Modern people often see ancient people and the word "primitive" as being the same as barbaric. This is because we hear so many stories of cruelty throughout history. But even now, in modern times, people still demonstrate the same brutal, barbaric, and mentally disturbed behavior. There is no difference between how cruelty existed in the year 10,000 BCE and how it exists in the year 2025. In fact, our ability to cause harm has increased. Technology has made it easier for someone to destroy more. A brutal person today can kill thousands at once.
We treat nature in the same violent way. We rip it apart, dig into it, poison it, and destroy it. One of the first things we do when we enter nature is try to control it. We cut down trees. We clear away forests and jungles. We try to make it "clean." It is obvious why we do this. Deep inside, we are afraid of nature. We fear being eaten, stung, bitten, or poisoned. We believe that if we remove the natural world, we remove the danger.
But when people are driven by fear or mental illness, they go further. Their paranoia grows. Their phobias get worse. And the result is that we become more disconnected from nature with every generation. That disconnection leads to more destruction.
This does not mean we should live naked or avoid modern life. There is value in clothing, architecture, and lighting. But we must make it a daily practice to look at nature, admire it, be grateful for it, and understand that we are part of it.
The natural world is beautiful. The fact that it exists is a miracle. Humans now understand how it works. There is no reason to fear it. There is only one planet. This is it. This is Earth. While we may fantasize about escaping into space and building lives on other planets, that is not our current reality.
Maybe one day our distant descendants will live on bigger and more beautiful planets. That may happen, but right now it does not matter. What matters is that this planet is all we have. We cannot let broken minds and wounded hearts decide the future of our children. We must protect future generations, even if it is hard to understand how our actions affect them.
Every day we deal with nonsense, but not all of it is meaningless. Inside all of that noise is real purpose. Each person has something important to do. Evolution designed us to solve problems that appear in our environment. That is how every creature works. Humans were built to think, to respond, to change.
Right now, our biggest problem is not survival. It is us. We are the problem. We create the threat. What I am saying is not new. It is obvious. Hundreds of years ago, people may not have seen it so clearly. They had less knowledge. They had to figure things out on their own. Today, you do not have to wait until you are older or wiser to make a difference.
The first step is knowing what you are. You came into this world with a human body. It is a miracle. Your brain is powerful. You have incredible software inside your mind. Nature designed you to feel anxiety. But unlike other animals, you have the ability to think beyond instinct.
Animals feel stress and act automatically. They do what they must to survive. But if things get too complex, they cannot adapt and they die. Humans are different. We can choose. No matter what people think about free will, we have intelligence. We have consciousness. We make decisions. Some of them will be mistakes. Some of them will be improvements.
That means you have the power to change this entire species. You can change by healing yourself. You can live differently. You can make the world better not just for yourself, but for all living things.
This is not easy. The mind is active. The self feels strong and real. Many people say the self is an illusion. Some go too deep into philosophy and find nothing useful. Let them keep searching. Someone has to.
But here is what I know. The self is real in the present moment. You feel it. You know it. If you deny that you exist, your life loses meaning. You will fall apart. You will be eaten by life.
You have a self. That self is responsible for your behavior, your choices, your words. It is the part of you that gets hungry, that needs sleep, that needs to move. You need to motivate that self. You need to get out of bed. You need to clean your body, your home, and your life.
There are other selves in this world. Every tree is a self. Every bird. Every fish. Every person. Every animal. All of them are selves, just like you. You get to interact with them. You get to learn from them. You get the chance to help reduce suffering, or at least not cause it.
We do this not because it is trendy or idealistic, but because it is wise. This is the most evolved version of who we can be. The highest form of self does not harm. It does not trap, poison, kill, or destroy. It does not bomb or shoot or stab.
Yes, the dark side of humans exists. And it is unlikely that it will ever completely go away. We do not know for sure. For now, it is here.
In the first half of life, your body is strong. You feel like you have all the time in the world. You look at the world with wonder. It feels like everything is yours to explore. That discovery is your job.
When you grow older, you begin to see how fast things come and go. You see birth and death. You see seasons. You watch nature recycle itself.
You have to figure out what time means to you. You have to figure out what kind of life you want. You choose your favorite color. You choose your favorite music. You choose your favorite flavor of ice cream. You make these choices based on your past.
But in the present moment, you still have the power to choose. The highest choice is compassion.
Compassion is the greatest treasure. It connects you to everything alive. It connects you to the world.
You may spend time chasing money or comfort or whatever you desire. That is part of life. You have to survive. You have to build. You have to take care of yourself.
But remember that nothing lasts. Everything changes.
Do not get too attached. Look at the world and say, it is beautiful. Take a deep breath. Look again and say, it is changing.
Embrace the change. There is wisdom in change. It is through change that things grow. Change is how life survives.
Change is good.