We humans like to think that we control a great deal. If the truth be known, it's a horrendous lie! While it is certainly true we have the ability to control people and the distribution of resources, we are bumbling fools when it comes to holding dominion over the weather and other facets of Mother Nature.
I was reminded of this point today as I watched a History Channel program on the great plague of medieval times. The "Black Death" killed between one-third to one-half of Europe's population during the 14th century. It changed the course of human history.
While the bubonic plague would not cause this type of devastation in human populations today, there literally are millions of microbes out there which could wreak this kind of carnage. This very point is underscored in an excellent book I read a few years ago, The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett.
Scientists constantly are scanning the world trying to prevent the next pandemic. Unfortunately, as one of the scientists stated in today's documentary, we realistically may not fair much better than our 14th century brethren.
So, while we humans like to think we are the center of the universe, God's chosen entities and mighty intellectual beings, we aren't even the kings or queens of earthly existence. Many of these microbes we rightly fear have been around a lot longer than our species. And, despite our many efforts to wipe them out, they continue to live AND thrive.
What's even worse is that if you or I had to go up against one of these virulent microbes -- mano a mano -- guess who has the best chance of winning? If you need a hint, just let me say, don't bet the house on the human!
Consequently, while we humans spend inordinate amounts of time arguing and warring with each other over oil, water, gold, territory and religious convictions, who knows what these microbes are plotting? They could very easily conquer the winners AND losers of our silly wars and go laughing all the way to the microbe bank!!
I was reminded of this point today as I watched a History Channel program on the great plague of medieval times. The "Black Death" killed between one-third to one-half of Europe's population during the 14th century. It changed the course of human history.
While the bubonic plague would not cause this type of devastation in human populations today, there literally are millions of microbes out there which could wreak this kind of carnage. This very point is underscored in an excellent book I read a few years ago, The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett.
Scientists constantly are scanning the world trying to prevent the next pandemic. Unfortunately, as one of the scientists stated in today's documentary, we realistically may not fair much better than our 14th century brethren.
So, while we humans like to think we are the center of the universe, God's chosen entities and mighty intellectual beings, we aren't even the kings or queens of earthly existence. Many of these microbes we rightly fear have been around a lot longer than our species. And, despite our many efforts to wipe them out, they continue to live AND thrive.
What's even worse is that if you or I had to go up against one of these virulent microbes -- mano a mano -- guess who has the best chance of winning? If you need a hint, just let me say, don't bet the house on the human!
Consequently, while we humans spend inordinate amounts of time arguing and warring with each other over oil, water, gold, territory and religious convictions, who knows what these microbes are plotting? They could very easily conquer the winners AND losers of our silly wars and go laughing all the way to the microbe bank!!
Trey,
ReplyDeletenot only those microbes, what about global warming? I'm really afraid of the consequences and the global impact of this. The North-Atlantic Current has already begun to stagnate, the polar ice has begun to melt. I do foresee this with the uttermost fear.
Btw, the plague still exists among us (it was even in a movie a couple of years ago, although the credibility of movies is quite low...), but we have been able to control it.
Look at AIDS, some countries will lose a third of their population within 20 years, because of this. This is really the plague of my generation and it's frightening so see how many young people get caught by it
Trey,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you. As a species, in our arrogance, we argue and make war, pillage the environment and create all manner of technological horrors to fight an enemy that doesn't exist.
We're fighting the wrong war. Our actions are upsetting a system of terrifying and subtle complexity, I think we're about to get the biggest reality check of our existance here!
There's a great scene in the movie "Instinct" where Anthony Hopkins puts Cuba Gooding in a stranglehold and asks him, "What have I taken away from you?"
ReplyDeleteGooding, unable to speak because he's being choked, writes on a piece of paper, "My freedom."
Wrong answer.
He tries again: "My control."
Wrong answer again.
Finally, on the verge of suffocation, Gooding writes, "My illusions."
Right answer.
Microbes don't plot - they simply carry out their activities as part of the chain of life. Without them and their like, the world would be a stinking mass of crud piled up everywhere - they have important jobs to do.
ReplyDeleteWe're the fools for living in ways that allow and encourage the spread of disease. Bird flu is a classic example - without the intensive farming techniques that allowed this disease to develop and spread, finally to the wild birds, it probably would never have bcome an issue. Diseases now are mainly spread because of air travel and too many people living too closely together in cities.
The plague was spread by unsanitary conditions that encouraged rats and allowed the spread of the fleas that carried the plague.
It isn't the diseases we ought to worry about as much as the vectors. We can, over time, develop immunities to most viruses, even to the point where we carry them within our own genes (see Carl Zimmer's Loom this week for a wonderful post on this
http://loom.corante.com/). But by allowing diseases to spread quickly, we lose the advantages of having time to fight them, contain them, and develop immunities.
Yes, there are an incredible number of things we can't control - and giving up the illusion that we can control them is a huge part of learning the Tao.
What's even worse is that if you or I had to go up against one of these virulent microbes -- mano a mano -- guess who has the best chance of winning? If you need a hint, just let me say, don't bet the house on the human!
ReplyDeleteYeah, but the microbes are friggin' ugly!
So there.