Progression of Humanity

Initially, I do not feel as if this is an idea that I have concocted intentionally to make myself feel better about the world, but I seem to have this sense of positivity about the progression of mankind and what we will make of our future, that just doesn't seem to go away.


It is this:

It is my view that over time, as we have progressed, humans have continued to become more "feeling" and capable of empathy, and that we have grown better at understanding ourselves and others, and will continue to. I think that humans in general, actually strive to understand and better themselves from within - and will continue to do so for as long as our species survives.

My brain seems to have come to the belief that mankind, as a whole, still has a lot of progress to make in terms of emotional development and our understanding of one another and the world around us.

And so I can't seem to help but feel positive about our future, as I feel that we humans do want to progess in ways that are truly beneficial to us emotionally, whether we are all aware of this or not. I can't help but think that in terms of what is beneficial for the human mind and spirit, we are universally similar, thus we will inevitably strive for things that benefit our entire species in these ways.

I come to this thought and it is like I reach a sense of "peace", this belief that humans are ulitmately emotional, empathetic, sympathetic beings and that these traits will one day outshine the negativity and insecurity that we, as a race, seem to harbour within ourselves currently and more abundantly.

My logic is that future societies will eventually grow to become more and more understanding and sympathetic, and that our societies will generally have more 'good' than 'bad' influences within them, instead of more 'bad' than 'good', which is how I see the world currently.

I hope that I have related myself clearly enough.

And so it comes to this. I am now wondering if I am entertaining unrealistic notions as a way of coping with the negativity that is currently within the world. I very much want to become aware of whether or not I may be ignorantly blocking out important information about my understanding of humans, in order to maintain my positive outlook.

I wonder if I have simply not thought this out enough, and that my positivity/optimism stems from ignorance and naivety.

Or is my outlook natural and/or understandable?

What do you think?

I couldn't disagree more on a few accounts.

Number 1) every beginning must have an end. The world will end one day
Number 2) The world is being more and more exploitative. China a good example even America people since the 1970's are working longer harder hours and being paid less.
Number 3) Only beautiful people are portrayed in the media and not artists.
Number 4) Pharmaceutical companies who have the potential to cure many diseases chose not to in the name of profit
Number 5) Overwhelming majority of companies would rather choose profit over people
Number 6) Wars, look at Afghanistan Iraq, Israel vs pretty much the middle east conflict.
Number 7) Worldly hatred of America through its policies and culture.
Number 8) Treatment of criminals in the criminal justice system
Number 9) Growing inequality between poor and rich
Number 10) Growing divorce rates

The reality is the world is getting worse. People are self-interested actors who really only care about themselves, sex, drugs, power and especially money! I think this would be the case of say one thing do another?? A liberal front for really materialistic egotistic maniacs!

Okay, fair points Jacker, let me address them as my mind interprets them.

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Number 1) every beginning must have an end. The world will end one day

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This is not a negative or a positive to me, it is simply how it is.

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Number 2) The world is being more and more exploitative. China a good example even America people since the 1970's are working longer harder hours and being paid less.

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It may be so, but it is my general understanding that expoitation is still less prevalent, or less acceptable to society as a whole, than it used to be. We were once more ignorant of it in the past, and since people have learnt more about it, it tends to be portrayed negatively in the media and unnacceptable. Is this correct? or is it a false assumption on my part? I believe I could very well simply be under a false and uneducated understanding.

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Number 3) Only beautiful people are portrayed in the media and not artists.

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Majority of the time, this is true. What I see that has changed within the media however, are show's like "Ugly Betty" and "how to look good naked" and even those dove ads that have promoted women accepting the fact that they are all different sizes and that this is okay. Sure, they aren't big changes, but they are changes nonetheless, and are a sign to me, of people recognizing our unnattainable standards for the perfection of the female body.

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Number 4) Pharmaceutical companies who have the potential to cure many diseases chose not to in the name of profit

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Hmm, I honestly don't have anything positive to counter that with.

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Number 5) Overwhelming majority of companies would rather choose profit over people

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Don't have anything for this one either.

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Number 6) Wars, look at Afghanistan Iraq, Israel vs pretty much the middle east conflict.

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True. But then again, not as many people glorify war and more of us protest against it rather than for it (or so is my impression, from the point of my society , being in Australia) so I do not think that wars are as popular idea as they used to be, when we once knew so much less about them. The more we have learned about them, the more we have empathized.

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Number 7) Worldly hatred of America through its policies and culture.

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I actually think this is a positive sign, lol.

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Number 8) Treatment of criminals in the criminal justice system

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Indeed. Yet here we are saying that this treatment is unnacceptable. Do you not think there are other people who think and believe as we do? Because if so, perhaps the criminal justice system is one of those things that people will try to change in the future. What is to say that your opinion won't count one day?

