What are humans role in nature?

surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
edited July 2006 in A Moving Train
Some serious question for you. What is our role in nature? Are we here to protect the existance of other species? Are we currently acting in any way that is unnatural for us? Can humans act unnaturally?

From what I've seen in nature every species domiates to the extent it can without a care for consequences. This is the natural order of the world from what I have learned. Humans are the only species who try to act outside this model by caring about the short and long term consequences. Is this normal in nature?
“One good thing about music,
when it hits you, you feel to pain.
So brutalize me with music.”
~ Bob Marley
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Comments

  • not4unot4u Posts: 512
    to live, learn, build and obey its rules. If not, don't push it too far...for we are mearly its Inhabitants and not it's rulers.
    our brains are more developed and evolved, thats why we have more compassion.
    you should give animals a bit more credit. it seems your only talking about the hunters.
    we don't want war, but we still want more?
  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    We are parasites

    We destroy our host planet
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • sourdoughsourdough Posts: 579
    surferdude wrote:
    Some serious question for you. What is our role in nature? Are we here to protect the existance of other species? Are we currently acting in any way that is unnatural for us? Can humans act unnaturally?

    From what I've seen in nature every species domiates to the extent it can without a care for consequences. This is the natural order of the world from what I have learned. Humans are the only species who try to act outside this model by caring about the short and long term consequences. Is this normal in nature?

    Good topic! It is impossible for humans to act without damaging the environment in some way or another. Actually no organism can live without hurting another, but I think it is our job as humans who are able to comprehend and adapt, to reduce the amount of damage our species does and to protect as much as we can in order to maintain a healthy planet.
  • Eliot RosewaterEliot Rosewater Posts: 2,659
    sourdough wrote:
    Good topic! It is impossible for humans to act without damaging the environment in some way or another. Actually no organism can live without hurting another, but I think it is our job as humans who are able to comprehend and adapt, to reduce the amount of damage our species does and to protect as much as we can in order to maintain a healthy planet.
    Agreed. The burden of caretaker is clearly on the human shoulder.
  • angelicaangelica Posts: 6,038
    surferdude wrote:
    Some serious question for you. What is our role in nature? Are we here to protect the existance of other species? Are we currently acting in any way that is unnatural for us? Can humans act unnaturally?

    From what I've seen in nature every species domiates to the extent it can without a care for consequences. This is the natural order of the world from what I have learned. Humans are the only species who try to act outside this model by caring about the short and long term consequences. Is this normal in nature?

    Humans are the only species who have awareness of their own actions and of the consequences of such actions. This ability, along with our ability to reason is unique among all life on the planet. Such ability evolved for a reason, to meet our specific purposes.

    It is our mammalian brain that our compassion and empathy comes from. As the name suggests, mammals have this capacity. It is humans, however, who developed beyond emotions and have reasoning ability--we can reason about what to do with our compassion and empathy in order to create more constructively. It may not be normal in nature, yet it looks like such ability has evolved for a normal-for-humans reason.
    "The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth." ~ Niels Bohr

    http://www.myspace.com/illuminatta

    Rhinocerous Surprise '08!!!
  • cubbieblue82cubbieblue82 Posts: 292
    Humans are 100% natural animals, and therefore it would be impossible for us to act "unnatural," as we are a part of nature. I think most human behaviour can be chalked up to basic animal instincts. War is simply territorialism, and a fight over resources, much as two tigers might fight over an area of land, or a carcass.

    Our abilities to reason are an adaptation just like adaptations of other animals. That being said, I believe that our ability to reason provides us with the opportunity to know what is best for the survival of our species.

    While most species would run rampant over the planet without the normal checks in place, we can have the foresight to realize that we need to restrict our impact on the environment to ensure the survival of the species.
    Obama/Biden '08!!!
  • surferdude wrote:
    Some serious question for you. What is our role in nature?

    To live, to think, to be happy, to have children, to die.
    Are we here to protect the existance of other species?

    Not any more than we're here to destroy them.
    Are we currently acting in any way that is unnatural for us?

    No.
    Can humans act unnaturally?

    Humans can act against their better nature in the context of common human standards (life, happiness, etc), but humans cannot act unnaturally.
    From what I've seen in nature every species domiates to the extent it can without a care for consequences. This is the natural order of the world from what I have learned. Humans are the only species who try to act outside this model by caring about the short and long term consequences. Is this normal in nature?

