How God Sees Us as Chimpanzees - By ISHEMA Toussaint
Contents:
I. Introduction
II. Human Intelligence and its Limitations
III. Parallels Between Humans and Chimpanzees
IV. How Beliefs, Traditions, and Social Constructs Shape Our Understanding of the Universe
V. How Shifting Focus From Earth-centric Matters Led to Scientific Advancements and Curiosity
VI. Conclusion
Please note that while I was writing this article, my younger sister expressed dissatisfaction with the way I named this article by mentioning "God" However, what I intend to convey is how beings or creatures with advanced knowledge and understanding of the universe perceive human behavior in the world.
I. Introduction
Of earthly matters, just like chimpanzees are confined to their immediate environment. We often overlook the opportunity to expand our perspective, think critically, and discover new truths because we are consumed by our cognitive biases, emotional impulses, and propensity for conflict.
Purpose of this article:
The main purpose of this article is to reflect on human intelligence by drawing parallels between humans and chimpanzees and exploring how our limitations hinder us from fully utilizing our potential as intelligent beings. The article aims to highlight the missed opportunities for exploration and discovery due to our narrow, short-term focus on earthly matters, which is influenced by cognitive biases, emotional impulses, and conflicts. By examining the similarities between humans and chimpanzees, the article seeks to shed light on how our behaviors and tendencies as intelligent beings may be perceived by a higher being or God, and how our narrow focus on earth-centric issues may limit our ability to think critically, expand our perspective, and make progress as a species.
II. Human Intelligence and its Limitations
Picture this: Just like how we watch and chuckle at chimpanzees in their natural habitat, what if there exists an extraterrestrial being with advanced cosmic knowledge, observing humanity's deeds, conflicts, and quests on Earth with similar fascination?
Human intelligence has propelled us to incredible heights, enabling us to create complex societies, innovate technologies, and achieve remarkable feats. Our capacity for problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking is awe-inspiring. However, our intelligence is not without limitations. Our tendency to be influenced by cognitive biases, and emotional impulses, and engage in conflicts can often limit our ability to fully realize our potential. Our attention is often consumed by Earthly matters, leaving little room for exploring the vastness of the universe and its infinite possibilities.
How did I come up with the idea for my post on 'How God Sees Us as Chimpanzees?
A few days ago, I was watching a Youtube short, when I saw how Voyager 1, the spacecraft that ventured into interstellar space, captured an awe-inspiring photo of Earth appearing tiny against the vastness of space. This humbling image serves as a stark reminder of the immense opportunities for exploration that lie beyond our planet. Yet, despite the endless wonders of the universe, we often find ourselves embroiled in earth-centric issues, such as conflicts rooted in religion, politics, and wars in various parts of the world, like in Ukraine. By remaining preoccupied with earthly concerns, we miss out on the opportunity to explore the infinite mysteries of the universe.
Considering how humans perceive chimpanzees as having a certain level of intelligence, how would our own claims of being intelligent to be perceived by other beings?
III. Parallels Between Humans and Chimpanzees.
In exploring the nature of human intelligence and our place in the world, it is helpful to draw parallels between humans and our closest living relatives, chimpanzees. Like chimpanzees, humans exhibit territorial disputes, establish social hierarchies, and display tribalistic tendencies. Moreover, our actions are often driven by primal instincts such as aggression, greed, and self-interest, which can result in conflicts and struggles for dominance.
Unfortunately, these behaviors lead us to focus on internal conflicts between humans, rather than exploring new things. For example, wars and religious conflicts have resulted in countless deaths throughout history. Instead of directing our efforts toward scientific discovery and exploration, we have often been preoccupied with issues such as power, territory, and religion. This has limited our potential for growth and understanding of the world around us.
Not only that, if you observe chimpanzees, you will notice that they are creatures who tend to stay in one location in the wild, such as a forest or a park, without much curiosity to explore beyond their immediate surroundings, although some individuals may display curiosity. Similarly, humans often exhibit similar behavior.
While we may not physically be tied to a forest, we get absorbed in various aspects of life beyond just politics or religion, comparable to how chimpanzees are tied to the forest. As we discussed earlier, humans are driven by Ego-driven behaviors, just like chimpanzees, and this can be seen in our desire to appear good in front of others, as exemplified by the use of social media, which has woven people together in a way similar to how chimpanzees are woven in the forest.
If you were to watch a video on YouTube titled 'Chimp Domestic Violence - Chimp Beaten Up & Pushed Off Cliff', you may initially find amusement in seeing two chimpanzees fight another chimpanzee on a cliff. However, upon closer observation, you may realize that these creatures, with their limited intelligence, are simply acting based on their instincts and environment. It's easy for us as humans to judge them, but in reality, we are not so different from them. We too engage in conflicts and violence, often driven by the pursuit of personal gain at the expense of others, which may seem nonsensical to a higher being, just as you initially found the chimpanzees' battle meaningless.
As you watch these chimpanzees, you may wonder why they don't question their surroundings, like why people are observing them, why they are being filmed with a handheld device, and why they don't wear clothes like humans. Instead, they are solely focused on finding food in the wild and living according to their natural instincts without pondering the world beyond them and that's how we humans are. Unfortunately, despite the wonders of the universe that God has presented to us freely, many of us often get caught up in the chaos of the world, and our inherent nature, similar to chimpanzees, gradually diminishes our ability to think critically and discover new truths.
