Our Species Cognitive Blind Spot

 

As a species, we have a blind spot.

Throughout the history of our species, we continue to observe that there has developed a careful process and procedure of agricultural methods. Development of better or hybrid plant or animal species for more successful agricultural pursuits. Careful and detailed records of intergenerational data. The development of higher education disciplines specifically for pursuing more sophisticated data collection, and therefore shaping future goals species modification.

The blind spot I describe is that despite process and procedure, we abdicate the application to our own species. Instead, we throw caution to the wind, and allow social, ethnic and cultural hereditary biases to be the selective process of precipitating outcomes and circumstances. These outcomes and circumstances become the attributes or deficits to be carried forward in all future generations.

Why don't we do better, when we already know better, and could do so?

Perhaps our species could be described somewhat as "species of jellyfish with extreme emotion and acute anxiety." Agricultural practices have already firmly established that, without the insertion of new genetic material into an agricultural practice, yield will decline. Planting the same seed year after year is simply inbreeding. Yields are reduced and susceptibility to disease and pests. This branch continues a path of genetic decline, probably ending in extinction. Agriculture has established standard practices with which to eliminate this, no one outcome. For the planting of crops, new seed is regularly purchased in order to maintain yield expectations. The same concept applies to livestock. It is further applied to sophisticated breeding practices for designer pets or support animals. Great care is taken to develop the canine species to be more efficient in law enforcement and the security industry, whether private or state run border control agencies.

Are there any plausible conclusions?

Reflecting over the past five centuries, ethnic groups established new beginnings on other continents. The most dominant example would be the North American continent. The establishment of geographical areas, each having the ethnic and cultural majority from their past.

Taking a snapshot from our current time, a democratic majority of populism, then stepping back to examine how this came to be.

Beyond doubt, we know from centuries of agricultural practices that genetic diversity is beneficial. General attributes can be maintained, both physical and mental, for sustainability. Therefore, reflect over the past 50 years. Perhaps a starting point at the end of the second world war. From that point to now, we have general economic prosperity and growth. What are the factors which precipitated this? The North American free enterprise system engaged in unprecedented growth in manufacturing. The supplier of consumer goods on a global scale filling the void created by the defeated countries during the war. Perhaps a smugness, and entitlement and social pride of being on the right side of history, because we won the war. Thus began ideological movements, the Christian evangelical movement by such people as Billy Graham. Throughout North America, agricultural communities openly and fully embraced the travelling roadshow. Social inward examinations within communities, the involvement of ethnic purities, perceived certainty of white supremacy. The early beginnings of white Christian white supremacist organizations. The establishment of ethnic discrimination processes of immigration.

If we compare agricultural practices to our own social practices, it becomes apparent there is a denial of future generational consequences of our social behaviors. When we do not plan for a sustainable future, we are on the default path of gradual decline. Future generations are of depreciated attributes by our current populism to take responsibility and action. Only in some narrow fields, hereditary diseases are screened for and procedure is in place to deal with next-generation disabilities. In the general population, we have arrived at a place when academic standing, general cognitive ability, as acceptable as long as the individual is perceived fit into their social community. It's the consensus that we are encouraged to "find our tribe". Therefore, drift through life searching for a place to belong. Those on the margins appear to be susceptible to self-medication by readily available legal products. We therefore have those on the margins of the general population engaging in behaviours which cause a further decline in their natural inherited abilities. The natural inherited abilities which precipitated them being on the margins of society. We now find ourselves amid a pandemic of people on the margins of society, barely maintaining a daily existence, and feared by the established majority.

Just what is the established majority? It varies by the geographical location of ethnic and cultural beginnings. Is there a common thread? Perhaps there is. In these geographical pockets, there is a cognitive decline. A cognitive decline to be expected, but denied. A gradual decline because of the lack of genetic diversity. During the past century, this gradual decline has gone unnoticed. Labour requirements were met based on the cognitive abilities of the general population. Unemployment diminished, population increased, wealth and power established its foundations. Foundations? Foundations based on the previous 50 years, "everything happens for a reason". Widely accepted social movements, internal validations in social groups. Five decades for the spread of Christian white supremacy, its self validation. Further elevated by the events of the Cold War. The dominance of ideology firmly establishing the North American continent to be at "theocracy", though the term theocracy is denied and asserted to be "freedom". Just like the Salem witch trials, to be identified as an individual, thinking outside of this populism, has dire consequences. As long as the academic normal in the general population is that you can read and write, be accepted by your peers, you are safe to belong. If as an individual you are an incapable of doing your own tax returns, for example, you're still an acceptable community member, because there will always be someone that will do it for you, for a fee. Therefore, in a broad sense, individuals that can be part of the economic process of the populism group are kept. Those that become a burden to the populist society are pushed to the fringes. Thus, in some extremes geographically, we have now established many theologically based retirement gated communities. Can we change the direction of this current circumstance? Those that live in the theologically based retirement gated communities will never accept change outside of their own life experiences. There is no so-called "reeducation". Those that are on the outside of society, outside of the gated communities, are in continued cognitive decline resulting from self-medication and substance abuse.

