Misanthropes Anonymous

I've never really understood the sentiment that humanity deserves some kind of punishment. For one thing, even though we may mostly be selfish dicks, pretty much every living organism on the planet could be described as such, so that's hardly anything unique to us. Secondly, as ytzk alluded, if we do mess the planet up beyond repair, we're the ones who are going to suffer, so there's no need for any external agency to speed up that process.

In short, either we're our own worst enemy, or we're not. And either way - so what?

 

I don't think humans are instrinsically evil. I just think money has a factor in driving people to do absurd things.

 

Assuming 'so what?' is not a rhetorical question, then the tragedy lies in the fact that we are not simply willing our descendents into an untenable life, but we also represent a global extinction level event.

But, hey. So what, right? If the million other species are so smart, then why are they dead?

 

Does that mean that the other species are more important than us? Because if they aren't, then it doesn't matter. And if they are, then... huh?

 

Well, given that certain other species make the planet habitable while we get air, water and food for free (free, that is, unless some other bastard starts charging you for it) then, yes, OF COURSE THEY'RE MORE IMPORTANT THAN HUMANS!

This is not true of platypus, though. They don't directly facilitate our survival on earth, the way earthworms or seaweed does, for example. They've just been quietly minding their own business for fifty million years. But what do they do for us? Fuck 'em!

 

I always wondered what platypus eggs would taste like - would they be like bird eggs or would they be meatier? I guess people don't typically eat them.

 

ytzk, in particular, strengthens my belief that everyone is just another slight variation of about eight to ten stock characters, each of whom spouts its idiosyncratic, predictable drivel despite the fact we've heard it all before and/or thought of it ourselves and/or just don't care.

 

I've always thought this too; I think most people converge - despite having disapparate experiences - on certain personalities or forms of behaviour, and that by and large people are very predictable (even people who are "spontaneous" - if you are spontaneous often enough it becomes a predictable character trait). Of course there are variations on a character type, but the core remains the same.

 

Internet persona consistency - Check. Go me!

 

But if we are to believe that we are based on some sort of template, we would be talking about a nature where everything is premade, and therefore there's no actual evolution, being evolution the only constant factor of life. also, that comment can easily tell the process that humans employ to make everything simpler: we see a bunch of flowers, and instead of saying "it's a rose, a dandelion, and three orchids", we say "there's some flowers", so we do similar with personalities, by saying: "he acts just like him, or like her".
All this in order to make simpler the management of that many information we carry around, generalization is human, nature is much more complex than just that.

 

I have no problem believing that my self-absorbed seratonin-deficient, self-righteous self-pity makes me as common as muck.

But, my kind don't like Smuel's kind, so I'll be damned if I sit by idly while an englishman tells me how awesome civilisation is. I personally just lack the neurons to process big cities or impersonal economies. I'm sure others can see virtue where I just see zombieland. But I can process the wonder and beauty of wildernesses or, at least, it holds no end of wonder for me.

I get the distinct impression that some folk have a very tiny little part of their brains devoted to 'nature' and it's mostly filled with a vague idea of 'where farmers make my food.' I pity the fool that feels so smug about the 'throbbing pulse of commerce' in London's financial centre, yet couldn't care less about the million million amazing things which share the planet with us.

Anyways, I've moved out of my high-density suburban rent-trap and I'm making a booty call while living out of my car, cruising down the highway chain-smoking on a full stomach. Therefore seratonin levels normalising, urge to kill abating. Yeeeehah!

 

But I am the only real person in the world. You are all just figments of my imagination. One day I will wake from this coma I am so obviously in.

 

Thinking people converge on certain personality types has nothing to do with creationism, and in evolution it's often the case that two entirely different orders (in the taxonomy sense) of animals can converge on similar traits - such as why a dolphin is in some respects like a fish.

I think that most people when presented with a situation will act in one of a few distinct ways. Overall this is the only way you could test for a personality type, and so if you tested in this manner everyone's differences due to personal experience become only superficial. This is how con men and some stage magicians manage to ply their trade, they know ultimately people act in a predictable and reliable fashion and exploit this.

 

I resent the implication that I am not unique or special.

 

"I am complex. Everyone else is simple."
chicken chicken chicken chickenEveryone Ever

 

Let me get this straight - you wrote that post while smoking and having sex and driving an automobile?

On the one hand, that is awesome, but on the other hand, dude, pull over.

 

Also, the radio was blaring.

But seriously, I like you all as individuals, whether you're english or human or one out of eight personality types or whatever. Please excuse my negativity and thanks for the blogspace on which to rant.