It is my belief that humanity would not have progressed beyond the forest to build civilizations, discover medicine, or make scientific advancements if our ancient ancestors were characterized solely by selfishness, war, and conflicts of belief, as we see in our world today.
Why Human limitations are reflected in their narrow/short-term focus?
Despite our potential for intelligence, humans often tend to be preoccupied with issues limited to our planet. Politics, religion, economy, and wars consume much of our intellectual capacity, leaving little room for exploring the mysteries of the universe. Our focus is primarily on solving earthly problems, and we may lack the curiosity and perspective to venture beyond our own planet and grasp the bigger picture.
This earth-centric focus raises questions about our limited perspective and the missed opportunities for exploring the unknown. As a species capable of profound intelligence, what could we uncover if we redirected our efforts toward exploring the vastness of space and unlocking its secrets?
I believe that there's a divine presence and higher intelligence in the universe and space as Albert Einstein said "I want to know how God created this world".
IV. How Beliefs, Traditions, and Social Constructs Shape Our Understanding of the Universe
Beliefs, traditions, and social constructs play a significant role in shaping our perspectives and choices, as they often serve as the foundation of our cultural, religious, and societal values. These influences can shape our worldview and impact how we perceive and interpret the world around us, including our understanding of the universe.
For example, throughout history, various religious beliefs and traditions have influenced people's perspectives on the natural world and the universe. For instance, during the Middle Ages in Europe, the belief in a geocentric model of the universe, which placed the Earth at the center, was widely accepted and supported by religious institutions. This belief was deeply ingrained in societal and cultural norms and was considered a fundamental truth. As a result, any challenges or alternative perspectives, such as the heliocentric model proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus, were met with resistance and often deemed heretical, hindering the ability to think critically and objectively about the true nature of the universe.
Similarly, social constructs such as gender roles, racial biases, and cultural norms can influence our perspectives and choices, sometimes limiting our ability to think critically and objectively. For example, throughout history, gender roles have influenced the perception of women's abilities in various fields, including science and academia. This has resulted in biases and discrimination against women, hindering their opportunities to contribute fully to the scientific community and advancing our understanding of the world and the universe.
In conclusion, while beliefs, traditions, and social constructs can provide a framework for our perspectives and choices, they can also hinder our ability to think critically and objectively about the world and the universe. It is important to recognize these influences and strive for open-mindedness, critical thinking, and inclusivity in our pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
Effect of Limitations on Human Decision-Making:
Human history is rife with examples of shortcomings in decision-making that have led to devastating conflicts and wars. For instance, the Crusades of the Middle Ages were driven by religious differences and beliefs, leading to brutal bloodshed and destruction. Similarly, the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union was caused by ideological differences, leading to a nuclear arms race that threatened the entire world. Even today conflicts over resources such as oil continue to fuel tensions and even wars between nations. These conflicts and wars are often fueled by irrational behavior and cognitive biases as we said above when comparing Humans to chimpanzees, such as confirmation bias and groupthink. Emotions and ego also play a significant role, leading decision-makers to make choices that prioritize personal gain or emotional satisfaction over the greater good.
Throughout history, humans should have made far more discoveries than what we have now. However, much of our time and energy has been consumed by wars of conquest, expansion of empires, and ideological conflicts.
V. How Shifting Focus From Earth-centric Matters Led to Scientific Advancements and Curiosity.
During the Renaissance, there was a significant shift in focus from the previously dominant ideologies of war, religion, and power to a newfound curiosity and exploration of the natural world. Scholars, scientists, and philosophers of the time were able to break free from the constraints of traditional beliefs and norms, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in various fields.
For example, during the Renaissance, prominent figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, and Nicolaus Copernicus made groundbreaking contributions to fields like art, astronomy, physics, and mathematics. Leonardo da Vinci's artistic masterpieces and scientific inventions displayed his innovative thinking and multidisciplinary approach to knowledge. Galileo Galilei's telescopic observations and experiments challenged existing beliefs about the structure of the universe and paved the way for modern astronomy. Nicolaus Copernicus's heliocentric model of the solar system revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.
This shift in focus from wars, conflicts, religions, and power to curiosity, exploration, and scientific inquiry during the Renaissance allowed for unprecedented advancements in human knowledge and understanding of the universe. It exemplifies how a broader perspective and an open-minded approach can lead to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements that shape our world today.
The Renaissance period serves as a prime example of how shifting the focus away from wars, conflicts, religions, and power and embracing curiosity and scientific inquiry can lead to significant advancements in our understanding of the universe and the world around us. It underscores the importance of maintaining an open mindset, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches, and fostering an environment that prioritizes exploration and innovation for the betterment of humanity.
VI. Conclusion
Reflecting on human intelligence through the lens of chimpanzees sheds light on our limitations as intelligent beings. We are often consumed by earth-centric matters, influenced by cognitive biases, and driven by primal instincts, which hinder us from exploring the vastness of the universe and fully realizing our potential. Like chimpanzees, we are creatures of our environment, focused on immediate concerns without questioning our surroundings or pondering the world beyond us.
However, recognizing these limitations is the first step toward growth and progress. By being mindful of our biases, impulses, and conflicts, we can strive to expand our perspective, think critically, and explore new frontiers of knowledge and understanding. In the second part of this reflection, we will delve deeper into how we can overcome these limitations and unlock our true potential as intelligent beings.
Stay tuned for the next part.......
Written By ISHEMA Toussaint, Friday, 21 April 2023
ishetou.123@gmail.com
+250 780 519 461
Comments
Post a Comment