Is there a solution?

There appears to be no immediate solution. You cannot rehabilitate or retrain those that are on the margins. Cognitive impairment because of decades of survival existence is highly unlikely to be reversed. Even if change can be induced, to what end? Changes in producing goods and services have always been on the path of eliminating labour. With artificial intelligence and robotics, even those that can be rehabilitated and salvaged from the margins of society will have few places to establish a productive and meaningful future.

The extremes in the theological gated retirement communities will simply pass into the history books, with little or no consequence to the future, other than their participation in the democratic process at the ballot box. End life circumstances will gradually remove them from influential participation.

Unless we study the past, we are at risk of repeating it.

Therefore, through careful examination of this past century, it should become apparent that institutions and government must be separated from ideology. A common ground, universal application of knowledge and truths, for all of those in society. The contributing disruptor is "theology". There is an underlying flaw in social general practice. An elephant in the room. As long as we continue to allow theological freedom in families and communities, we will most times simply be repeating the past. Why? Because when the cultural and social norm is to pass on the hereditary teachings begins at the earliest probable age, future generations are already biased to their cultural and ethnic roots. Take, for example, a child less than one-year-old, inheriting cognitive ability, 50% inherited, the other 50% to be developed as the grow. If perhaps the general 50% inherited cognitive ability is only 25% of the general population, and they are brought up in an ideological family environment, they are already at a disadvantage to be a high achiever. The outcome is that they will fit in to their social environment, perhaps achieve a Grade 8 education, and be part of the labour force. Because of the limited abilities of cognitive ability, the application of logic and reason, of which they did not inherit, they will probably be the staunch supporters of the ideology of their community. The most suitable for taking responsible leadership roles in their theological biased environment. Active taking part in taxpaying members, living a productive life, however continuing the hereditary gradual downward path of the geopolitical society that it is part of. Perhaps an individual such as described would be the leader in the Washington January 6 insurrection, or the Canadian freedom 2022 Rally in Ottawa. We have cultivated and created our bed. Short-term planning, when the next election, whether it be at a local civic, or on the international stage, is the process of our time. As a species, we are becoming more and more incapable of planning for a sustainable future for the greater good of all members of our species.

The Universal Skill Among Species

 

The lowest common denominator, a behavioural trait observed in many species.

"Intimidation." Observed in many mammals, the leader of the herd. Survival of the fittest? Not necessarily, the individual with the healthiest biological indicators, however not of the physical size and strength, is unlikely to be the successor through intimidation, to be the leader. In the natural world, this is "populism". As Charles Darwin observed, the survival of the fittest, future generations carry the genetic traits of both physical strength and abilities for intimidation. Social control.

As history shows us, careers, professions, have enabled many of our species to have multiple generations of comfort. This past century has showed the greatest amount of change, perhaps in all of human history. Therefore, careers and professions spanning multiple generations have become obsolete. No longer could a person aspire to be a sail maker, highly honed their skill, and pass their business on to their children. Harness and saddles were another highly developed and respected career. The career or profession which spanned multiple generations in the past has been replaced. Replaced by the need for multiple career changes. The decision to engage in higher education, possibly for a career that is obsolete before the higher learning is completed. The new career may endure a decade or two.

From this current point of view, a few observations. The first observation is that a highly developed personal skill of "intimidation". It is universally transferable throughout our species. Individuals with a highly tuned understanding, achieving a hold positions socially and economically and receive higher renumeration. In today's world, these people are sought after by multinational corporations specifically for these attributes, which result in corporate expansion, higher share value, higher dividends to shareholders.

