Pretentious Apes

Philbert woke with clarity. His argument about science was fully formed by the time he finished his breakfast and first cup of coffee.

"OK Passant, you have driven home the point that the message of The Graces is corrupted by power and greed. This is why I stand with science. The scientific method, developed over hundreds of years, is incorruptible and must be our guide if we are to survive," Philbert began.

"Wow, I promise that I will not spread that bit of ignorance around. It is typical of the hubris and blindness of you humans. You have all of the evidence to show how stupid that statement is, but you’re too blind to see.

‘Change how you see, not how you look’ might be a good axiom for you today," Passant delivered pointedly.

"Well, I may be stupid but you are arrogant."

"Prepare to be embarrassed cupcake, here we go.

Ask your scientists, search engines and A.I. these questions:

What is the most intelligent species on Earth?

What is the most important discovery in all of history?

What should humans explore next?

Is space bounded or infinite?

Do we understand quantum mechanics?

Is there a God?

When did everything begin?

What is the most important thing needed for life?

Every answer will be human centered, short-sighted and wrong.

Humans as the most intelligent species on Earth is laughable and sad.

Your neighbor has junk cars, trash and weeds in his yard, and rotting garbage in his house. He fights with his neighbors about the mess. His family and friends are criminals. His children run wild and skip school. He is a moron, right?

Your other neighbor has a well tended lawn and a clean house. He gets along with his neighbors and is law abiding and responsible. His kids are helpful, courteous and kind. His friends are the same. He is the more intelligent one, right?

Human trash is prolific. Humans have trashed the land, and the waters. Human trash extends into space and even several planets. Humans are prolific killers, even of their own kind. Humans do not even respect other humans.

Humans will be born, they will then fund the murder of other humans, they will kill anything they rationalize to be good for them. They will die leaving a house-sized mound of trash and pollution. They will not even return to the Earth. They have not lived in harmony or appreciation of nature.

So let’s talk about whales for example. Your blind-assed scientists are just now discovering the lives and language of whales. Their language is as complex as any human language. They have social and family groups. They communicate over long distances. They do not kill each other. They have dedicated midwives and care givers. They play. They explore the beauty and wonder of the oceans. They destroy nothing and make no trash. They take no more than what they need.

They will be born, live a vibrant life, die and return to the Earth with only memories of their existence. They lived and died in harmony with and appreciation of nature.

So, bumkiss, which species do your scientists judge as the morons and which are truly intelligent?

Here you are on this speck of dust floating in an infinite empty space. The only place that life exists, to the best of your knowledge. The beauty of this planet, and the diversity of life on it deserves reverence and respect. Instead, you humans treat it like your own private convenience store and garbage can.

If aliens did come here, which species would they judge as the most advanced? The filthy human or the whales living in harmony with nature?

What is the most important discovery in all of human history? Your scientists would suggest fire and a number of other human centric discoveries. Not even close! The most important discovery was the evolution of The Graces.

It starts with Honesty. Honesty is necessary for Trust. Trust is necessary for cooperation. Cooperation can be as simple as mutual care for the young or the sharing of food. It can be the cooperation to defend the group.

Cooperation brings about trade in resources and ideas.

The group will have a better chance of thriving when there is cooperation.

No species has a chance to evolve intelligence without the development of The Graces.

What should humans explore next? Your scientists say that space is the next frontier. This is silly and short-sighted.

Humans have a problem confusing exploration with exploitation. The first thing you think about when you explore a new place is what can you take from it. You do not give the first thought to what you destroy. Human desire, part of the Old Wiring, always comes first.

Most of the Earth is covered in the oceans yet you know almost nothing about what is below. You over-fish to extinction. You dump your trash and chemicals into the waters. You make noise that compromises the lives of many species.

Does your science save you from these mistakes? No, that isn’t what science is for. Science is the cold discovery and understanding of reality, period. It can just as easily lead to life thriving or world-wide obliteration.

The threat from humans is increasing. You are now preparing to dredge the oceans for minerals. You have not the first idea, and don’t seem to care how much life and beauty you will destroy.

So I give you this as a warning, not a threat: The underlying message of Noah and the flood is not that God will flood the planet if you are wicked. The real message is that the Earth, and many species on it will survive, but humans will be returned to the caves for a restart. Behave like animals and the God System will return you to the life of an animal.

Is space bounded or infinite? You humans still do not know the answer and do not realize the significance of the question despite the fact that your philosophers have pondered on it for thousands of years. Most humans putter about like amoeba in a glass of water unaware and not interested in reality. You ask ‘which is better Coke or Pepsi’ not ‘what is the meaning of life.’

You know all of this but you continue on, unabated and without guilt.

You have the knowledge but hubris gets in the way.

