What If We Weren’t Here?

Recently there have been a number of reports suggesting that, in the absence of a drastic change in human lifestyles or a miracle, the end is in sight for the human race.

It’s a wake up call say some.  “A catastrophe,” yell others.  For many, it may just be a “ho hum, I wonder what’s on tele?” moment.

We might also stop and ask ourselves: what if we weren’t here?  What if humanity ceased to exist?  What if we all died off because of heatwaves, drought, superstorms, or floods?  What if food wars or water wars escalated into nuclear warfare and we are killed directly in the mass destruction, or from the nuclear winter that follows?

Okay, all that sounds rather grim, doesn’t it.  But, what if we weren’t here?

Consider this: we are possibly the only life form on Earth that has no other life form dependent upon us.  Other life forms are dependent, or more correctly – co-dependent, upon other life forms for their continued existence.  Other life forms eat, and are eaten by, other life forms.  Yet, we humans tend to eat only.  We do not seem to be dependent in such a way.

Nothing needs us.¹

Does this make us independent? No!  It makes us entirely dependent, perhaps the one life form most dependent upon other life forms for our continued existence.

Q: What if we weren’t here?
A: We wouldn’t be missed.

Our being not missed can be witnessed clearly if we look around the world.  Think of the civilisations and cities that have been uncovered, after having been “lost,” from the jungles, forests, and sands, in South America, Africa, and Asia.  These cities were thriving only a few centuries ago.  They were bustling centres of human activity.  People ate, drank, traded, played, slept, procreated in these cities.  Once vacated, the signs of all this activity soon disappeared, covered by other life forms. 
Those humans were not missed.

So, we are dependent.  Synonyms for dependent include: reliant on, needy, at the mercy of.  Being such dependent, reliant, needy life-forms we are surely helpless.  Helpless, that is, if we don’t recognise our dependence upon Earth and its myriad life-forms.

And that makes us obligated.  Obligated because we are the least needed life-form existing upon his planet.

What does this mean?  First, it means that we need to abandon our western cultural myths of control, domination, self-determination, and other such myths that suggest we are the pinnacle of evolution.

When we read the reports of the imminent extinction of the human race, we can read them with fear: fear of death, fear of loss.  These fears are fed by our sense of an independent self and ego.

Yet, if we ask: what if we weren’t here? we may read these these reports with some humility and a sense of obligation.


Note:
1. This blog was inspired by a comment from Stephen Jenkinson (author of Come of Age), Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia, 6-10 May 2019.