The second observation, it's the same as the first except for one subtle difference. Today's highly successful global economy results from "The Three-Legged Stool". Colonialism, capitalism and Christianity. All three legs of this stool require high intimidation. So what is the one observable foundation of colonialism which has attained the highest sophistication? "Christianity", the single component of colonialism, which is the cohesion, the glue, of the entire social, geopolitical undertaking. Many centuries have developed psychological skills among clergy that keep social hierarchy. Clergy, as a career choice, becomes a career with the least probability of obsolescence. Over the centuries, clergy manage populism, coerce their followers by whatever means necessary. For colonialism is simply the spread of ideology managed by clergy, through acts of war and missionary outreach. There are only two paths, assimilation or genocide. Today we deal with, and expose, inaccurate historical records, hereditary scars. Current global efforts are for universal solidarity, fairness, of all members of our species. For example; there are no genetic or biological barriers to the indigenous individual from New Zealand, becoming our next “Einstein”.

Over the past centuries, there is a common thread among Western European societies. The common thread, highly refined by the Greeks and the Romans. "The Games". During our current era of "games", athletes have become the most highly paid of our culture. Charisma and intimidation, "the enforcer", a common denominator of today's team sports. It is common for us to observe sporting events nationally and internationally syndicated, where team players exhibit ritual to display their pride and solidarity to their religious affiliation. However, a social change is taking place. "Toxic behaviour", "toxic masculinity" are being revealed throughout the media to be the "predators". The previously unspoken boundaries and hereditary foundations of power are being exposed. Highly achieved careers are being shattered, chains of toxic predatory power revealed in the media, by victims observing other victims coming forward. A wave of unacceptable behaviour becoming clearly visible across many societies. "The old boys’ network", "the way we do things around here". The most obvious common thread throughout, the involvement of clergy. The de facto management organization of power and authority. "Everything happens for a reason." Perhaps in the "fake it before you make it" realm of social behaviour, clergy are the most highly refined social structure. The highly refined social structure for the hereditary dissemination of toxic behaviour and narcissism. Toxic behaviour and narcissism are close cousins, one cannot exist without the other. Colonialism and capitalism cannot exist unless society condones and perpetuates these behaviours.

Starting With Two

Photo by Jens Lelie on Unsplash

Breaking it down to just two, dividing people into two major categories. Those that are inquisitive, and striving for knowledge, those that find intimidation the most efficient approach. After all, being inquisitive and gaining knowledge requires basic skills learned in early childhood. It requires a concerted effort. As a species we have many more attributes than most of the other life forms on this biosphere. Therefore, because we can improve our survival skills throughout life, being inquisitive and keeping knowledge, being self-reliant, has many positive attributes. However, as we observe in many other species, physical power, intimidation, is the predominant normal. In many large mammals, the dominant male controls the social structure, and therefore keeps the dominant genetic lineage.

Perhaps, that our species has always had these two broad divisions. Our current time of global communication simply allows populism to find its echo chambers. The very personal identity, self-esteem and self-confidence, gravitate towards their echo silos. Alternative facts and fake news go viral. Perhaps it could be said that these extremely emotionally charged members of our society can upset democratic processes just through the spread of viral misinformation.

Homegrown terrorism, individuals super charged emotionally, emboldened by viral messages perhaps pushed to their breaking point, "well somebody has to do something, I guess I have to."

Can we trace this back to an earlier beginning? Perhaps. By this, I ponder causation for earlier beginning in individuals. Simply hereditary continuance. Yes, there are natural inherited attributes, brought to my attention that perhaps 50% of our adult persona. The remaining 50% is therefore available for us to nurture and develop. If this remaining 50% from the earliest age is channeled by parental guidance heavily slanted by social and cultural norms. It's the natural desire for parents to guide their children towards a life of social acceptance, and therefore the default outcome is conformity. A higher family social involvement in community, precipitates the natural tendency towards the cloning of behaviours. Whether this be accomplished through gentle encouragement, or intimidation, the young mind is shaped. There are many directions, two that come to mind are; religious teachings, group team sport participation. Perhaps most times both directions are being pursued. It is in this regard that I suggest the following. Both religious teachings, and group team sports are hierarchal and authoritarian by design. The young mind is conditioned to adhere to authority. By design hierarchal power and authority. Climb the ladder to success, be a leader, maybe you will eventually be at the top? Purity of the structure is foremost, individuals may be fallible however the structure may never be tarnished. This appears to be the trend in religious affiliations, sports teams, as well as academic institutions. Perhaps it may be fair to say that all human social groups constructed are infallible by nature, as maintained by populism, despite proven documented indiscretions.

