Random Thoughts About Human Behaviors
We’re Good at Sabotaging Our Own Best Interests
I capture my thoughts through the writing process.
It’s the way I collect, catalogue, compare, contrast, clarify, and cope with my observations and concerns. Some people drink while others run marathons. I write. I keep a little notepad by my bed.
Well, I used to keep a notepad and pen by my bed.
That way when a thought entered my head that turned into a mindbender or at the very least a puzzle, I could jot it down and then try to go sleep. Now, I have my trusty iPhone and can record my thoughts via a voice memo.
Sometimes, I end up with a few random thoughts that never materialize into a full-fledged article.
So, I decided to collect a handful of those midnight fleeting questions and string them together into a short story. Here goes …
Do you remember the story of Noah and his ark?
Do you remember how many years he toiled to build this giant refuge in preparation for the coming flood? Do you remember how his neighbors mocked him? How he warned them of the peril to come and they chose to ignore his good advice? Yeah, that’s a parable about predictable human behaviors that play out the same in almost every dire scenario that involves long-range planning.
Do you remember how Noah’s neighbors begged to be allowed on the ark when the floods arrived, sweeping away the entire population without mercy?
Humans seem incapable of planning for the future. More than ever these days, humans have come to EXPECT to be happy, safe, fed and clothed without giving the how-to a second thought. They collect their toys rather than save a dime. They don’t want to hear the depressing climate change predictions, for example. They don’t even want to restore and update their old bridges and roads. Instead, they mock the bearers of information and postpone taking any action until it’s too late. This is called the human condition.
We’re a nation of Noah mockers
Here’s another scenario.
A world with billionaires is indicative of an imbalanced system. No system whether ecological, chemical, or economic can survive such an imbalance. It’s almost a law of nature. People understand this on a subliminal level even if they deny it. How do I know that? Because the religious invented an afterlife with a heaven like existence and it’s not a capitalist kingdom. It’s beyond even socialism. Everybody will get a free ride and not in tiny houses either. They’ll live in mansions with streets made of gold and a pearly entrance gate.
The notion of heaven as the promised land makes it clear that despite our unwillingness to share or to be our brother’s keeper, we know what an ideal world should look like.
If our capitalist earthly system is so superior, why don’t gods use it in the next life? I’m not religious in the least, but I do know that if the devout all across the world only practiced what they preached, we’d have a better economic system which would in turn produce a more sustainable ecological system and, in the end, benefit the planet as well as the humans, plants and animals that we share the planet with.
But humans are vulnerable to procrastination and very much so when driven by their own greed.
That’s why we save our hopes and dreams for the next life. Even if we kill each other to satisfy our greed. Even if we put the children that we insist on bringing into this brutal world in dire danger. This leads me to conclude, however, that if it turns out heaven really exists, there won’t be many humans admitted into the gated community. Maybe just little kids and dogs.
That’s the human condition.
Whenever someone responds to a controversial issue with a remark like, “So, we can’t help vets, but we’ve got the money to help refugees.” I try not to go into defense mode. Instead. I quickly confirm their desire to help vets. “That’s great! I’m ready to start helping vets tomorrow. In fact, I’m willing to follow your lead on how to get that done. So, let’s do it. Is there any way you can also help me with the refugee problem?”
Or
“Your side was pretty quiet when Joe Blow pulled that incredibly illegal stunt during the previous administration.” Once again, the what ifs and what aboutisms force me to find a response that is hard to argue with. Hey, I have no need to protect an individual just because they play for the blue team. So, I answer with this. “You’re right! Let’s agree to hold these politicans to a higher standard. I’m willing if you are willing. We’ve got the power if we unite.”
Where’s the common ground folks? Find the common ground.
This business of being human is hard. We came into this world without a road map. We inherit our world view from the culture we were randomly assigned at birth. Most humans question very little. To top it off, we’re wired to behave in certain ways, leaving us at the end of the day with far less free will than we’ve been promised.
No wonder I lay awake at night thinking about things and wondering what makes humans behave the way they do.
Teresa is an author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