    We differ from our natural cousins in that our lives are dictated by ourselves to a much greater extent than any other animal. With that comes great advantage and the potential for even greater disadvantage.
  • OutOfBreathOutOfBreath Posts: 1,804
    Our "role" in nature is exactly what we perceive and believe it to be. Pretty philosophical/religious really. If we believe ourselves to be caretakers, for instance, then that's what we are.

    I wouldn't say that in nature any specie dominates without care. Different plants and animals are just wired in certain ways and act it out. Those who are wired sufficiently adequate survive, those that aren't dont. And that doesnt necessitate any domination or even aggression. Things kill eachother and live off eachother, sure. But there is also equilibriums all around the place being maintained as well.

    I could diverge into a debate about humans' fear of nature and need for control that underlies our mistrust in "nature" leading us to want to control it, but I'll leave it for now.

    What our "role" is? I dont think any "role" has been assigned to us. We are part of nature too though, not outside of it. So our role in nature may be existing, doing what we do, whatever that would be at a given time. We are conscious, and know of no other creature that is, so perhaps that makes us special in some way. At least a characteristic.

    Peace
    Dan
    "YOU [humans] NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?" - Death

    "Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
  • OutOfBreathOutOfBreath Posts: 1,804
    We differ from our natural cousins in that our lives are dictated by ourselves to a much greater extent than any other animal.
    Perhaps. I'll just throw out the term "second nature" here as food for thought... ;) Wiki it if you feel like it.

    (edit) wikipedia turns up blank I just found out. If you have never heard of it, I may elaborate it if you wish :)

    Peace
    Dan
    "YOU [humans] NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?" - Death

    "Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
  • sourdoughsourdough Posts: 579
    I think the thing that DOES make us unnatural is that I don't believe natural selection applies for us at the present time. Our chances of survival and ability to reproduce has more to do with where we live and what social services are available rather than our ability to survive.
  • Our "role" in nature is exactly what we perceive and believe it to be. Pretty philosophical/religious really. If we believe ourselves to be caretakers, for instance, then that's what we are.

    I believe that I'm a spaceship. How's that working out for me?
    I wouldn't say that in nature any specie dominates without care. Different plants and animals are just wired in certain ways and act it out. Those who are wired sufficiently adequate survive, those that aren't dont. And that doesnt necessitate any domination or even aggression. Things kill eachother and live off eachother, sure. But there is also equilibriums all around the place being maintained as well.

    Amen.
    I could diverge into a debate about humans' fear of nature and need for control that underlies our mistrust in "nature" leading us to want to control it, but I'll leave it for now.

    Amen.
    What our "role" is? I dont think any "role" has been assigned to us. We are part of nature too though, not outside of it. So our role in nature may be existing, doing what we do, whatever that would be at a given time. We are conscious, and know of no other creature that is, so perhaps that makes us special in some way. At least a characteristic.

    This sounds pretty good.
  • Perhaps. I'll just throw out the term "second nature" here as food for thought... ;) Wiki it if you feel like it.

    (edit) wikipedia turns up blank I just found out. If you have never heard of it, I may elaborate it if you wish :)

    Peace
    Dan

    That's new to me.
  • VictoryGinVictoryGin Posts: 1,207
    To live, to think, to be happy, to have children, to die.

    So what if those 'roles' conflict, like what if living, thinking, and being happy don't go with having children? ;)
    if you wanna be a friend of mine
    cross the river to the eastside
  • hailhailkchailhailkc Posts: 582
    VictoryGin wrote:
    So what if those 'roles' conflict, like what if living, thinking, and being happy don't go with having children? ;)

    Then simply replace "having children" with "dusting, vaccuming, washing dishes, fixing sammiches and…washing more dishes."

    ;)
    MOSSAD NATO Alphabet Stations (E10)
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  • VictoryGinVictoryGin Posts: 1,207
    hailhailkc wrote:
    Then simply replace "having children" with "dusting, vaccuming, washing dishes, fixing sammiches and…washing more dishes."

    ;)

    I'm not sold on that one either.

    How about these as roles: living, thinking, being happy, and drinking?
    if you wanna be a friend of mine
    cross the river to the eastside
  • hailhailkchailhailkc Posts: 582
    VictoryGin wrote:
    I'm not sold on that one either.

    How about these as roles: living, thinking, being happy, and drinking?

    That's cool.
    MOSSAD NATO Alphabet Stations (E10)
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    Low Traffic CIO MIW
    Non Traffic ABC BAY FDU GBZ HNC NDP OEM ROV TMS ZWL
  • VictoryGin wrote:
    So what if those 'roles' conflict, like what if living, thinking, and being happy don't go with having children? ;)

    Then choose whichever is more important to you.
  • surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
    hailhailkc wrote:
    Then simply replace "having children" with "dusting, vaccuming, washing dishes, fixing sammiches and…washing more dishes."