Keep in mind that during the earliest impressionable years of the child, parental guidance is both the facilitator and the responsible agent for underdevelopment of natural skills. A strict and regimented path of development discourages two-way communication in both religious studies and team sports. It is all about the future goal of being on a winning team, and socially fitting in. It is for this reason that the underdevelopment of natural skills is endangered. In order for the young mind to develop their natural inquisitive nature, curiosity and self-identity. Here begins the contrast. The young mind left to discover and learn, with simple nurturing and guidance, develops a self-confidence and self-esteem based on discovery, learning and experience. A path through life begins. The previously mentioned direction is about conformity and adherence to authority.

Over the past years it is been my opinion that in the process of normal social interactions, shared knowledge and experiences requires none of the participants to assume a position of authority. If the social interaction is between people of similar inquisitive nature, and curiosity, then all participants will learn from the experience. However here becomes the divergence of social harmony. Social interactions, where one or more of the individuals come from a background of the hierarchal and authoritative path, friction and dysfunction are the highly probable interactions. The individuals from hierarchal and authoritative paths default in most cases to assuming their personal role as the authoritative individual. It is here suggested that an assumed authoritative role is driven by ego. Self-confidence is the close cousin of ego, knowledge and understanding and experience are seldom required. It's about posture. "Fake it till you make it." Why? Perhaps there is a very simple answer. And that answer is, when the inquisitive nature has been suppressed or oppressed, it simply never developed. An individual devoid of self-esteem and self-confidence because of self-development. When knowledge, experience and self-development skills are missing then domination and intimidation fills the void. Perhaps then populism is simply collections of echo chambers of those deprived of personal self-development through no fault of their own. They simply don't know any better. Those that realize this, simply conclude that they are so far behind that continuing their path of intimidation is their only option.

There is little doubt that we can conclude the following. Members of our species which are immersed in descendents of capitalist, colonialist and Christian societies have the highest dysfunctional social and economic overall status. Internal denial of narcissistic, toxic behaviours. Glorification of the social and political structure. Assimilation, genocide and intimidation repeated throughout the centuries. This is not a sustainable program of endeavour! Our future depends upon members of our society understanding that we must interrupt and break these hereditary social repetitive cycles. We must stop the rigid paths of development. We need to step back and allow for the young inquisitive mind to show possibilities of greatness and then nurture and guide for each young mind towards the possibility of being the best that it can be. Unfettered by tradition and cultural expectations. We create toxic behaviours in our society, because we as a society inhibited the development of any alternative life path. We as a society, have created the minds of those who are now outside of the social normal expectation, drug addicted, homeless. Home-grown terrorists were homemade, by hereditary ideology. It’s a “race to the bottom”, of elevating those most capable of management of power and authority. For it is these traditional and cultural expectations that have brought us to such a dysfunctional state of multiculturalism. Stop shaping the young minds to be a mirror of ourselves, or our parents and grandparents wanted of us to be.

Concentric Circles, our fate?

Throughout history, we have the archaeological evidence of many, many collapsed civilizations.

At in the past, there was a crumb of knowledge. That, for a community to achieve stable self sufficiency, a population of approximately three hundred fifty thousand. During our current era, this threshold sets into motion the internal commerce to self replicate with a notable lower need for outsourcing. The time to achieve this density throughout history varies, dependent upon the advancement of the technology of the era. 

Consider for a moment an analogy to the life cycle of a Cottonwood tree. Each year’s growth ring brings new social height to the species. Each growth ring represents the additional layer, considerably larger in displacement, to the previous layers. For example, a growth ring from the century mark would be considerable area displacement compared to a growth ring from the tenth year. During the later years of growth, the inner core declines, and core rot is the eventual near end life cycle. Eventually, the height and mass of the plant, the weakened core, and a high wind event will bring the tree down. The natural life cycle is completed. 

