Sometimes I think human beings just suck and that the world is ever increasingly becoming a rotten place. Never ending wars, broken families, increased violence against those that can't defend themselves, pollution, greed, perversity, cruelty, agism, sexism, fanaticism, disease, apathy, slores built up as role models etc.

One can argue that these ills have always been part of the global society but if we can advance in areas such as technology and construction; building better computers and taller buildings then why can't we become better human beings?

Discuss

PROGRESSING.

Sometimes it feels as if we're heading backwards, and sometimes our steps forward can be more harmful than helpful, but I definitely think that we're still moving FORWARD.

Both

no really

Both !

Some of humanity is progressing, some of it is regressing, and some of it is staying the same.

I disagree...I definately see regression in humanity....These kids today have lost human contact skills because all they do is text, facebook or I.M. someone. When you couple that with the way life is undervalued by many criminals, things look bleak. The bad economy is to blame for alot of the crime, but it's always been there, regardless. Peeps are down, emotionally.

However, in my little part of the world, I'm on cloud 9...i just don't have my head buried in the sand.

Revolution said:

I disagree...I definately see regression in humanity....These kids today have lost human contact skills because all they do is text, facebook or I.M. someone. When you couple that with the way life is undervalued by many criminals, things look bleak. The bad economy is to blame for alot of the crime, but it's always been there, regardless. Peeps are down, emotionally.

However, in my little part of the world, I'm on cloud 9...i just don't have my head buried in the sand.

Its not just kids losing human contact skills. Adults have lost their damn minds via social networking. When you have grown folk threatening to kill each other over FB, i mean come on.

People in general undervalue life. You have to account for the criminals and the people who have lost the will to live (suicides).

yes it looks bleak.

I think if you look at history, there has always been a segment (if not most) of society that was ignorant, uneducated, evil, etc.

It's just that we're putting it on TV a little more now, but look how disgusted everyone is with that. That is a good sign for society.

NDRU said:

I think if you look at history, there has always been a segment (if not most) of society that was ignorant, uneducated, evil, etc.

It's just that we're putting it on TV a little more now, but look how disgusted everyone is with that. That is a good sign for society.

Good point but has that segment of society gotten larger and more savvy?

If we are exposing it more, are we doing anything to change it? That's where I don't see the progress.

HotGritz said:

NDRU said:

I think if you look at history, there has always been a segment (if not most) of society that was ignorant, uneducated, evil, etc.

It's just that we're putting it on TV a little more now, but look how disgusted everyone is with that. That is a good sign for society.

Good point but has that segment of society gotten larger and more savvy?

If we are exposing it more, are we doing anything to change it? That's where I don't see the progress.

I wouldn't claim to know the answer, but I would say that's just one part of society. And yeah the number might be getting bigger but so is the population. The number of people going to college is also getting bigger.

I would say we're in danger though, because the media is like a drug, and we're all hopelessly addicted.

humanity will not become stagnent

it will always progress.

for regreesion to take place

we would have to loose knowledge

already gained.

we will always progress.

THE QWESTION IS

is the progression of the human race

A GOOD THING

with every step we take in a foward motion

does it seem we are being propelled to our

end?

i would like to think that as we become

older as a race, we would become wiser

as a people but the power of money has

driven some mad and they want only for themselves.

how much they're willin NOT to distroy is qwestionable.

^^^Yes, I think we are progressing, but toward what?

NDRU said:

^^^Yes, I think we are progressing, but toward what?

exactly,

there's a different mentality

between the haves, and havenots.

people are growin together the world over

people 'with' are tryin to pull further away.

KingBAD said:

humanity will not become stagnent

it will always progress.

for regreesion to take place

we would have to loose knowledge

already gained.

we will always progress.

THE QWESTION IS

is the progression of the human race

A GOOD THING

with every step we take in a foward motion

does it seem we are being propelled to our

end?

i would like to think that as we become

older as a race, we would become wiser

as a people but the power of money has

driven some mad and they want only for themselves.

how much they're willin NOT to distroy is qwestionable.