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Number 9) Growing inequality between poor and rich

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Yes.

Are the poor in the majority? or is it the rich?

To me it is as though the lower middle class are the majority, perhaps this is false perspective of mine.

Would it be false of me to speculate that if it is the poor who are in the majority, will this not eventually override the power of the rich? In that there would be widespread dissatisfaction and therefore, more of a push for change?

Or am I being ignorant & not comprehending something?

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Number 10) Growing divorce rates

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Okay. But lets look at why people are divorcing more.
Is it because they are also looking for emotional fullfilment rather than materialistic gain? I have heard that most divorce issues are over money, but is it truly not something deeper than money issues?

Well, I see it as people being more open generally & not simply believing that they need to stay together because of materialistic purposes, which was what marriage used to be, wasn't it? Purely for the attainment of goals and not neccessarily for emotional fulfillment.

Therefore, I see divorce as a positive trait of the human race, in that we are becoming more emotional and more understanding of the spiritual or emotional connections that we feel we need in one another.


Perhaps it is true that the world will get worse before it gets better, but my mind at least, is still under the impression that there is more of an underlying positive progression (in terms of our emotional maturity as a species) than is overtly recognizable, as well as the potential for it, that exists within our society.

Number 1) But even if progression continues it is more likely that the world will end because of humans lack of compassion for something say the environment. There is an article out suggesting that 2/3 of the world's resources are used up.

Number 2) Exploitation is only growing. Actually the largest rates of growth occurred during the 1970's with the 1980's to amounting debt and considered the lost decade where health and conditions were actually deteriorating especially in Latin America! You should actually see the difference in Argentina, like Argentina at one point was a rising power now it is a third world country. The media covers up a lot more than it releases. The media is owned by the wealthy who really are just there to support their views. They say things are getting better when the empirical evidence suggests otherwise. They fund researchers who support their opinion while researchers that disagree don't get any funding.

Number 3) Those are really the exception rather than the rule. The reality is that it has gotten much worse. In the 1980's the celebrities were picked by their music not as much on looks. Without a doubt now all of the music industry you must be beautiful, you must present yourself a certain way or you are not popular or rather hired.

Number 6) War protests of the 1960's over Vietnam put to shame the protests against Iraq. People actually fought for what they believe in where as today its more I believe in it and but I don't have time. War is also totally popular. In the states invading Iraq was the majority in opinion polls. The only reason it became unpopular was because it has cost too much. If the war in Iraq was free they wouldn't plan on leaving. Note the popularity of war in movies and video games.

Number 7) But hatred of America shows that the world hegemony is out of line. If the world hegemony is out of line it won't get better until another hegemony replaces them and also acts in a way that would make things better. Because, of its role in the international sphere.

Number 8) Majority shows they don't agree with me or don't know what is happening.

Number 9) In 1970 richest 20% to poorest 20% ratio was 36:1 where as now it is 106:1 almost three times what it use to be.

Number 10) The fact that divorce rates are higher shows that people are less happy with their intimacy. If you were happy with your intimacy you wouldn't want to end your marriage. You would only want to end your marriage if you were not happy with it, thus more people are unhappy with marriage. I blame it on increased work hours and the significance played on the importance of careers. People just don't put in the time anymore. Marriage use to be about love and having children. More people are signing prenuptial agreements, more affairs, less children. People are only responding to the good side of emotion, when the bad side of emotion kicks in people get divorces. Which in reality is only an immediate solution, not a long term solution. More partners, more confusion, more drama, more pain!

Thank you for being so informative and sharing your understanding. I think I am very uneducated and naive about the world. And I can accept the points you have made, that things are getting worse at the moment, as we befuddle ourselves with new technologies and materialistic possessions.

Even so, I can't help but still feel hopeful and optimistic, truly. I don't know.

I think that because you yourself recognize what is wrong within the world, this gives me comfort. As everyone on Captain Cynic does, because they are all able to point out their dissatisfaction with the world and what is wrong with it, as well as within themselves. This in itself is proof to me that humans are capable of understanding that we are traveling down the wrong paths and thus, we are capable of seeing the way out of it.

I guess it is a question of whether or not the likes of people that are here on Captain Cynic, will eventually choose to go against or with the current flow. Apathy or anger?
Already we challenge the way society is headed, even if it is only through talking about it. We challenge it in our minds.

Captain Cynic wouldn't exist if humans were not capable of thinking creatively, in the way of positivie progression. It gives me so much hope, even if the likes of people here are currently in the minority.

There is always the view that the people who are able to understand what is truly wrong with the world and put plans into motion to act upon it, will one day rise high enough in their professions in order to influence positive, long term change. It may seem a wild and unsubstantiated belief to have, but I can't seem to help it.