Perhaps a comparison of our human civilizations, past and present, can foreshadow the certainty that awaits. Let’s for a moment set an arbitrary threshold for internal commercial sustainability at a population of five hundred thousand, and an end point of civilization collapse at five thousand years. Internal core rot, perhaps beginning about the three thousand year mark. This is a threshold when the expansion and establishment of new outer growth declines, and the inner core has already declined and collapse because of infrastructure failure. Water, sewer, bridges and other public service infrastructure. The tax revenue collected from the reduced new outer ring is not sufficient for the repair and replacement of core infrastructure. Inflation has ballooned, civic government has ballooned, the entire population centre is top heavy with annual budget costs and trimming in recent decades, delaying the timely replacement of structures at the core. Technological advances of the time of this population area allow for people to retire at an earlier age and live decades longer. This then becomes the additional burden of civic government, along with yearly inflation, to fund from slower growth at the outer new growth areas.  

For further consideration we have observed that ice ages occur about every one hundred and twenty thousand years. There is geological evidence for three, and further evidence that there have been five in the earth’s past. During these natural event the sea level has changed by about one hundred and twenty meters, or over three hundred feet of fluctuation. Observing that life flourishes along coastlines, with this knowledge we know coastlines are in continual movement. Therefore, our civilizations of the past were oblivious to this knowledge, and decline because of natural displacement that sustained them in their era.

This was this morning’s thoughts, more to be expanded upon. Insight is paramount. 

In The Abscence of Nurture

Photo by Rebecca Campbell on Unsplash

Throughout the natural world we observe offspring being nurtured by parents, or the social community. In many species, this perpetuates the learned survival skills. Observe a subtle difference between parental nurturing, and establishment of conformity.

Nurturing will establish survival skills relevant to the surroundings. Conformity will establish behaviour that is peer acceptable. There is little or no acceptable deviation from conformity, because of individual experience and understanding. It is social group solidarity. For the individual to engage in behaviour outside the social conformity will cause negative consequences, regardless of the positive outcome from the deviation. "Self reliance" is discouraged, and chastised to maintain the authority of the group. It's as though, training a puppy, with a rolled up newspaper. Community pecking order establishes the authoritarian leader. Predominantly an alpha personality, maintains their rise to power, through intimidation. Logic and reason are the enemies of authoritarianism. Common western law is based on individuals judged by their peers. This is contradictory to most group dynamics. whereas, beta, as well as alpha personality types, elevate the most intimidating alpha to the position of leader. 

 When nurturing and inquisitive nature are discouraged and chastised, then directed with conformity, the natural development is truncated, and emotional scaring begins. It usually last for a lifetime. With insufficient knowledge and experience, an alternative path of understanding is unlikely. Therefore, toxic behaviour is intergenerational. It is sustained by dominant alpha ego. During the early developmental years; “the world is your oyster, be all that you can be”, then later, endless societal systematic intimidation to conform.

God can do anything!

An over simplification statement made by a “believer” yesterday afternoon. Wow, how did we get here? Well, in a little over an hour of pleasant exchanges and sharing, it came to the verge of personal attack and insult. At this point of observation, I made a general statement to end the discussion and walked away. 

How is it that individuals can agree, and share time in so many areas of life, and gravitate to this ultimate outcome? This most recent event of yesterday may as well be a topic of intrigue the morning after.

Overview; an articulate senior in their mid-70s. Someone that carried on a general conversation as though we had been a long-term friendship. This was a mutually enjoyable in-the-moment time. What happened?

I had shifted the latter part of our conversation towards the achievement of our species over the last half of this decade. Space exploration, new knowledge about biological function including the genetics, a previously unknown to our recent ancestors. How the fifteen hundred foot walls of the Grand Canyon represent layers of history. That in some parts of our continent, we conclude natural process adds approximately one inch of new material during a period of about one thousand years. W have found in sediment of the Mediterranean shore, the remains of a ship from centuries past. The cargo was uncovered, which comprised about three tons of metal ingots. This find concluded that there must have been, perhaps many centuries, of commerce in both directions across the Mediterranean waters. This discovery suggests a sophisticated network of trade between the two continents. In passing during this sharing of discovery, related that translations of ancient Egyptian writings are missing any record of the Jewish people as slaves in Egypt. How could this be? With such interaction between the continents, you would expect a passing mention of the person with special human powers that performed miracles. But no, we find that what is translated becomes simply the daily events of their time. People living day to day, just as we do now. Therefore, possibly the central character of this sacred book perhaps never existed? How could the Egyptians have failed to document such historical events just across the water, on a busy trade route?

