What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

[Jembru]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Yeah yeah
So you stated we as humans are the ones to end this cycle of the the earth's birth and death and birth again. That's like saying yeah, we are supposed to be this shitty of a species. That's the ticket! It's an excuse. A rationalization. A way to make us sound special. Oh look at us. WE are the species chosen by 'fill in the blank' to end the world! WE are sooo special. When in fact we just suck at following the very basic simple rules of life. Every other creature on this planet(brains or not) has figured out this shit.

We. Have not.

Damn girl.. you're speaking my language! It just needs a couple of kitty ears and some misused punctuation and I'd think we were long lost sisters.

[MaskedOne]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Yeah yeah
So you stated we as humans are the ones to end this cycle of the the earth's birth and death and birth again. That's like saying yeah, we are supposed to be this shitty of a species. That's the ticket! It's an excuse. A rationalization. A way to make us sound special. Oh look at us. WE are the species chosen by 'fill in the blank' to end the world! WE are sooo special. When in fact we just suck at following the very basic simple rules of life. Every other creature on this planet(brains or not) has figured out this shit.

We. Have not.

Less of everyone else has figured it out and more of we're the only ones with the capacity to bungle things on the scale we do. Tigers can't clear a forest to put up a city so we have no idea if they would. Same applies to just about everything not human. Inability to screw up at a certain level doesn't equal the wisdom not to.

[Jembru]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Less of everyone else has figured it out and more of we're the only ones with the capacity to bungle things on the scale we do. Tigers can't clear a forest to put up a city so we have no idea if they would. Same applies to just about everything not human. Inability to screw up at a certain level doesn't equal the wisdom not to.

I read that part differently. I didn't take it as meaning that other animals have chosen not to destroy their natural habitat, so much as they are able to follow their basic instincts in such a way as to know which part of the forest to sh*t in. With the exception of newcastle's big market on a Friday night (it's true you know, girls up here really do dress like hookers, drink like truckers and start fights with one another on a weekly basis), most humans have lost their basic instincts. We need to be told how to give birth, and some don't even know where to stick it in the first place to even make a baby, especially if they were raised in a way that shielded them from such sinful topics.

Then again, I doubt Medusa was being literal in either case.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Beavers build dams by chewing trees.

We build much bigger dams with our hands, the aid of engineers, and by mixing concrete and rebar.

If beavers had thumbs, engineers, concrete and rebar, I wonder what they'd do?

I don't know. I doubt if beavers have ever thought about it much themselves...

[nbdy]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Humans are here to protect the chickens.

[Medusa]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Humans are here to protect the chickens.

Uhoh. I've been doing that wrong.

[Jembru]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Beavers build dams by chewing trees.

We build much bigger dams with our hands, the aid of engineers, and by mixing concrete and rebar.

If beavers had thumbs, engineers, concrete and rebar, I wonder what they'd do?

I don't know. I doubt if beavers have ever thought about it much themselves...

I don't know about beavers, but I have ants living in the backyard and I can say that unchecked, those things will stop at nothing to grow their colonies, expand and conquer! I actually sprayed the pear tree this year because my attempts to control the aphids by natural means failed so bad thanks to the ants protecting them from predators, and cleaning them of anything homemade I tried, that the tree looked withered and sick by August last year.

Then there was the time these large winged beetles appeared in huge numbers everywhere (people on FB kept saying they were winged ants, but they weren't at all... To a zoology graduate it was like pointing at a cow and saying 'look a zebra!'. I got pretty frustrated in the end so stopped trying to identify them), the ants were hunting them and tearing them apart, marching around with bits of wing and leg everywhere I looked..

They're so human it's scary. We humans have the power of objective thought, we're self aware, but collectively we behave just as mindlessly. Coordinated yes, but mindless.

[thalassa]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

I don't know about beavers, but I have ants living in the backyard and I can say that unchecked, those things will stop at nothing to grow their colonies, expand and conquer! I actually sprayed the pear tree this year because my attempts to control the aphids by natural means failed so bad thanks to the ants protecting them from predators, and cleaning them of anything homemade I tried, that the tree looked withered and sick by August last year.

Then there was the time these large winged beetles appeared in huge numbers everywhere (people on FB kept saying they were winged ants, but they weren't at all... To a zoology graduate it was like pointing at a cow and saying 'look a zebra!'. I got pretty frustrated in the end so stopped trying to identify them), the ants were hunting them and tearing them apart, marching around with bits of wing and leg everywhere I looked..

They're so human it's scary. We humans have the power of objective thought, we're self aware, but collectively we behave just as mindlessly. Coordinated yes, but mindless.

Nature is red in tooth and claw.

Humans in general, but especially Pagans are horribly guilty of over-romanticizing and idolizing nature as some bucolic utopia.

Killer whales are a perfect example of this...or territoriality among the common chimp...or the mating habits of any number of animal species...

[B. de Corbin]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

?..or the mating habits of any number of animal species...

Like ducks, for instance. We've lost too many females to horny males, the little prevent rapists!

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry - that should be pervert, not prevent...

[nbdy]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Uhoh. I've been doing that wrong.

Fortunately, as an atheist, you need not fear the great chicken goddess in the hereafter. ;P

[anunitu]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

All I know about Chickens is EVERYTHING tastes like them....copy cats!!!

[Jembru]

Re: What Purpose do Humans Serve In our Ecosystem

Nature is red in tooth and claw.

Humans in general, but especially Pagans are horribly guilty of over-romanticizing and idolizing nature as some bucolic utopia.

Killer whales are a perfect example of this...or territoriality among the common chimp...or the mating habits of any number of animal species...

You don't need to tell me! ^^

I dunno. In my experience, it's more the 'middle class, white light, never had to struggle, into anything generically spiritual' types who speak of nature being all love and balance. Maybe it's just because of my background in zoology that I've been drawn to like-minded pagans, but in my experience, and certainly here on PF, pagans are very much aware of how dark nature is, for some, it's their main reason for revering it. Although for me, it was another reason I came to hate the gods.