I appreciate your enthusiasm. I have one friend who really believes in the power of one person. I admire him, I really do but at the same time it seems a little helpless. I mean even when one person makes a difference often they are the subject to humiliation, execution etcetera. Perhaps I am a coward in that I do one thing and say another like everyone who believes in this. It is a paradox of shame!

Hmm, I don't know what to say about feeling helplessness about a situation. I can see how people may come to feel that way, putting their efforts behind something and having it fail and backfire.

It takes a coward to be brave afterall. I understand when people are so afraid of acting on what they believe is right, or trying to find ways to do so, because it IS so overwhelming, the amount of obstacles that need to be overcome are daunting. No wonder you feel helpless. At the same time, is our situation truly helpless, beyond all hope? Is it?

If it were, I don't think I would be speaking to you as I am now. People need to try to conceive plans that can be put behind their ideas, and work out how that can be achieved realistically, even if that takes your entire lifetime to figure something out and have faith that others share your sense of what must be done, and will pick up whatever you have started. I guess it is a question of whether it is worth it to you or not.

I say it is worth it.

To use the cliche words - "Dare to dream".

But I truly do believe that you can make a difference, that everyone can make a difference, including me. If you truly believe in your ideals and how mankind needs to progress, then you already have the foundations upon which to place some small courage and conviction in acting upon them. So what if you fail the first time, or the first few times? In my experience, persistence pays off.

If you view it all as simply being a lost cause, then you only add to making it so.

Have courage to face the world that you fear.

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And I know that this is easier said than done. You may always need to work at having that courage everyday and certainly, you may lose sight of it at times. But such is the struggle for greater good, it is something we need to accept.

I wish I could show people how much potential and hope I can see in the human race, but I feel as though I am speaking with a dictionary full of cliches that you've probably heard before, over and over again. You may scoff at me and dismiss what I say as fantastical dreaming, because you are scared to really try at overcoming things that are so powerful. You may not see your own power as I see it. & while that saddens me greatly, it does not deter me.
There is goodness in humans, I know there is. I know we can change our ways.

I must admit I have been motivated by the what makes a person bad thread!

Awesome!
You mean motivated motivated? Like you actually want to really focus some of your creative mind and power on helping the world get to a better place?

Not that you weren't going to do that already though - what do I know?

I wish I could say the same. I hate being the party pooper, but to be honest, I don't really see how we as humans have progressed in terms of psychological and physical characteristics and understandings. Sure, certainly science has advanced for the greater good. But what about us? Where is the difference in society and social obligations between one person and another? I'm not much of a historian, but I'd have to say that really... there isn't any. We are still the same species of human that walked this planet thousands of years ago.

Sure, today we strive for the greater good and search for ways to improve our lifestyles. But so did the Ancient Egyptians, Romans, Aztecs, etc, etc. And still we have failed to learn from the past. Still we make mistakes which have been made time and time again by historical figures. We as humans have the ability to adapt to certain situations, but unfortunately we as humans also enjoy keeping things the same for as long as we possibly can. In other words, we procrastinate. We're afraid of change.

I understand how this might sound off topic, but take our current situation with Global Warming as an example. The world is heating up. Anyone in the world with a TV, radio, or some form of news knows this. Science has proved it. History has repeated it. And yet... what have we done? We strive for the greater good but we only strive to do these things when forced to. Sure, theres some nice new hybrid cars, cool solar pannels, and new forms of gas and energy. But do you see anyone jumping the gun to change our ways completely and forever? No. We're going to sit here and wait for the very last second to do something. Genious.

Wars are still happening. And whether one thinks of wars as being social obligations or acts of hate and violence, no group of people large enough has risen up to say "Hey man, lets cut the shit and be friends."

In many ways, we are very different from our ancestors. But in many more ways than that, we are very much alike. Humanity will continue to make the same mistakes until we are forced to change.

But hey, thats only my two cents, so really, who knows?

Vigil, I will also say that it is people like you, with your positive outlook and optimism about things that will most likely take charge of one of the world wide movements that will take place when our race is forced to change it's ways.
Thank God for people like you, hahahaha.

Oh man, I was totally on my soapbox here. Lol. Wow. Then again I do this a lot, when I think about it.

I still believe one person can make a difference. No matter whether or not you see that humanity can and has progressed in positive manners, the best thing I think you can do is realize your own power and refuse to leave the problems you care about, up to someone else to fix.

In the words of a friend "anyone who thinks change is futile with the contribution of one person clearly is happy living in a future where they have no control over their lives."

I'd have to agree with them.

Some great points in here.

FIrst, Jacker, I admire and share you revelation that I've had too about the shame of not properly affecting change.