Shared that decades ago, the Hubble telescope aimed at the darkest part of the night sky. If you held your arm out in front of you with your thumb pointing upwards, the part of the night sky photographed would be represented by your thumbnail. The results of a three-day time exposure revealed more galaxies of various sizes and shapes that are previously known anywhere in our night sky. We have also observed the coming into existence of three stars, on average, per earth day. Incredible! Objects millions of light years away, formed by process we don’t understand. Our own sun is a medium-sized star which probably came into existence the same way? How then can the Genisis story explain our own star? How can there be a personal relationship with a “creator of the universe”, that is busy creating new stars, planets, complete galaxies far off in space millions of light years away? Really?

They responded with the statement that begins this reflection. “God can do anything!” 

I turned and walked away, stating regret for having this random discussion. 

~The End~ 

How can people be so cocooned in their daily lives they cannot see the natural world around them? Knowledge that to our ancestors could not have conceived in their wildest imagination.

Our Own Insignificance

Photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash

What has been the experience of our species over the past two years?  Global pandemic!

Portugal earthquake 1755

The devastation caused many Portuguese to question their religious beliefs and the horrific event has shaped Lisbon's history ever since. ... As the tremors rocked the churches, the candles tumbled, igniting the decorations, and creating massive fires which ravaged Lisbon for five further days after the earthquake.

copied from an article:

In classical Western theism, God is said to be both good and all-powerful. So how do we square natural disasters – global pandemics, earthquakes, tsunamis, famines, bushfires, and so on – with a God who, because he is good, would not want natural disasters and, because he is all-powerful, could stop them if he wished?

This was a question asked after the devastating Lisbon earthquake by Voltaire (1694-1778), one of the great philosophers of the European Enlightenment. It led to one of his most famous works: Candide, or l‘Optimisme (1759).

On 1 November 1755, at 9.30am, Lisbon in Portugal was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake, followed by further tremors, fires, a tsunami, and civil unrest. It was All Saints Day and large numbers of people were killed as churches collapsed upon them. Statistics for natural disasters, then as now, are notoriously rubbery. But between 20,000 and 40,000 people died out of a population of some 200,000.

Then, as now, people wondered whether there was a divine plan to the devastation that shook their Christian beliefs and monuments.

1918 flu pandemic

Authors of books on 1918 warned everyone about future pandemics.

The 1918 pandemic transpired in three waves, from the spring of 1918 to the winter of 1919 — ultimately killing 50 million to 100 million people globally. The first wave in the spring of 1918 was relatively mild. A majority of 1918 flu deaths occurred in the fall of 1918 — the second, and worst, wave of the 1918 flu

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As you read the above, it should be apparent through the application of logic and reason, as a species: we are not a "top predator".  The past two years demonstrate once again that a life form devoid of human consciousness, can be in control of populations of many varying species.  History does repeat itself.  Communities of social interaction, just as with the Salem witch trials, apply their own conclusions.  "Everything happens for a reason."  When logic and reason are not available, and the understanding of processes in the natural world governed by laws of physics and chemistry, the answer defaults to "God works in mysterious ways".

Beyond a reasonable doubt, the collective endeavour applied with a broad brush of Christians on a global scale, has had absolutely no results and affect on the species that encompass the microbial world.

It should become apparent that all life forms, have the expressed intent to continue, and avoid extinction.  As long as resources are available for life to exist, it will propagate and expand to fill and utilize life's abstinence.  Only when I life form reaches a threshold of limited resources, does the population begin to decrease.  In some cases populations decrease because another life form utilizes the current population as an opportunity for its own expansion.  As we have observed in the natural world, rabbit population expands.  When a threshold of expansion and density of population reaches a threshold, disease begins to take hold in the general population, and the numbers decrease.  This is just one example of the microbial world mindlessly, without consciousness, utilizing resources available for itself.  The cycles of rise and falls of populations of different lifeforms have always followed these general patterns.

Our species is simply another life form on this biosphere.  It is subject to all the laws of nature and physics, the rise and fall of populations, the extinction of lifeforms.  We find in the fossil record distant ancestors of our own species, long ago into extinction.

The consciousness of our species, has very perilous weakness, the internal desire of self, to be "the top predator", as bestowed upon the individual by a power greater than itself.  This very concept is at the foundation of the collapse of dynasties and empires.