The Human Element

We often overlook or fail to definitively define the human element in everything we say and do. It's one of the biggest yet understandable biases that influence our actions and behavior.

I suppose it's also a sign that we've turned our backs on the rational yet unforgiving aspects of nature. We build a city on the coastline and once a hurricane hits it suddenly becomes a national tragedy. We domesticate animals and come down with new flu viruses and suddenly there's global panic.

There's no doubt in my mind that there are things in nature that we cannot control and there's a lot to be addressed in our interaction with nature, however, I think people should be a bit more respectful with their perception of such events... Allow me to explain.

Nature doesn't give a shit about us. Nature could shake us off like dinosaurs (and they had a 160 million year run on this Earth). There is no favor that we can possibly offer to nature to keep us here on this planet. We are at the mercy of our environment, not the other way around. The Earth will be here long after we are gone so it is foolish to think that we are the end-all or the be-all of life on this planet.

I don't advocate that we abandon our homes and live in the desert or the tundra in a canvas tent. I'm essentially asking that when you encounter an event or human encounter with nature, that you take the side of nature. Nature always wins, not people.

Look at George Carlin's perspective...