Second, I thought baby's point about how far some cultures have made positive strides but ultimately failed eye openning.

Third, I think it important to note that the key point between the back and forth between jacker and vigil is that yes, things are getting worse, but that is mainly due to two factors, the hyper consolodation of wealth and power and the ingnorance and apathy of the people.

Now, where I feel Vigil is very on track and I wish to add two cents of incouragement is that...

One, the consolodation of wealth and power isolates the masses forcing them to become more aware of their plight and their power to do something in numbers, like baby noted.

Two, that the internet has changed the face of information, in terms of access, and alternative views, which is so fundamental.

Three, and by far the most important and encouraging, coupled with the above factors, there is indeed a profound evolutionary step of consciousness taking place.

From the merger of of the truths of science and religion casting out their hindering lies through the advancement and authentication of concepts such as the law of attraction and the power of intention and the role we play in influencing reality itself and especially positive and negative energy.

Education, self empowerment, and positive alignment are the keys to our future, not to say some blood won't likely be shed, an unfortunate reality I fear.

Because once we are educated, independent, and all truly seeking truth and postive ends through personally responsible actions, we will see that we don't have to be lead by any leaders, we won't have to try to unite, we will already be naturally acting harmoniously.

The balance comes in that there are no doubt negative forces at work, and they will fight to keep their slaves untill they are ready to kill them themselves, and their ultimate fate will be being cast out in their smaller numbers to whatever end, probably as some propagating factor of the repeat of the cycle in some fashion.

What is unknown is what this all means ultimately. Will positive humans ascend into beings of light advancing to another dimension? Oddly, there is some serious science showing this possibility, what I often wonder is just how different that is from dying to begin with and our "soul" shedding the physical anyway, which likely has something to do with reincarnation cycles and perhaps even some need to ascend while in the physical body, but I don't know.

The most interesting research about 2012 that has actual science behind it, though I'm not sure how much is in dispute or not, is the energy information.

The pole shifts and the galactic alignment. There is obviously a cycle of change and advancement clearly evident in reference to a exponential spiral that is coming to a evolutionary fork in the road.

It may be as simple as an apex that begins to trend downward, but there are a lot of ideas and suggestiions that either include that but with all sorts of other ramifications and or something else entirely.

One interesting theory posits that earth will be bombarded by energy from beginning to enter a stream of energy sent straight out from the core of the galaxy, as you have seen the milky way is supposedly disc shaped and fairly flat, forcing the earth to cross into a dimensional rift of sorts and create a higher dimensional ascended version of the earth that naturally transitions while even potentionally physically tearing the lower vibrationally dense physical earth to shreads or through some violent chaos at least.

Given the nature of the dualistic energy based and physical based, both energy of course, but of different vibrational frequencies and densities, it is speculated that those humans who evolve their consciousness enough between these great cycles would naturally transcend into the higher dimension, either by still dying or taking their bodies due to all manner of changes like increased energy development of sorts, basically again just ultimately increasing our vibrational frequencies, or positivities, bringing even our physical bodies closer to states of light and engery, light being a huge component only recently becoming aware and understood to infantile degrees.

I know some of this sounds very religious, new agey, and what not, but you would be surprised about the amount, degree, and types of sciences actually recently coming to support such information and posibilities.

From psychic data, to energy and light information, to dreams and astral projection, which are all parts of the same thing of course.

So ya, don't give up hope, what baby may not know is that like even the mayan calendar suggests, all those past cultures were part of the last greater cycle which is only now coming to its conclusion before moving on into another great cycle with all of its smaller internal calendars.

So its not quite the same, and it may very well be quite significant, potentially making this a very interesting time to be alive, as many indicators are suggesting, such as the afforementioned exponential rate of change, such as in the feilds of science, technology, consciouness research and evolution, which have sped up and dwarfed themselves so many times over and increasingly that an obvious event of culmination is inevitable.

Some suggest we are about to face a choice, or are in the point where we are needing to make the choice before the moment.

Dunno, but intuition, investigation, and experience tells me that somewhere in this the truth doth lie.

Hope this is of interest and use to someone.

I like that Iron wood.

I personally believe the harder things get for people the more they follow their hearts.

I believe people don't need to be united under one banner also because we are all from the same reality and when we let are minds follow are hearts instead of heart following mind, which is why we have language and culture running things instead of intuition, there will be a massive change in how we live our lives hopefully for the better.

Your point of intuition is an outstanding one, one of the key elements I used to deny as unscientific mystical nonsense.

But now, it is the sense I'm trying hardest to develop, with my dreawork, meditation, and investigations, it is our energy body, spirits, means of divining information and truth from the source, the akashic records, the quantum field, from god, whatever name you give it.