Part 2: The fate of Humanity

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"No, please don't tell me another joke," begs  the Seeker

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"No, please don't tell me another joke," begs the Seeker. "I am still in the process of recovering from the last one."

The mysterious stranger clears his throat:

"Well then, let us get serious... Since millennia, humanity has followed the same old pattern. Unable to change for the better. Repeating the same mistakes over and over again."

"Oh no... What have I done," mumbles the Seeker, regretting their decision immediately. "Should have went with the joke."

"Look at what we have done to the world," continues the stranger .

"The earth is bleeding. Wildfires, mass extinction, pollution. Look at what we have done to each other. All these wars, all these atrocities... Hate, greed, power and violence... You may deny it, you may ignore it, but deep within, you are well aware, that there is something going horribly wrong with us.

Don't you ask yourself, how any of this makes sense?! The world is such a beautiful place, yet all of us are suffering... Can't you see how paradoxical that is? To live in a world, so colourful, so wonderfully vibrant, where beauty can be seen in all of nature... And yet at the same time, we have made this experience here on earth insufferable.

So we should start to ask the question, why we have allowed this to happen. We need to understand, why humanity has trapped itself in this pattern of destruction and why, after all this time, we are still unable to escape it.

As a species, we may have evolved biologically, we may evolved technologically, but inwardly, we have remained same. We are still the same limited, selfish, violent creatures. So self-centred. So destructive. So separated. Always in conflict with another. Always dominating each other. We are selfishly running from our fears and chasing our desires, without caring about the harm, we are causing to our brothers and sisters. "

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"Well it's just in our nature," argues the Seeker dismissively. "It's not like there's anything, we can do about this."


The stranger chuckles:

"Ah yes... The same excuse we have been telling ourselves since generations. 'There's nothing we can do, so there's no reason to even question it'... So we just keep on ignoring our inherent problems, because thinking about them is uncomfortable.

Listen Seeker, it's about time we face reality. If we continue on this path, the story of humanity will end as a tragedy. Surely, the earth will at some point regenerate from all of the damage we have done. Certainly after a couple of millennia the climate will balance itself out, nature will adapt... However if we continue following the same direction, Humanity will face extinction."


"This might be for the better," suggests the Seeker. "You yourself just listed some of the reasons. We are parasites. It's better to cut off an arm, before the sickness harms the entire body."


"And you just simply accept that," questions the stranger . "You believe that these reoccurring patterns are just in our human nature. That they are set in stone. Let's look at it objectively. We are animals, mammals, just as monkeys. But why aren't any other animal species as destructive as we are? Why is nature in balance, while we cause unbalance? Why is the universe in complete order, while we are causing disorder? What is the root of our collective and individual problems?"


"I don't know," sighs the Seeker. "And I don't care... It might be in our genes... It might be in our culture... It's not like we could change anything about this. There have been countless religions and ideologies, but nothing has helped us to improve. So why even try... It's too late anyway... Yeah we might die out... So what? "


The stranger sheds a tear. 

"You can't see it. I wish I could show it to you. This beautiful story of humanity. This great song of love and hate, of suffering and laughter, of beauty and bitterness. This wonderful human experience.

Can't you understand that we do have a role play in life? Just as the insects, the birds, fish, plants and mammals are playing their role in nature, we have a role to play as well.

Can't you see, how boring the earth would be without us? Who else would there be to gaze at the stars and give them meaning? Who else would stare at the rising sun, the trees, the clouds and the mountains here on earth and be amazed by the beauty of existence, if it weren't for us?

Do you truly believe, that there's nothing worth saving in humanity? Are you really content with our story to end so soon?"


The Seeker groans in discontent. 

"Listen here fellow. I have no idea, where you are getting at. I agree with you, that it would be sad indeed, but humankind will die out eventually. So why should it matter, if it happens in a hundred years or in a thousand years? We are living on a tiny planet in the vastness of space. Our extinction means nothing to the universe. Our existence is completely meaningless. So why, for fucks sake, does this even matter?"


The stranger smirks.

"Yes, Earth might be just a tiny, blue speck in the vastness of space... But it's our speck. It's our home... Why should you care, how large the universe is? You are living here on earth. You might believe, that the universe is indifferent about your experience as a human being. You might believe yourself to be small, worthless or irrelevant, but in the story of humanity you aren't. You are an integral part of humanity. You are shaping the collective consciousness with every thought, emotion and action. Why do you question your role in the universe, when you don't even see your role here on Earth?"


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The Seeker gets annoyed:

"I don't care about humanity. I don't even care about the earth. I have my own worries, my own problems to take care of. I have bills to pay... So why should I even make the effort?"

The stranger takes a deep breath:

"Have you ever wondered, dear Seeker, whether your individual problems may be related to our collective problems?"



TO BE CONTINUED

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