Human philosophy is so much more basic than I had imagined.

I’m five years out of college. The world is in disarray. And I’m thinking a lot about what life is all about. <br><br>I’m not a philosopher, this is just my take on the human condition. I’ve done some reading on philosophy, often reach out to my friends who are much more passionate about the subject than I am, and I’ve put together my own thoughts. <br><br>I think us humans have been overly impressed by our own evolution. We ascribe our increased intelligence to superiority over other life forms. We believe in the idea of progress, as if human history represents a never-ending journey towards a better state. This attitude imbues us with a tenet of individualism, as if we are alone in a world of assets to be used, landscapes to be traversed, and fellow animals to be domesticated in order to best reach the ultimate state of human achievement. We assume that we’re so smart that, although we can’t quite see it now, it will eventually become clear. <br><br>In my humble opinion, this belief system is not only unproven, it is wrong. Human history is a story of circular processes that have their highs and their lows, and we are perhaps in the most recent high point.<br><br>I don’t want to sound like a pessimist. I actually think life is amazing and I’m so lucky to be alive. But I’m afraid we need to stop romanticizing the human story. Almost every day I read the news and hear about the latest political, social, or climatological disaster, and I feel like I’m just watching a movie that I’ve seen before.<br><br>On an individual basis, it’s true, a career can be a journey of progress. An athlete can spend their entire career getting better and breaking a world record at the end of their prime. A student can learn the basics, do well in school, and become something very valuable in their chosen field. But the human race as a whole? We ascribe progress to the internet, but is it really an accomplishment if an app for sexting minors is just as easily accessible as Wikipedia? We discovered a new continent, but how did we treat its indigenous people upon arrival? We have become less violent, but we also have nuclear weapons that could end our existence in an hour. <br><br>We ascribe our intelligence to a sense of purpose, as if it is so clear. But is it? I’ve read a plethora of texts about the meaning of life, and all of them are so different. I’ve spoken with many people who are far more educated than me, and they still can’t agree. We obviously don’t know what we’re doing. At least not yet. <br><br>So, I think it’s time that we admitted our mortality and our limitations. We aren’t as rational as we think we are, often our behavior is very primal. We aren’t as rational as we think we are, we still haven’t figured out how to live in harmony with one another. <br><br>I admit that I’m no historian, but it seems that the arc of human history is that of an accordion. Empires are made, then they fall. Then new empires are made, then they fall. <br><br>I don’t even know if we could prove it if we did know what we were doing. I’m not even sure if there is a right answer. But as a member of the human race, I so dearly want us to be aware of our limitations in order to work together to figure it out. I desperately want us to be humble enough to admit that we’re not the chosen animal by the gods. I dearly want us to recognize that most of our philosophy is just wild guessing. <br><br>It seems that our limitations are very real. But that’s okay. I’m so happy to be here, alive, on this planet, at this time. I truly am. But I don’t want to pretend like we have it all figured out, because I’m terrified of the global repercussions of the American mantra of “don’t tread on me.” <br><br>I wish that we could accept that our individual experiences are the only things that truly exist to us. It is impossible to know how others feel, and so we can’t put their experiences into a hierarchy of importance. The only thing that I can truly know is that I don’t like how it feels when I’m sad, angry, scared, or hurt. And that I am a social creature whose happiness is closely tied to the well-being of those I care about. <br><br>But accepting this would ruin our whole belief system. <br><br>I don’t think it’s horrible to accept our limitations. In fact, I think such an admission of weakness could be a beautiful thing. If we understood our limitations, we could use science not as an asset to be exploited for our own selfish desires, but as a tool to discover the current state of our world in order to discover what would be best for all living things. If we truly understood our limitations, we wouldn’t need to buy so much stuff. We would only work as much as we needed to in order to be happy, and we would spend the extra time experiencing life with our loved ones, giving each other massages, caring for our environment, and maybe even improving our individual capacity to care for others. <br><br>I think the only way to achieve this is if we stop valuing intelligence as the most important human quality. If we stop considering human advancement as our greatest (perhaps only) asset. I think we need to revalue empathy, humility, self-awareness, and the recognition of our own limitations. We need to accept that we are all in this together, that we are all living together on this planet, and that our individual experiences and needs are just as important as everyone else’s.<br><br>And I know that these ideas aren’t at all revolutionary. I’m sure that many of you have already accepted this philosophy, and I’m grateful for that. <br><br>But I just can’t help but to feel like a minority.<br><br>Please tell me I’m wrong.