JUNE 27, 2020 – The more our world seems to descend into chaos, the more I descend into . . . a study of history. Currently I’m still working with the Renaissance, but that period keeps pulling me back to the Middle Ages and pushing me forward into the Reformation. No matter where I land, I encounter the same old—very old—human traits. Much has been said about them, particularly in the sacred texts of religion. Catholicism, always in need of cash to fund “beauty” and “bright shiny objects” (see below), even came out with a price list for traits Rome called sins. For the right coin, you could pretend to override one sin or another—at least until the next round of funding became necessary.
Traits, sins, or bases for indulgences—name them as you will—I’ve distilled to seven themes of humankind:
- Survival. This encompasses everything from procreation to industrial agriculture. Thus far, it’s been our most successful trait, particularly over the past century. It took us only 200,000 years to zip from two people to 7.8 billion (in 1920, we numbered fewer than 2 billion). Ironically, this success could also cause our greatest failure: extinction.
- Environmental Destruction. This theme didn’t start with our generation. We had plenty of instruction by every age that preceded ours. A prime example: the inhabitants of Easter Island who deforested their world down to the last tree. Why? So they could erect a bunch of . . . you guessed it! . . . MONUMENTS! (I say, “Topple them all! They’re symbols of environmental genocide! What could be worse?!”)
- Slavery. No, this wasn’t invented by the aristocratic ancestors of Confederate generals. It was a theme of African life long before anyone other than the folks who were already here had ever known “here” was here. Slavery could even be found among the “already here” people. Then you’ve got your Greek and Roman slaves—by the legions—and Asian slaves, as well. India produced a variant called the caste system, which included “Untouchables.” Bad stuff knows no bounds.
- Bright Shiny Objects. Since pre-history, we go for stuff that glitters in the sun. To a large extent, we’re always kids who want and need new toys.
- Power. This is a problem. At any given time, many people are obsessed with snatching power from the people obsessed with keeping it. Both groups are a problem for the majority who are focused merely on survival and playing with their toys.
- Answers. Fear, curiosity, and discomfort with ambiguity make us obsessed with finding answers. Often our quest leads to knowledge and understanding. Often it leads to religion.
- Beauty. I’ve saved best—the “Seventh Seal”—for last. What distinguishes us from all other earthbound life forms is our ability to discern, appreciate, and intentionally create beauty. When aliens eventually land here, will they find any traces of this trait? Will they possess an ability to understand it?
Whatever you do, don’t try to sell folks on the idea they can buy their way out of any of the foregoing.
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© 2020 by Eric Nilsson