But have we gained knowledge or just a better understanding of that which was previously taught? Perhaps we have only re-discovered something as opposed to gaining something.

Forward motion can be in a backward direction as well. In other words, whereas we think we are moving forward, we are only walking in circles.

HotGritz said:

KingBAD said:

humanity will not become stagnent

it will always progress.

for regreesion to take place

we would have to loose knowledge

already gained.

we will always progress.

THE QWESTION IS

is the progression of the human race

A GOOD THING

with every step we take in a foward motion

does it seem we are being propelled to our

end?

i would like to think that as we become

older as a race, we would become wiser

as a people but the power of money has

driven some mad and they want only for themselves.

how much they're willin NOT to distroy is qwestionable.

But have we gained knowledge or just a better understanding of that which was previously taught? Perhaps we have only re-discovered something as opposed to gaining something.

Forward motion can be in a backward direction as well. In other words, whereas we think we are moving forward, we are only walking in circles.

you're so funny...

gainin, is gainin. rediscovery?

you can walk circles and still increase the

diameter of that circle.

we are makin discoveries by the day.

discovery brings creation (ie antimatter)

once the horse is out the barn. blahblahblah

some things that should progressing are regressing, and some things that should be regressing are progressing

worst case scenario: extreme poverty, scientists cloning "humans" (soldiers?), new wars (using nuclear warfare) and extreme pollution and contamination...

[Edited 1/17/12 15:35pm]

JoeTyler said:

some things that should progressing are regressing, and some things that should be regressing are progressing

worst case scenario: extreme poverty, scientists cloning "humans" (soldiers?), new wars (using nuclear warfare) and extreme pollution and contamination...

[Edited 1/17/12 15:35pm]

REGRESSION born out of a desire to PROGRESS!

human clones as soldiers

i vote for progressing. but, i think id' want to break the word 'humanity' up and make a distinction between human understanding and human character.

imo, overall humankind is making rapid progress in understanding; each new day brings fresh images of pictures from mars, or distant nebulae, thus expanding our knowledge base and broadening our horizons.

it's a great time in which to live because access to information has never been better, and because information is now widely available through the internet to everyone and not just the moneyed, educated elite, i think as a species in general we can look forward to exponential growth in shared knowledge.

as for human nature, i think our understanding of our own brains and emotional responses, thus our maturity, has not kept pace with the demands we're making on ourselves.

for example more new technology means more overall adaptation and resulting stress, and we don't handle stress well, as organisms. stress hormones literally ruin our brains. and all the new information we're constantly absorbing, along with constant change and our awareness of change, causes tons of tress and tension in our daily lives.

religion can help humankind, in terms of meditation and self study, and maybe pharmaceuticals and/or genetic engineering will also allow us to tap into the pineal gland and become more adept at biofeedback techniques to lower our blood pressure, slow heart rates, heal and regenerate ourselves better, live longer and etc. genetic markers for mental illness and deviant behavior are being identified every day, and someday we may have the capacity to adjust those factors in ourselves, deliberately.

as a species i believe we have potential to go toward better or worse. but, there is always the 'random' factor, the unpredictable twist of fate. like, if hitler had obtained a nuclear weapon, think how things could have been different.

personally, i want to think that there's hope for humanity if we can figure our own selves out before the onset of the next ice age. i think we are headed toward learning to use our minds to control matter, or, as it could be said, 'enlightenment'. using the human kind to alter matter has been proven possible, albeit on a small scale. so, it's not impossible that we will become able to improve ourselves, our physical forms and emotional states, deliberately.

then again, maybe aliens will come help evolve us.

okay. that's all i got for now.

HotGritz said:

Sometimes I think human beings just suck and that the world is ever increasingly becoming a rotten place. Never ending wars, broken families, increased violence against those that can't defend themselves, pollution, greed, perversity, cruelty, agism, sexism, fanaticism, disease, apathy, slores built up as role models etc.

