Vail Daily Column: We Humans Seem to Be Designed to Fail. What’s the Problem?
We humans seem to be designed to fail. Why? Is it because that in spite of our intelligence and inventiveness we lack common sense? Are we blindly pursuing a course of self-destruction? Yes, I’m afraid so. Let me explain.
Like all living creatures, nature has given us a built-in desire to reproduce. This has been to assure that our species survives in the struggle for space and resources.
Most species cherish and love their offspring. Protection of the young seems to be one of our strongest instincts. In reviewing my own life, I know it has been that way for me. My happiest times have been with my young children. But how far does this love extend beyond the immediate family, to friends and nation and to all life?
In the beginning, we humanoids struggled with predatory carnivores, inadequate food supplies, diseases, etc. But these did not overwhelm us; we figured out ways to survive. Over time, we formed tribes that began to prosper in many of the less hostile world environments. As some of us became more powerful, we realized that we needed more land, and so we started wars to take lands away from less powerful groups. But there was still plenty of room to grow. The defeated people simply moved and adapted to new surroundings elsewhere. The Inuit in the Arctic are just one example.
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Roger Brown is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker who moved to Vail in 1961. His films comprise Vail’s history and were made into a movie for Vail’s 50th anniversary.