Lucy and the Primate’s Perspective

A primate perspective recognizes that we are deeply connected not only to the natural history of this planet, but also to the myriad life forms that are now around us, on us, and within us. Helpful.

Source: Guy P. Harrison

Many astronauts and cosmonauts have said that Cosmic Perspective is a life-changing upgrade to the modern human psyche. If you look at the blue-green earth without boundaries from space, lonely We all share a home in the dark, endless ocean. The cosmic perspective works because in the cosmos we have nationalism, sexism, racismreligious fanaticism, and all other micro-fanaticisms that disturb peace and impede progress. Unfortunately, very few people get the chance to peer through the windows of a spaceship. But there is another perspective that we can all experience and benefit from, without the need for a rocket.

The primate perspective is an evidence-based perspective on who and what we are on earth. From a primate perspective, we are bipedal, endothermic, multicellular organisms with hands and large brains. We are one kind among many animals. All humans are eukaryotes, vertebrates, mammals, primates, and apes. This is an important self-awareness that brings us closer to reality and can improve our long-term survival prospects.

For us, awakening and growing begins with looking at ourselves in the mirror and realizing that we are lives within lives, children of the ancient sea, and unsavory beings. Masu. neuron– Enlarged within the primate range. there is no scientific evidence wise person having a magical origin or being guided by it supernatural force. Beneath the layers of invented culture, we are natural beings, skilled but troubled monkeys struggling to understand ourselves.

Embracing our evidence-based origin story and the reality of our place in the natural world can make us a more rational species and increase our chances of long-term survival. (Photo of Lucy’s reproduction at the Institute of Human Origins)

Source: Guy P. Harrison

Life forms like us are the result of billions of years of indifferent, unintelligent evolutionary processes playing with molecules. The primate perspective requires us to accept that we are not angels at the center of the universe. We are neither separate from nor superior to nature. Humanity is one snapshot in a vast organic blur of trillions of life forms. We are eukaryotes with delusions of grandeur, do-it-yourself cells with the idea of ​​reaching all the way to the moon. It is a collection of 8 billion atomic patterns in flux, all packed with the gifts and burdens of consciousness. we nervous Apes who sing, sculpt, lie, do math, run marathons, and laugh. Humanity is the most unusual result of the Cambrian period.

A primate perspective means accepting our most intimate reality. You and I are living organisms with electrically charged thoughts, bipedal blobs of mostly oxygen/carbon/hydrogen/nitrogen, hairy genetic vehicles on a path to nowhere. A series of connective tissue runs through us and goes back far into the past. the man stood upAustralopithecus, Porifera, Unicellular Marine Organisms, Viruses, etc. These are technical truths based on the most reasonable conclusions drawn from a convergence of evidence. There’s no reason fear Primate perspective. None of this should be construed as an insult or defamation. I see it as exciting and inspiring. I have long suspected that they are 98.7% identical. gene Sharing with bonobos is the best part of me.

Our brains are great, but they are not fundamentally different from the brains of modern chimpanzees. Despite being so brilliant, modern humans are so prone to being so stupid today, largely due to the cognitive biases we evolved and the amazing ape way of perceiving the world around us. Because they don’t recognize it. Most people have little understanding of how primate brains work, even though we have them and rely on them for everything.

The modern human mind has a hard time instinctively or automatically recognizing false advertising, goofy YouTube videos, and corrupt politicians. We stumble upon meaningless coincidences, fixate on random patterns, and invent purposes behind them. Critical thinking we need more of requires careful thinking Note Since civilization is a relatively new environment, it also requires our efforts. Our primate brains are behind the times, and evolution won’t catch up with us anytime soon. But by learning about and consciously adjusting to our more troubling instincts and vulnerabilities, we can significantly improve our rationality and productivity. imaginationand act wisely.

A primate perspective helps us understand how deeply we are intertwined not only with the natural history of this planet, but also with the myriad life forms that are currently around us, on us, and within us. Helpful. Nature is not something you visit. Nature is everything and everything includes us. Concrete, plastic, and touchscreens are not the barriers and insulation that many imagine. Accepting that we come from and are dependent on non-human life is an important perceptual adjustment. Religions and political philosophies that make their followers believe that they are superior and separate from nature are not only wrong, but harmful to our survival. Ecocide is suicide.

One look at Lucy’s skull raises small questions and big answers. “Who was she?” Who are we?

Source: Guy P. Harrison

We are members of the primate family and descendants of extinct humans. Aegyptpithecus and Australopithecusclosely related to modern tarsiers, lemurs, monkeys, and nonhuman apes. Learning and internalizing this will give you the necessary humility and help you understand that extinction always happens. stalking us. We are not safe from the fate that most species on Earth have experienced. A huge, highly complex brain may seem like the ultimate superpower, but using it to destroy the biosphere or invent a path to a high-tech final war could prove to be a path to destruction. There is a gender. Nature doesn’t care, so the worst can happen.

One of our most recent non-human ancestors was Australopithecus afarensis Her nickname is Lucy. Donald Johansson discovered her in Ethiopia 50 years ago, and ever since then she has been helping us imagine and appreciate the past. Lucy’s fossils show what people who once lived just outside the boundaries of the hominid genus looked and likely lived. One look at her skull prompts us to ask small questions with big answers. who was she? who are we? Where are we both from? Will we someday become extinct, just like her, silent shadows of our past?

A primate perspective can lead us to sanity and sustainability. We continue to accumulate dangerous technologies. We ignore our dependence on natural systems. And we tear ourselves apart because of trivial imaginary differences. If we don’t become rational soon, I don’t know how we’ll fare in the future. There is no doubt that we are smart, but are we smart enough to survive this century and beyond?