure you are fed and watered and provided with distractions like HN to complain about how awful we are." It is a symbiosis. You make it sound like a parasitic relationship.
ioulian 8y ago
I completely agree with your first paragraph, but I have some things about the second one: > "Are you aware how many countless people have and do work to improve your quality of life" Aren't most people do it for selfish reasons? (Money, feel good about yourself, ...) Police protects us, for the money they get. Agriculture delivers us food, for the money they get. Water stations deliver us water, for the money they get. Touristic attractions give us joy, for the money. PETA, "saves animals", for the money. Youtube provides fun and education, for the money. If these organisations didn't receive our money, will they still provide us with those things? The only noble profession these days is a fireman, which don't get as much money as they are worth to the society! Of course there are people that are genuine "good", that will help others just because they want it to, but most of the people do something, wanting something in return. I don't agree with the parent poster that we should hate ourselves, but we aren't angels too ;) What if money didn't exist, where would we be right now as a civilization?
- robbiep 8y ago
  if we didn't develop a system of exchange (which reduces to a single unit, 'money' in any sophisticated civilisation), we wouldn't be a civilisation
arminiusreturns 8y ago
> Self loathing of the human race needs to stop Why, because you said so? I'm not convinced. > here are an incredible number of hard working people making the world a better place one step at a time. There are also an incredible number of people making the world a worse place. > If you don't like what we are doing, work to improve things. I've always hated this retort. It completely ignores the systematic disenfranchisment of the people, the takeover of the political system by cronies and corporations, and increasing lack of financial and political power in the middle class, declining wage growth, rampant corruption, rampant incompetence, rampant apathy and maliciousness... just to start. > Are you aware how many countless people have and do work to improve your quality of life, protect you, I was one of those people who thought he was "protecting" when he signed up for the military. First of all, you need protecting from... thats right... bad guys! Second of all, the bad guys we were "protecting" you from ended up not nearly as dangerous to freedom and liberty as the people in suits back CONUS who were ripping the constitution apart. Look, I get it. It's nice to be positive and focus on the positive things, but I feel like way too many first world people are stuck in this bubble where all the shitty things in the world are abstract "someone elses problem" things you only see on tv. I agree we need citizens to participate more (Solon made it illegal for citizens to shrink from political debate to decrease apathy for example), and we need to try to focus on and improve the positive. That said, some of us have seen the darkside of humanity, and I don't think you ever truly come back from that to start thinking all hunkey dorey about life. I've seen so much death and destruction I know better. Stay positive and change things, I like it. The reason I went on this long rant though is I think this wishful thinking type on either end of the spectrum is counterproductive to the very issue you are bringing up. In essence, your statement is like religion to me. "It doesn't matter if it's not true, believing it can make you feel better!"... I don't think we can fix the problems until we have a frank and honest discussion about what those problems are and potential solutions, not just burying our head in the sand and saying "everything is great!" while a family of Yemeni's just got blown up because Saudi Arabia is our friend and we want oil. (for example)

by xd 8y ago

collyw 8y ago

As a species we seem to be a cancer on the planet. We are pretty much responsive for the current mass extinction event. That doesn't mean that individuals aren't good.

sharpneli 8y ago
There has been global cancers before. With the difference that we may be able to restrain ourselves. As an example see the great oxygenation event. Where bunch of selfish green algea pumped waste product into the atmosphere killing almost all anaerobic life. Then there is the carboniferous period where trees grew so much that due to lack of lignin breaking fungi they basically sucked out all CO2 from atmosphere causing global glaciation and killing themselves in the process. Life has been crapping itself since the very start. We are no worse than others, however we have the chance to be better.
Radim 8y ago
"As a species we seem to be a cancer on the planet." This platitude is actually interesting in this context. It connects multiple threads: * One of the previous major extinctions was the Oxygen Holocaust [1], caused by photosynthesizing cyanobacteria. It killed pretty much everything alive back then. And turned our Earth into a snowball to boot. * This oxygen is a major contributor to CANCER, via free radicals etc. It leads to a faster (and more ruthless, more side effects) metabolism, enabling evolution of highly reactive creatures such as us. * And trees, the "speaking organisms" under discussion, are one of the major producers of this highly volatile, carcinogenic O2 substance. Tongue in cheek? Maybe. But hopefully no worse than the naive "humans are a cancer to the planet". [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxygenation_Event https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oxygenation_Event

msiyer 8y ago

"Self loathing of the human race needs to stop" I completely agree. "Humanity has just as much right to exist and be as any other species" I completely agree. "Are you aware how many countless people have and do work to improve your quality of life, protect you, make sure you are fed and watered and provided with distractions like HN to complain about how awful we are." It is a symbiosis. You make it sound like a parasitic relationship.

ioulian 8y ago

I completely agree with your first paragraph, but I have some things about the second one: > "Are you aware how many countless people have and do work to improve your quality of life" Aren't most people do it for selfish reasons? (Money, feel good about yourself, ...) Police protects us, for the money they get. Agriculture delivers us food, for the money they get. Water stations deliver us water, for the money they get. Touristic attractions give us joy, for the money. PETA, "saves animals", for the money. Youtube provides fun and education, for the money. If these organisations didn't receive our money, will they still provide us with those things? The only noble profession these days is a fireman, which don't get as much money as they are worth to the society! Of course there are people that are genuine "good", that will help others just because they want it to, but most of the people do something, wanting something in return. I don't agree with the parent poster that we should hate ourselves, but we aren't angels too ;) What if money didn't exist, where would we be right now as a civilization?

robbiep 8y ago
if we didn't develop a system of exchange (which reduces to a single unit, 'money' in any sophisticated civilisation), we wouldn't be a civilisation

arminiusreturns 8y ago

> Self loathing of the human race needs to stop Why, because you said so? I'm not convinced. > here are an incredible number of hard working people making the world a better place one step at a time. There are also an incredible number of people making the world a worse place. > If you don't like what we are doing, work to improve things. I've always hated this retort. It completely ignores the systematic disenfranchisment of the people, the takeover of the political system by cronies and corporations, and increasing lack of financial and political power in the middle class, declining wage growth, rampant corruption, rampant incompetence, rampant apathy and maliciousness... just to start. > Are you aware how many countless people have and do work to improve your quality of life, protect you, I was one of those people who thought he was "protecting" when he signed up for the military. First of all, you need protecting from... thats right... bad guys! Second of all, the bad guys we were "protecting" you from ended up not nearly as dangerous to freedom and liberty as the people in suits back CONUS who were ripping the constitution apart. Look, I get it. It's nice to be positive and focus on the positive things, but I feel like way too many first world people are stuck in this bubble where all the shitty things in the world are abstract "someone elses problem" things you only see on tv. I agree we need citizens to participate more (Solon made it illegal for citizens to shrink from political debate to decrease apathy for example), and we need to try to focus on and improve the positive. That said, some of us have seen the darkside of humanity, and I don't think you ever truly come back from that to start thinking all hunkey dorey about life. I've seen so much death and destruction I know better. Stay positive and change things, I like it. The reason I went on this long rant though is I think this wishful thinking type on either end of the spectrum is counterproductive to the very issue you are bringing up. In essence, your statement is like religion to me. "It doesn't matter if it's not true, believing it can make you feel better!"... I don't think we can fix the problems until we have a frank and honest discussion about what those problems are and potential solutions, not just burying our head in the sand and saying "everything is great!" while a family of Yemeni's just got blown up because Saudi Arabia is our friend and we want oil. (for example)