As bad as it seems today, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that human violence has been steadily declining over the centuries (e.g., see Steven Pinker). As the centuries have rolled by, humanity as a whole has become a lot less cruel and a lot less tolerant of cruel behavior. Brutal acts that were once common and accepted by societies (e.g., crucifixion, burning at the stake, slavery and much worse detailed at the above link) are now decried and forbidden by most of the world’s population.
We appear to be evolving for the better. It seems staggering but the BBC has recently reported that the shape of the human skull has changed markedly over the past 650 years (BBC Science). Evidently, modern skulls are 20% larger implying increased mental capacity. Could this really be true!?! It seems hard to believe but the source, at least, is fairly credible.
Some speculate (e.g., Whitley Strieber) that we are on the edge of a transformation: an evolution of human kind that may be brought about or accelerated by environmental stress. The age of Pisces (if you are inclined toward astrological symbolism) spanned the last 2000 years. Pisces is represented by the fish which, perhaps not coincidentally is also associated with Christ who was born at the dawn of that age. But now, with the advent of Aquarius, the Piscean fish is being poured onto dry land (the symbol of Aquarius being the water pourer). This evokes an image of evolutionary pressure that may be the hallmark of our age.
Whether you like the symbolism of astrology or think it utterly ridiculous (it doesn’t really matter)--it’s pretty clear that global warming and human population growth will stress humanity greatly in the coming years. Global warming leads to extreme weather. It means some areas of the world will be stricken by terrible drought while others are deluged in rain (neither of which is good for agriculture). It also leads to more intense and frequent tornadoes and hurricanes due to hotter surface temperatures and extreme atmospheric temperature differentials. The fresh water melt of polar ice slows, and could even lead to a breakdown in the oceanic thermohaline circulation, which balances temperatures between the equator and the poles (e.g., see this Wikipedia article). An extreme attenuation in the flow could plunge the earth into one of its periodic glacial periods during which it rebuilds the polar ice caps and rebalances itself over periods measured in 1000s of years.
If the above comes to pass, we may truly be forced to evolve, as Cro Magnon man (i.e., modern man) was evidently forced to evolve from more primitive hominids during a sudden drop in temperature and build in the ice sheet that occurred some 40,000 years ago. But even if we somehow avoid the above, it seems that many of us are going through an intriguing evolution already.
Consider violence—one of the core themes of this post. Violence is possible only in a mind that is cut off, out of touch and feels truly separate from the object of violence. Once empathy enters such a mind, violence is short circuited. Empathy puts out violence like light puts out darkness. Empathy is ‘connecting with’ another and feeling as the other feels—truly identifying with them and understanding them. It’s an expanded state of awareness—far less isolated than that required by the mental state of violence.
Some people experience empathy directly when they reflect upon their school days. Children are notorious for being cruel toward one another. But at some point in life, most of us realize just how cruel and truly unaware we were. Cruelty is not possible when understanding sets in. It is only in its absence that violence and cruelty can survive.
It may be that the Internet and media, despite their violent aspects, are facilitating understanding and empathy, by helping people live vicariously through media storylines and Internet blogs… It may be that other radically different factors are at work, but whatever the reason, it is apparent that the great mass of us are evolving in a positive direction. Much greater compassion and empathy are flowering around the world. Much greater understanding and appreciation of other points of view is unfolding. And ‘selfless’ work and charity are manifesting on a scale that has never before been seen in human history.
By contrast, the mark of an unevolved consciousness is violence, cruelty, hatred and greed. Peel back the layers on this mentality and you uncover a core of fear; you uncover a mind that truly believes itself to be a tiny island in an enormously powerful universe. Such a thought is instantly threatening. Such minds learn to protect themselves by seeking approval and/or control because both approval and control are associated with increased security. Eventually anything associated with approval or control becomes attractive in and of itself. For example: fame, money, outsmarting someone or getting the better of them (even through lying, stealing or brutality), getting more than someone else…all these things are associated with being better (i.e., approval) or having more control. Our society is full of such isolated consciousnesses: outwardly violent, competitive and untrustworthy, while inwardly riddled with fear and seeking security. Unfortunately, many of our leaders are driven by this kind of mentality into their current positions. Were it not for this core motivation, they would lack the motive force to strive for power, whether at work or on the political stage. Those not so strongly motivated have far less interest in being ‘in charge’. It's the latter individuals that are part of the evolutionary movement and global transformation.
So what can we do to connect with, accelerate and support this transformation? And how will this help us weather ecological challenges and other problems of the age? These are subjects for future posts…
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