Sunday Musings - February 6, 2022
What does it mean to be human?
Krista Tippett, host of the podcast On Being, frequently, towards the end of a conversation, asks her guest de jour to comment on or offer an opinion on what makes us uniquely human. This is not a new or orginal question. Theologians, philosophers, scientists and others have offered opinions and observations on this question over the centuries.
Us humans like to think that we are the superior species who have many abilities which other species do not possess. It is true that there are no other animals, plants or minerals which have a written language which fills volumes of books with our observations, opinions and creativity. It is also true that no other species has the complicated methods of destroying entire communities with one bomb. No other species has walk in closets containing many costumes, most of which are not worn. One cannot find another species which constructs mansions housing two or three people and which require cleaning and maintaining while many others have no safe home. One would also be hard pressed to find another species which so consistently spends years conducting scientific research and ignoring the results.
Yet, us humans can literally move mountains, invent vaccines, create art and musical instruments which mimics that mother nature has perfected. We do sometimes laugh at ourselves, learn from our mistakes and “find new ways of taking care of each other.
While the scope of some of our achievements and the ability to toot our own horns may seem to be unrivaled in all of nature, we are finding the seemingly simplest parts of nature have elaborate communication systems and ways of healing each other. It is true no other species creates cranes capable of lifting a double bus out of a ravine or hauling material 2717 feet high although mother nature can easily swallow bridges and both destroy and create mountains. No other species creates finely crafted porcelain glassware but only mother nature creates diamonds out of coal. No other species invents cameras which can travel inside a tiny human internal highway. Yet no other species creates and eats food which often creates the conditions requiring the use of such diagnostic cameras.
No other animal works as hard as we humans to create such a stressful life that we need to also create elaborate meditation systems to relearn to let go of the stress.
Perhaps what most distinguishes us as human is our shock at our humanness; the facts that we are surprised by death; constantly contradict ourselves; present illogical as logical and are mystified that someone would question our illogic; are surprised that treating each other cruelty does not bring out the best in us; that our elaborate excel and numbers spread sheets which attempt to assign point value to each of our human achievements and misdeeds ensure disharmony and eventful destruction of the planet; that we lie to ourselves when we know concepts such a racism, sexism and homophobia are artificial constructs; that we use such terms as artificial constructs; that we are willing to sexualize ourselves and our young children and then be outraged when someone sees us or them as sexual.
Perhaps what distinguishes us most of all is how serious we take our seriousness; how difficult it is to see ourselves in each other, to laugh and embrace each other; the fact that the command of Jesus and other teachers to become as little children eludes our genius minds.
Written February 6, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
What does it mean to be human?
Krista Tippett, host of the podcast On Being, frequently, towards the end of a conversation, asks her guest de jour to comment on or offer an opinion on what makes us uniquely human. This is not a new or orginal question. Theologians, philosophers, scientists and others have offered opinions and observations on this question over the centuries.
Us humans like to think that we are the superior species who have many abilities which other species do not possess. It is true that there are no other animals, plants or minerals which have a written language which fills volumes of books with our observations, opinions and creativity. It is also true that no other species has the complicated methods of destroying entire communities with one bomb. No other species has walk in closets containing many costumes, most of which are not worn. One cannot find another species which constructs mansions housing two or three people and which require cleaning and maintaining while many others have no safe home. One would also be hard pressed to find another species which so consistently spends years conducting scientific research and ignoring the results.
Yet, us humans can literally move mountains, invent vaccines, create art and musical instruments which mimics that mother nature has perfected. We do sometimes laugh at ourselves, learn from our mistakes and “find new ways of taking care of each other.
While the scope of some of our achievements and the ability to toot our own horns may seem to be unrivaled in all of nature, we are finding the seemingly simplest parts of nature have elaborate communication systems and ways of healing each other. It is true no other species creates cranes capable of lifting a double bus out of a ravine or hauling material 2717 feet high although mother nature can easily swallow bridges and both destroy and create mountains. No other species creates finely crafted porcelain glassware but only mother nature creates diamonds out of coal. No other species invents cameras which can travel inside a tiny human internal highway. Yet no other species creates and eats food which often creates the conditions requiring the use of such diagnostic cameras.
No other animal works as hard as we humans to create such a stressful life that we need to also create elaborate meditation systems to relearn to let go of the stress.
Perhaps what most distinguishes us as human is our shock at our humanness; the facts that we are surprised by death; constantly contradict ourselves; present illogical as logical and are mystified that someone would question our illogic; are surprised that treating each other cruelty does not bring out the best in us; that our elaborate excel and numbers spread sheets which attempt to assign point value to each of our human achievements and misdeeds ensure disharmony and eventful destruction of the planet; that we lie to ourselves when we know concepts such a racism, sexism and homophobia are artificial constructs; that we use such terms as artificial constructs; that we are willing to sexualize ourselves and our young children and then be outraged when someone sees us or them as sexual.
Perhaps what distinguishes us most of all is how serious we take our seriousness; how difficult it is to see ourselves in each other, to laugh and embrace each other; the fact that the command of Jesus and other teachers to become as little children eludes our genius minds.
Written February 6, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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