Often these days my physical-anthropolgist-self ponders about human evolution. What form does this take now?
We have obviously surpassed the whole issue of stronger, faster, handsomer, bigger, better in terms of selecting the other partner for our childmaking.
All our 'advances' in medicine and genetics and science and hygiene and vaccinations and policies and dental care and food production etc etc have all led to a range of what would have previously been unproductive gene contributors who are now actually contributing genes and carrying on their lines (so to speak).
The weak, the small, the obese, the cancerous, the dentally challenged (to bluntly name a few) breed. The bald, the big nosed, the short armed, the computer fingered, the blind, the paraplegic... I'd rather not go on in the event that my seemingly flippant mingling of serious afflictions and non serious may cause offense when that is not at all my intention so let's carry on with my point.
Which is, really, that physical traits and abilities have been surpassed in evolutionary terms and things that are less practical/physical/tangible and more etherial and have become the deciding factor in human gene bequethment. And thank goodness for that (?!)
So, human evolution must be shifting. You can pass on your genes if you are (for examples sake) unable to hunt, and be strong and/or fit. Our weak and weary can pass on their genes making the intangible just as important a contribution to human genetic diversity as the afore mentioned strong fit thing.
Alison Lapper, British artist, was born in 1965 without arms and shortened legs, the result of a medical condition called phocomelia and her son, Parys.
So I ponder - what drives human evolution now?
Today I am pondering that it could well be choice.
Gary Zukav says in his book "Seat of the Soul" that choice is the engine of human evolution.
I gravitate strongly towards his idea that the centre of the human evolutionary process now is choice.
I think that the goal (and I will anthropomorphise the whole process of evolution so I can call it a goal) up until now has been to develop our physical skills and our innovative brain to exploit** the things we identify around us for our own advancement in a species selfish way.
We have certainly reached that goal.
We know how to do that and when you have attained a goal, it is time to set a new one.
We have been so ferociously good at accomplishing our goal we are at a point when the appropriate next goal for our species would be to work on our compassionate and mindful side potential.
You might say.. but that is not how evolution works. We don't get to decide.
And I would say.. before humans came along I would have agreed with you (although the specifics of that argument best not be dwelled upon on the grounds that it might well seem impossible).
We control evolution.
We control, either inadvertently, accidentally or on purpose, the evolutionary process of other species in an accelerated way. We cause the extinction of species and alternatively, we are the only thing stopping some species from becoming extinct.
(must note that Todd interupts here with "WE. ARE. IN. CONTROL. WITH. OUR. SHIPS." which, no doubt, is reference to the aliens that were meant to unmistakably visit last September, or was it October? and then he notes, somewhat more relevantly "because we have suspended natural selection for others as well").
The world's heaviest parrot. The kakapo. A flightless ground nesting noctural slow breeding marvel of a bird that is all but defenseless against the myriad of introduced mammal species that have devastated New Zealand's native species. 90 of these birds exist currently (up from 54) and only because of the efforts of a dedicated and commited (certifiable?!) bunch of kakapo heroes! (such as Daryl Eason, also pictured)
The humans species has been so good at the evolutionary process we have developed a few traits to an extent which really does set us apart from other species in a number crucial respects.
We make choices and have the ability to weigh up the consequences of those choices, we use increasingly complex tools, we have empathy, we co-ordinate others through sophisticated communication, we practise medicine and tend to our sick (and sometimes the sick of others), we deliberately innovate (rather than mutation related accidents), we modify the environment to suit our needs, we have a concept of a spiritual life and spiritual beliefs, we collect luxury items not directly related to our survival (then pay to put them in a storage unit...!!), we are artists, we bury our dead.
With the exception of perhaps the spiritual life, all these other traits are exhibited in varying amounts among some other species. Otters and primates (for example) use tools, beavers modify waterways, chimps eat a particular combination of soil with a certain plant that combined combat malaria, chimps and african wild dogs both have sophisticated communication for co-ordinated hunting parties, elephants recognise the bones of their dead and at times bury their dead family members, elephants, whales and dolphins tend to and support their wounded.
However, in humans, the very essence of what makes one of those traits different has developed to such an extent we have the choice of what to do our other developed traits. The conscious choice. We have the ability while flexing this choice muscle to utilise our aquired knowledge (thanks Karma) operate in a more spiritually aware, compassionate and mindful way. We can weigh the consequences and fix our intention.
That is the part that relates to this new proposed goal for the next phase of human development - the intention behind that choice.
There is an intention behind every action we have and it is those intentions that shape our individual paths through the world and influence how we see the world and others in it and how we intepret the actions and attitudes of others.
In 'Seat of the Soul', Zukav says
...each choice that you make is a choice of intention.
You may choose to remain silent in a particular situation and that action may serve one of these intentions
* penalising
* showing compassion
* exacting vengence
* showing patience
* loving
Alternatively you may choose to speak forcefully - with the one of the exact same intentions.
What you choose with each action and thought is an intention, a quality of consciouness that you bring to your action or thought.
And it is that consciousness and intention that creates not only our immediate individual realities through attitudes and the way we deal with things that happen to us, but also the future of our species and just as importantly, increasing numbers of other species.
I have yet to take pondering to a further level to actually provide proof of how choice manifests in human evolution past what I am saying because I only conglomerated most of this today heehhehe!
So, stay tuned I guess.
It's all part of my whole "all roads lead to rome" theory on life the universe and everything.
It's the part of me that would like to use my past life regression training as a scientific method to amass anthropological information of the mundane details of lifetimes of the past.
(Todd interupts again to say "Once when I wore metal skirts and brushes on my head..." - which is a throw back to a character from the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the lightning guy whose stories of times he was hit by lightning have integrated themselves into his and my daily culture...)
Todd uses this moment to also coin a term for that predilection of mine... "spiritual archeology!"
(That archeology degree had to have a use sometime! Roll on PhD!)
Shine Kelly: Spiritual Archeologist
It's field work without the field!
Maybe in my next life *giggles*
** I understand that exploit here is a very subjective term that really already doesn't relate to a lot of species working in the realm of everyday normal, has-been-going-on-for-millions-of-years, evolution. But it does, to be honest, fit in quite well with the nutshell description of what humans do to the earth as a species. And furthermore, I am not preaching scripture here or delivering gospel - I'm blogging, give me a break.
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