    ;)
    I thought women got watches and shoes to replace children.
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • As far as humans go, nature and instinct lost their importants when we developed culture. There is nothing natural about economy's, bombs, and burning oil for energy.

    Also, animals do care about thier environments more than we do. A dog won't shit where it sleeps, for example.
    "Science has proof without certainty... Religion has certainty without proof"
    -Ashley Montagu
  • VictoryGinVictoryGin Posts: 1,207
    surferdude wrote:
    I thought women got watches and shoes to replace children.

    I don't see how shoes could be a replacement. Clearly, shoes are more fun.
    if you wanna be a friend of mine
    cross the river to the eastside
  • surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
    VictoryGin wrote:
    I don't see how shoes could be a replacement. Clearly, shoes are more fun.
    My thinking was if you're not going to be barefoot and pregnant you might as well get some shoes so you can go off to work. The watch is so you make it there on time.
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • surferdudesurferdude Posts: 2,057
    Given the replies so far the next question is; Can humans do anything unnatrual to the earth?
    “One good thing about music,
    when it hits you, you feel to pain.
    So brutalize me with music.”
    ~ Bob Marley
  • surferdude wrote:
    Given the replies so far the next question is; Can humans do anything unnatrual to the earth?

    Absolutely not. Both human beings and the Earth itself are contained within Natural constraints.
  • sourdoughsourdough Posts: 579
    Yes. We can alter the composition of the atmosphere, create synthetic virus's, genetically modified organisms, clone sheep, create nuclear waste, toxins etc...
  • http://www.rense.com/general72/change.htm

    We Can Change Reality
    By Ted Twietmeyer
    tedtw@frontiernet.net
    7-16-6


    We live in a world that makes one feel powerless just by reading, seeing or hearing the news. Yet there exists a free defense that transcends government weaponry and requires only effort to use. It is that of the human mind. A recent internet film has focused on the power of attraction to create wealth. Contrary what many think, wealth isn't our most important issue. Freedom is of the highest importance when the entire world is at stake. When freedom is taken away, so it will be with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom is the essence of all that we are, and the basic source of happiness. Anyone doubting freedom as a top priority should look at the history of the people of the old Soviet Union, eastern block countries and East Germany. They were born, lived and died in an oppressive, paranoid existence that's hard to grasp. Yet today, there exists a group of self-appointed world dictators that want to re-create that old style tyranny on a permanent basis for the entire planet. As many have already described it - a prison planet without bars. We don't have to accept that destiny, for the mind is a force on earth that when properly directed is greater than all the dictators combined.

    Please understand that this essay isn't about the power of positive thinking, even though it is somewhat related. The difference here is that the power of positive thinking is often just a surface feeling and attitude, while covering up an internal sense of hopelessness deep in the soul. [1] Several experiments have proven that we can change reality, and later I'll give you one you can try yourself.

    In one experiment a few years ago, a group of people gathered together in Washington, DC to lower crime through a concentrated mental effort. A reduction of crime by 25% was expected from prior experiments. This experiment was later found to have worked as predicted according to FBI crime statistics. [1]

    WE ARE MOSTLY WATER Other well known experiments tested the influence of directed thoughts on the structure of water. We are 80% water. Visible, measurable changes in water take place when the structure is changed by concentrated thought. If you microwave water, let it cool and water plants with it, they will wither and die. Seeds will barely grow or not at all. [2] This simple test shows that water can be changed and it's life giving properties destroyed. It also stands to reason that consuming microwaved food or water cannot be good healthy. We are not only what we eat but clearly we are what we drink, too.

    Below are images taken from dark field microscopy tests. This is a special type of microscope. Pure water was exposed to specific thoughts. This produced incredible variations in new crystalline structures. It clearly stands to reason that we can fight disease by moving past the simple concept of positive thinking and taking it even deeper. When our outlook on reality completely changes, it will restructure us down into the very depths of our being at the quantum level.