One can argue that these ills have always been part of the global society but if we can advance in areas such as technology and construction; building better computers and taller buildings then why can't we become better human beings?

Discuss

Honestly? Yeah, I agree with you.

In terms of scientific shit, we're progressing, but on a soul level as a collective...it's the exact opposite.

Which isn't to say that I think humanity is total shit and all bad - I've seen too much good in too many people to ever believe that.

XxAxX said:

i vote for progressing. but, i think id' want to break the word 'humanity' up and make a distinction between human understanding and human character.

imo, overall humankind is making rapid progress in understanding; each new day brings fresh images of pictures from mars, or distant nebulae, thus expanding our knowledge base and broadening our horizons.

it's a great time in which to live because access to information has never been better, and because information is now widely available through the internet to everyone and not just the moneyed, educated elite, i think as a species in general we can look forward to exponential growth in shared knowledge.

as for human nature, i think our understanding of our own brains and emotional responses, thus our maturity, has not kept pace with the demands we're making on ourselves.

for example more new technology means more overall adaptation and resulting stress, and we don't handle stress well, as organisms. stress hormones literally ruin our brains. and all the new information we're constantly absorbing, along with constant change and our awareness of change, causes tons of tress and tension in our daily lives.

religion can help humankind, in terms of meditation and self study, and maybe pharmaceuticals and/or genetic engineering will also allow us to tap into the pineal gland and become more adept at biofeedback techniques to lower our blood pressure, slow heart rates, heal and regenerate ourselves better, live longer and etc. genetic markers for mental illness and deviant behavior are being identified every day, and someday we may have the capacity to adjust those factors in ourselves, deliberately.

as a species i believe we have potential to go toward better or worse. but, there is always the 'random' factor, the unpredictable twist of fate. like, if hitler had obtained a nuclear weapon, think how things could have been different.

personally, i want to think that there's hope for humanity if we can figure our own selves out before the onset of the next ice age. i think we are headed toward learning to use our minds to control matter, or, as it could be said, 'enlightenment'. using the human kind to alter matter has been proven possible, albeit on a small scale. so, it's not impossible that we will become able to improve ourselves, our physical forms and emotional states, deliberately.

then again, maybe aliens will come help evolve us.

okay. that's all i got for now.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

yeah!

whut she said!!!

XxAxX said:

i vote for progressing. but, i think id' want to break the word 'humanity' up and make a distinction between human understanding and human character.

imo, overall humankind is making rapid progress in understanding; each new day brings fresh images of pictures from mars, or distant nebulae, thus expanding our knowledge base and broadening our horizons.

it's a great time in which to live because access to information has never been better, and because information is now widely available through the internet to everyone and not just the moneyed, educated elite, i think as a species in general we can look forward to exponential growth in shared knowledge.

as for human nature, i think our understanding of our own brains and emotional responses, thus our maturity, has not kept pace with the demands we're making on ourselves.

for example more new technology means more overall adaptation and resulting stress, and we don't handle stress well, as organisms. stress hormones literally ruin our brains. and all the new information we're constantly absorbing, along with constant change and our awareness of change, causes tons of tress and tension in our daily lives.

religion can help humankind, in terms of meditation and self study, and maybe pharmaceuticals and/or genetic engineering will also allow us to tap into the pineal gland and become more adept at biofeedback techniques to lower our blood pressure, slow heart rates, heal and regenerate ourselves better, live longer and etc. genetic markers for mental illness and deviant behavior are being identified every day, and someday we may have the capacity to adjust those factors in ourselves, deliberately.

as a species i believe we have potential to go toward better or worse. but, there is always the 'random' factor, the unpredictable twist of fate. like, if hitler had obtained a nuclear weapon, think how things could have been different.

personally, i want to think that there's hope for humanity if we can figure our own selves out before the onset of the next ice age. i think we are headed toward learning to use our minds to control matter, or, as it could be said, 'enlightenment'. using the human kind to alter matter has been proven possible, albeit on a small scale. so, it's not impossible that we will become able to improve ourselves, our physical forms and emotional states, deliberately.

then again, maybe aliens will come help evolve us.

okay. that's all i got for now.