Your first assumption that science is incorruptible is false on its surface. You have faith that your scientific method and the resulting discoveries are always robust and functional. They are not.

Science is conducted by humans. Humans have egos. No one human has the insight to synthesize a solution from all of the data known to you. But you elevate certain scientists to the level of Gods despite the simple fact that all humans make mistakes and suffer from blindness.

Who do you put your trust in? In your personal life, it is the familiarity with a person generates trust and confidence. One guy is good with race cars and mechanical things but knows nothing about roof repair. The second person has predicted the winner of sports events accurately for years but knows nothing about politics.

So you know who to go to if you are building a race car or betting on sports.

This is not the case with science.

Do you trust the researcher who has quietly conducted meaningful and accurate experiments and published the results for peer review? Well, you would if you had ever heard of the person or read his papers. But that is not the case of course. You hear from the loudest voices. You hear from those compromised by corporate influence or the wealth of the kings. You hear from journalists who have no knowledge of the subject at hand.

You erroneously assume that human technology and your massive industries implies intelligence. They do not.

Let’s start with this: Which species is the most intelligent?

The first species builds skyscrapers, roads and radios. They live their lives in competition with others. They are hateful and suspicious of others of their kind. They commit destructive violence and oppression on a large scale. They consider themselves to be the masters of nature. They live lives of quiet desperation and die leaving a mound of useless trash and pollution.

The second species builds nothing physical. They form deep social connections with others. They protect and care for others. They play, they learn and they experience the beauty of the world around them. They do not hate or commit violence. They live in harmony with all of nature. They return to the earth at death leaving no trace except a memory of their life accomplishments.

So, of humans and whales, which is more deserving to live on this planet?

Embarrassed yet?" Passant said quietly.

"Not all of us are blind, stupid and violent, Passant."

"Blind and violent, yes. Stupid, no, and that is the sad thing about the human condition.

When you see a friend suffering you feel their pain and console their grief. If they are ill you bring them food and cut their grass. If they are broke you loan them money.

But if it’s someone of a different color, or language, or country, you blame the victim. They suffer because they are lazy. They suffer because they believe in the wrong religion. They suffer because they are taking from you. They suffer because they are not as smart as you. They deserve violence and oppression.

Blindness, human blindness. Yes, there are many among you who attempt to live by The Graces. You live honestly and with compassion but you still gladly accept the benefits of the rape of the earth and the oppression of others. Enough is never enough. Somehow you cannot see this," Passant lectured.

"But what can we do? We can’t go back to living in caves and foraging for food just to live in harmony," he replied.

"Once again, a stupid human trick. You click from one extreme to another.

Ask yourself what makes you happy and content in life. Is it the slime oozing out from your TV set? Is it that behemoth of a car that you drive? Is it the gallons of clean drinking water that you flush down the toilet every morning? Is it the lights that illuminate every corner of your being? Is it the humongous white-walled nightmares that you call home? Is it the tasty manufactured food that is also killing you?

No! It’s the camaraderie that you feel when you are with your tribe at Da Baa. It’s the feeling you get when you console a friend. It’s the joy of learning something new. It’s the self-confidence that you get when you deal well with adversity. It’s the pride that you get from accomplishment. It’s giving, not taking that feels best. It’s expressing honesty even when it’s self-depreciating. It’s the loving care that you give to Cassie. It’s the inter-species love between you and Bohr the cat.

None of those things require paving paradise to put up a parking lot. None of those things require taking more than you need. None of those things require the Old Wiring. All of those things evolve from The Graces.

So what does your science give you? Every new discovery is weaponized as the first step.

Better ways to dig up the Earth for a new concrete structure. Better ways to make toxic and polluting chemicals.

Human contact is replaced with avatars and talking heads of questionable motives.

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Is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah about an invisible God punishing the sinful with fire from the skies? No! The people of Sodom and Gomorrah lived by the Old Wiring. They brutally used slaves to provide for their needs. They raided and pillaged other villages. They were promiscuous in their sexuality. They hated and oppressed refugees. Their lust and gluttony was only surpassed by their filth and laziness.

No, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah died from sexual diseases, obesity, alcoholism and violence. The fire from the heavens was the burning pain of gonorrhea.

The Old Wiring, our instincts, helped us survive when we were still in the caves but The Graces, our higher human values are required for a vibrant and just culture. The Graces are immutable science. Live by them and thrive or live by the Old Wiring and suffer.

So I leave you with this:

‘I hate reality but it’s the only place where I can get a good steak.’

‘I hate the church but it’s the only place where I can hear The Graces.’

We will continue tomorrow, Mr Philbert, bye bye," with the sound of a book slamming closed.

Philbert’s head was spinning with questions but when Passant logged off this way he was done for the day. He decided to look at the documents that Passant had put on his computer. Perhaps answers to his questions would be there.