    **see link for pics**

    Pure water
    (Natural)

    Water after
    prayer


    Water with "thankyou"
    label in
    Japanese


    Water with a "Hitler" label
    in Japanese



    Is water here responding like it is intelligent? Perhaps not. But Dr. Masaru Emoto's work shown above clearly proves that thought can physically change water. It may not be the actual labels on the water that cause these crystals, but the thoughts exhibited by Dr. Emoto as he labeled the water and thought about the labels. The "Water after prayer" image shown above appears to indicate this. What has not been widely tested (with one exception) is the effect of great distance to limit telekinesis. [3]

    One telepathy experiment was conducted between astronaut Edgar Mitchell and a researcher on earth during Apollo 14. Using standard Zener ESP test cards, Mitchell attempted to send images to receiver people on earth 150,000 miles away. This distance is close to the center point in the journey between the Earth and Moon. However, Mitchell's workload caused the experiment to take place about an hour late, which affected results. Some interesting results were obtained, but were not considered conclusive. [4]

    OUR REALITY We are all connected together in an invisible neural network through our thoughts, for better or worse. [1] Again, it is us who can change what we perceive as reality. Our bodies are so incredibly complex they are like micro-universes. Cells are based on receptors for neuro-peptide chemicals that represent every emotional state we can experience. There are countless receptor sites on each cell at the molecular level for these chemicals. Much like the way a plug for an electric dryer or electric stove is completely different than that of a standard wall AC outlet, certain receptor sites (outlets) on cells only accept certain neuro-peptide chemicals (plugs.) Neuro-peptides can start a chain reaction among cells until a need is fulfilled. This can be triggered by binge eating, alcohol consumption or other forms of stimulation. If a need is triggered by a neuro-peptide chemical but you can't control it, by definition it becomes an addiction. Heroine works just like any neuro-peptide. [1]

    What numerous experiments have proven is that we can mentally affect changes in reality at the quantum level. These changes will manifest themselves at the visible, physical level we see as reality.

    Contrary to common belief, we have the freedom of choice to change our own reality. Few people will believe this and cling to the old idea that "we must accept our lot in life." Yet history is full of many people who have risen up what from what many would call "the gutter" to become leaders! How did they do this? By changing their reality by determining their goals in life. If these people did not change their reality, they would have been born, lived and died with their existence completely unknown to others except family and friends. They made the choice to change, and refused to accept their reality by creating a new one.

    The only obstacle most people have once they understand this fact, is finding motivation. Apollo 13 faced a sudden terrible reality of being in deep space and running out of oxygen and facing certain death. Engineers on the ground knew the complete content of objects in the spacecraft and Lunar Lander. Using that list, mission control gave the astronauts instructions on how to adapt a CO2 scrubber from the Lunar Lander. This would not normally fit the command module system. This saved their lives.

    The engineers refused to accept death as a reality and came up with the solution. Saving the three men's lives required far more thought and brainpower than the non-physical mental process of changing our reality we can implement today. Change doesn't happen overnight and will be gradual. Like a large flywheel, it takes effort to get our change moving but it can be done.

    CHANGING OUR REALITY FOR THE BETTER

    Our thoughts can do many things to us, including making diseases become better or worse. It is a well known fact that we can directly affect our immune systems as a result of negative thoughts. Yet we can change that. A Google search on this will produce more than 4 million results. Thought control of ourselves is a very real fact, and it may hold the key to fighting and reversing auto-immune disorders without drugs. Cancer is considered an immunity system problem, because the body cannot recognize it's presence. Everyone has cancer (mutated cells) in their systems. The body also normally works around the clock to remove. Those who develop the disease have an immune system that no longer functions correctly to perform this function. Why can't we learn to use just a small part of that idle 90% of our brains to mobilize the immune system to destroy cancer and other diseases?

    Trying to rationalize and understand everything can be an obstacle to change, especially when these changes must take place at the quantum level of thought power. We must focus on WHAT we want, not how it will happen. The "how" part will take care of itself. Everyone has a bio-field of energy surrounding them which can be changed for the better with a little effort each day. [1] It requires us to let go of the old idea, "I can't see it so therefore it isn't real." Remember the water experiment? We can physically see the changes on pure water simply from thought. There is an experiment few know about which has been online for about 10 years. At a university in Switzerland there is a radioactive source mounted near a Geiger counter. This experiment allows anyone, anywhere using a computer with JAVA enabled to see in real-time their influence on the radioactive source which creates the random numbers. There are three different ESP experiments which anyone online can participate in. This author first tried this experiment (the bell curve) online in the early 1990's. Although I'm about 10,000 miles from the actual experiment, I can mentally move the red line horizontally on the bell-curve beyond the odds of probability. Most likely you can move the line, too. You concentrate on "right" or "left" and it will move in that direction. But please don't go try this now - this is quite addictive and you won't finish reading!




