Is falling in love the solution?
I mean, the solution for everything? Like in The Theory of Everything?
The other day, I watched a documentary about Infinity. Fascinating. Almost so fascinating as the subject Nothing. What is Nothing? Let’s leave that in the box for now.
Infinity. One of the things mentioned by one of the scientists and that made me muse, was that when we think about infinity — especially regarding our universe, its immense expansion with billions and billions of stars, the tiny little dots shining in the deep skies — , we realize that we can’t travel there and explore what’s in that vast infinite darkness. This can bring hopefulness and a feeling of meaningfulness, that nothing matters. After all, everything was there when we were born, everything will be there when we are gone. No matter what we do, nothing will change. The universe won’t even notice our presence, our deeds. All wasted. It just doesn’t care. So, why are we even trying? Why should we follow the rules, make friends, help others, eat healthy, be environmentally friendly?…
Until we fall in love.
When we fall in love, that feeling of meaningfulness becomes nonsense and suddenly all makes sense. We can’t wait to live the next moment and the one after that. The world is magnificent. Waking up in the morning has never been so fabulous. People are even nicer to us — or we think they are. We smile all the time. Suddenly a car pulls out in front of us, the light turns green, he goes we stay… Who cares? It doesn’t matter. We keep smiling. Life is beautiful. We’re in love. The butterflies, or at least their soft wings, are caressing our stomach and the sensation is delightful. Even the cold weather and the low temperature inside to save energy, don’t bother us. One extra sweater, a pair of cozy woolen socks, a blanket over the knees and we never felt better watching TV on the couch. Tomorrow we have to wake up early? So what? Deadlines are getting more and more demanding? No problem, we’re in love. No matter what kind of love. Just in love. It can be with our soulmate, an idea, a trip, a feeling, a job. Ourselves. Or even the universe and its infinity…
Then I started wondering…
What about falling in love with humankind and its future? Our future? That of the next generations, that of all life on this planet?
Wouldn’t that make us smile all the time? Wouldn’t that motivate us to do the right thing and shake off the bad actors in us, by being aware of the impact our actions will have in the future of all life? The responsibility, the idea that… the certainty in fact, that our behavior will define the wellbeing — or not — of our descendants, the children of our children of our children…? The quality of their lives and the lives of all other living beings?
Humans became invincible, an invincibility that makes them dangerously, and paradoxically, vincible with the superpower they acquired in this non-stop race of innovation and development, ever since Homo Sapiens took over the world. A power that made us proud and strong, but also arrogant, selfish and careless. Ambitious, but also greedy. Basic human values are overthrown just because they are in the way and we are in a hurry to show off our achievements and power. To be the first. A cannibal competition really, as there are no other beings in the known universe to compete against. So, why this careless haste? Why this race without deep thought, without considering the possible outcomes and take the necessary precautions to diminish harm and potential irrevocable threats?
The speed at which technology and science advance — such as AI/AGI and genetic manipulation — , the new arms and technology races, the race for political power — [attempted] geopolitical shifts — , danger of a nuclear war and climate change, are man made global challenges that either individually or combined, [may] threaten humanity and contribute to an existential risk. If we don’t use our superpower wisely and learn to control it, we might be on a collision course with extinction either of civilization or of humanity. We need to ponder. Slow down. A bit.
Because we are not alone. We are, very likely, alone in the universe — almost an endangered species — , but we are not alone here on Earth. In addition to the more than eight billion human souls that inhabit this planet now, and the many more to come in the future — if we allow it, that is — , there are billions and billions of other living creatures that depend on us. On our behavior.
Humanity is running ahead of the wisdom it still doesn’t possess in its early adolescence. After all, we are still children going teenagers, with a few wise adults, good actors, trying to warn and guide us through these unparalleled events. But as with most teenagers — me included in times past — we don’t pay attention and even enjoy doing the opposite.
If falling in love with humanity and its [longterm] future seems farfetched or just too much, then let’s keep it in mind that every action we take, now and in the next couple of decades, will have a decisive impact on the future of humanity and all other living creatures. And we might, in the [distant] future, be remembered — and celebrated — as the ancestors of the 21st century who saved the world from colliding with catastrophe, and made it possible for the new next generations to flourish and thrive in ways we can’t even imagine. A thought to fall in love with.
Due to our actions or inactions, and the misuse of our technology, we live at an extraordinary moment, for the Earth at least — the first time that a species has become able to wipe itself out. — Carl Sagan
Pictures: Copenhagen (Denmark), Reichswald (Germany), Santa Cruz, CA (US)
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