Absolutely!

seems like we are expecting more from technology and less and less from each other. almost like today's techno is a veiled precursor to a world of social separation.

the human side of humanity (imo) is very much regressing, while the techno take over is progressing at mega-rapid-nanoseconds.

as we live and breath new technologies to feed our eyes and absorb our non-virtual time is being poured down the funnel to us. many of us see the tech progress as having 'fun gifty gadgets.' sometimes i see the current morphing tech progress as kind of a pandora's box.

hope

[Edited 1/18/12 22:11pm]

It seems we are progressing in our ability to process bits of information and switch mental gears rapidly.

But we are regressing in our ability to sustain concentration, and our ability to appreciate something with depth.

As long as only a few (or one half) are progressing, while others are still regressing, humanity overall is regressing.

You can't spread one man's wealth, health and happiness amongst other people, hoping it will "raise" the average for statistic reasons. 10 happy people are worth way more than one 10-times-as-happy person.

Progressing scientifically and technically, yes. Spiritually, not at all.

this is the thing,

everyone is willin to say the world

is goin to hell in a handbasket because

of the things that only a few are perpetuating.

recently, we have come beyond racial differences

(to the most part) and found that we have a commonality

that transends color/race. and that thing is

WE AIN'T GOT SHIT but ourselves

governments are run by a few who really

care very little for our(havenots) well being.

humanity is progressing, goin foreward

getting closer in understanding and, dare i say, spirituality.

the powerful seek to regress to a time when

there were rulers who said whut common folks

weere allowed to do...

that's just how i think it is

and i may be right.

Good question.

We know many things now we didn't know before but we have lost touch with the basics.

Example. My grandmother came to this country at 15 from Italy, around the year 1918. She met and married a 19 year old man from Italy and they went on to have 11 children together.

Felicia Giorgio lived to be 42. She could only speak Italian and she never read in any language. Her children helped her with banking and any area where she needed translation.

What Felicia could do is what we can no longer do. She had basic survival skills; raised chickens and killed them, grew vegetables, cooked everything from scratch and keep a family of 13 well fed and healthy. My grandefather was a butcher until the Depression. People back then could pretty much keep everything they owned in running order themselves.

I have never grown vegetables or killed anything bigger than a bug. I know nothing about wiring, plumbing or carpentry or bricklaying.

If we face an Armegeddon like situation I fear that many of us do not have the basic survival skills to pull through it.

We talk of the increasing gap between the wealthy and the poor. I think there is also a huge gap in survival skills and education between the haves and the have nots.

KingBAD said:

this is the thing,

everyone is willin to say the world

is goin to hell in a handbasket because

of the things that only a few are perpetuating.

recently, we have come beyond racial differences

(to the most part) and found that we have a commonality

that transends color/race. and that thing is

WE AIN'T GOT SHIT but ourselves

governments are run by a few who really

care very little for our(havenots) well being.

humanity is progressing, goin foreward

getting closer in understanding and, dare i say, spirituality.

the powerful seek to regress to a time when

there were rulers who said whut common folks

weere allowed to do...

that's just how i think it is

and i may be right.

That concept always intrigued me in the DUNE sci-fi mythology.

Basically it's thousands of years in the future, humans have evolved fantastic technology (past it even) and evolved abilities as well.

YET society returned to a "feudal" system with an galactic Emperor who oversaw great Houses with Barons and Dukes and the like.

I dunno.

Sometimes I think that we are progressing towards equality and egalitarianism...then I look around and think to myself that people just want to be told what to do by the powers-that-be.

If we (Humans) ever expand to the furthest reaches of the Galaxy - and possibly beyond - would we NEED an "Emperor" to keep order?

^ Give humanity's history I would say yes. There always seems to be the need for a "leader" which is fine but then we tear down the very person/persons we build up to lead us. Dysfunctional to say the least.