    Still image taken from Fourmilab experiment you can do. Concentration moves the wandering red line left or right after the JAVA experiment loads (not this image.)

    CHANGING OUR REALITY

    By now you should be thinking about the possible ways we can affect reality - the very one which we thought must be accepted without question. This is powerful information to consider and implementing it won't be easy at first. As stated earlier, our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is at stake and there is nothing whatsoever to lose and everything to gain. Will we be one of those who lie back and just accept their "lot in life" - or actively work to improve it? Changing our reality isn't about becoming rich or famous even though it certainly is a possible side-effect. What thousands of famous people have proven for us is that anyone can make a difference in their life and the lives of millions of other people.

    Today, we must use our minds to save the earth from a tyranny worse than anything we can imagine. And there is little time left.

    See [5] below for all the details on using your telepathy to physically change the radioactive decay rate in Switzerland and see your results. After you try the bell-curve experiment, ponder the potential you have inside and what can be accomplished to make our lives better and to fight tyranny.

    Ted Twietmeyer
    http://www.data4science.net

    [1] - Extracted from comments from physicians and scientists in the film "What the Bleep Do We Know?" (2004)
    [2] - http://www.rense.com/general70/microwaved.htm
    [3] - http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/eng/news/131/ss2.htm / Dr. Masaru Emoto
    [4] - http://www.physics.smu.edu/pseudo/ESP/
    [5] - http://www.fourmilab.ch/rpkp/experiments/bellcurve/
    (requires JAVA enabled on your computer)
    If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

    Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
    -Oscar Wilde
  • sourdough wrote:
    Yes. We can alter the composition of the atmosphere, create synthetic virus's, genetically modified organisms, clone sheep, create nuclear waste, toxins etc...

    Every single thing you mention is a product of nature, involving natural ingredients.

    Would you refer to evolution as "unnatural" (genetic modification)? Would you refer to the sun as "unnatural" (nuclear waste)? Would you refer to the birth of elements in the Big Bang as "synthetic"?
  • sourdoughsourdough Posts: 579
    Sure they are composed of natural ingredients, it does not make the action of producing them anymore "natural". Nuclear fission on the sun is unassisted and a natural occurring event. Us tinkering with atoms in a lab is not. A conventional birth is natural. Cloning another animal in a petri dish is not. It is the action/process that is unnatural.

    I think I know where this is all leading to. The argument that we are natural, therefore we cannot act unnaturally, therefore anything we are doing is okay because it is all natural and natural can't be bad. Its poor logic.
  • angelicaangelica Posts: 6,038
    Thank-you, Abook. I love the information. :)
    "The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth." ~ Niels Bohr

    http://www.myspace.com/illuminatta

    Rhinocerous Surprise '08!!!
  • sourdough wrote:
    Sure they are composed of natural ingredients, it does not make the action of producing them anymore "natural".

    Ok. How are they "unnatural"?
    Nuclear fission on the sun is unassisted and a natural occurring event.

    Unassisted by men? Certainly. Unassisted by other natural elements? No. Can I claim that cloning is natural because it is unassisted by Cheetahs and it occurs as a product of natural human beings?
    Us tinkering with atoms in a lab is not.

    Why?
    A conventional birth is natural.

    Why?
    Cloning another animal in a petri dish is not.

    Why?
    It is the action/process that is unnatural.

    Why?
    I think I know where this is all leading to. The argument that we are natural, therefore we cannot act unnaturally, therefore anything we are doing is okay because it is all natural and natural can't be bad. Its poor logic.

    It's completely sound logic. It's not a matter of "bad". Plenty of natural things can be bad depending on your standards of good/bad.
  • angelicaangelica Posts: 6,038
    sourdough wrote:
    Sure they are composed of natural ingredients, it does not make the action of producing them anymore "natural". Nuclear fission on the sun is unassisted and a natural occurring event. Us tinkering with atoms in a lab is not. A conventional birth is natural. Cloning another animal in a petri dish is not. It is the action/process that is unnatural.

    I think I know where this is all leading to. The argument that we are natural, therefore we cannot act unnaturally, therefore anything we are doing is okay because it is all natural and natural can't be bad. Its poor logic.

    Do you believe we operate outside of natural laws then? Do our actions become supernatural then? Is there one reality system that is natural and we move beyond that?
    "The opposite of a fact is falsehood, but the opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth." ~ Niels Bohr

    http://www.myspace.com/illuminatta

    Rhinocerous Surprise '08!!!
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