Don’t Forget That You And I Are The Same: Human And All

When COVID-19 hit, millions of people assumed they were going to die. Yes, for one brief flicker, like a prominent candle, everybody knew that this was the end.

Then, lo and behold, a cure came. I thought how wonderful it would be if this universal threat were to unite us, to bring about a new way of thinking, or even of living.

But I was wrong; we did the opposite: we ended up starting wars, reengaging in negative behaviors, and, to be quite honest, pretending that brief flicker.

The Human Is Good, But Not Always

What does it mean to be human? Need I remind you all that we are a species, an animal, a product of evolution, and really nothing more?

The earliest signs of human life were expected to have emerged around 300,000 years ago, and yet we assume we are different. We believe that eating at McDonald’s is a choice we make, but thanks to advances in neuroscience, it is now known that we actually make a choice 11 times before we even consciously make it.

We are only in a short epoch of human history, roughly 300 years into industrialization, and yet, despite having access to the Internet, we still feel disconnected as we ever have. In 2024, the APA conducted a survey in which respondents were asked how lonely they may have felt.

Loneliness Is The Real Epidemic

The initial estimate was 10 percent. In reality, after asking thousands, 30 percent report feeling lonely, with 10 percent feeling lonelier since the COVID-19 pandemic. We think this way, I theorize, not because we are alone, but because of our heretical nature.

Enter The Caveman Mentality

Although we have an ethereal notion that we are different from our predecessors, we are mistaken. This has long been proven in evolutionary science, and it means your ancestry tree goes far beyond anything you could imagine. I am not here to bore you with a lecture on anthropology, but I am here to tell you this:

We need to start treating each other with more respect.

When You Disrespect Others, You Disrespect Family

Consider this: there is a concept known as the “Recent African Origin,” which posits that we all originated from a single place. In fact, we all came from the same genetic background, shaped by one or two versions of natural selection that make us who we are.

There is no conclusive evidence that this is the case, but darn, wouldn’t it be cool if we all came from the same creature? Well, in our own way, we have. When you talk to your neighbor this morning, you are talking to generation upon generation of social and migrational genetics.

Now, you’re on the road, honking at the person in front of you — also a member of that generational snippet — and yet you fail to realize that whether you like this person or not, or whether you know them or not, they are family. Quite literally, we are all — family.

This May Sound Subjective

I know, it is not in our best of interests to consistently believe that we all came from Africa, as there is no nominal proof; no one was alive to confirm this “theory,” but my point is simple: in the absense of that proof, does it hurt to believe that the person sitting across from you at Starbucks is an ancestor? I feel we need to take a step back from our ways a bit.

This means treating one another with respect, because in reality, “one-another” is just “one,” and we need to look out for each other; we are family. I repeat: you and I are family. And because of that, I may not know you, or see you, nor will I ever talk to you.

But I love you for you.

This is not an article about religion, nor science. It is just a discussion. What are we so mortally afraid of? We all fear snakes. Guess why? