Part One

     What is wrong with the world?

     How many thousands of times has that question been asked and answered over the ages? Most frequently, the answer is “Man”. Man broke free from his place in the slime, alongside the crawling and creeping creatures, and, in doing so, he broke free from the natural order of things. He tipped the scale, and the world is dying because of it. The ice caps are melting; endangered species are disappearing; chaos is rampant. Why? Because Man was not content to lay in the slime.     

     Who can dispute that the world ran smoothly for millions of years before the appearance of the first Homo Sapiens. The birds and the animals and the plants fulfilled their nature, existed in their cycles, thriving and perpetuating. Every creature was in its place, happy to be a part of the system.

     However, there came a day when one creature was not so happy. This creature, proud and innovative, wondered why he should crawl in the slime alongside those who slithered and crept along. He pulled himself up and surveyed the land around him and, contrary to popular belief, it was not good. It was not good at all. In fact, it was so far from good, that man set forth the conquer the world that had nourished him for so long. No more was he satisfied to be ruled by nature. No longer would he subject himself to the will of the gods. The world around this creature—let’s call him Man—was unfit to support him. Man began to settle the world, justifying this by calling his mission a mission to bring order.  For, of course, the natural order of things had been in place for too long. Never mind that this order had kept the planet in harmony for ages.

     The world resisted, as was in its nature. It fought Man at every turn, sending hail to beat his crops down, sending droughts to starve his people, sending wild animals to stalk his children. At each turn, Man fought back, for it was in his nature to persevere. Eventually, Man was able to tame this wild landscape.

     Reading this account, one might sit back and sigh, wondering what early Man’s problem was. Why did he feel the need to fight the world? Why could he not sit back and enjoy the bounty before him?

     Would one criticize the nature of a tiger? Would one look down upon the squirrel for acting as a squirrel does? Of course not. So why is it acceptable to criticize Man, saying that he was not within his rights to better his situation? If the tiger or the squirrel had had the ability or access to the resources necessary to rise above the other animals and protect his young, making sure that never again would they endure hunger or cold or preventable death, can one say with any certainty that the tiger or the squirrel would not seize that opportunity firmly, with both paws, and ride it to the top of the food chain?

     We are animals. The tigers of the savannah and the squirrels of the trees are our brethren. Even modern science backs this up, showing the huge amount of genetic background we have in common with our furry brothers and sisters. We, as animals, are subject to instinct. What is the strongest instinct ingrained in any creature of the land, sea, or sky? The instinct to survive.

     Early Man did only as his instincts demanded of him when he rose from the sludge and claimed dominion over the earth. He did not take this course with a smile and a laugh, giddy with the thought of dominating his fellow creatures. Neither power nor pursuit of glory nor divine intervention motivated Man to seek his current place in the world. Survival is the only goal, and early Man just happened to be the first creature of the slime to see the most efficient way.  Thusly, Man fought and clawed and struggled to the top of the food chain, with the intention of never watching his children starve before him, or fight another animal for a place in the chain, or freeze to death in the cold.

     Man has neither the claws of the tiger or the quickness of the squirrel or the size of the elephant. What does he have? He has his mind. He has his ability to fashion tools and implement them. He has the initiative to farm the foods he wants and preserve them for a long winter.  Just as the tiger uses his claws and the squirrel uses his speed and the elephant uses his size, Man used his mind to give his offspring the greatest chance of survival. The world is harsh. Who but a fool would not do what he could to better his odds?

Stay tuned for Part Two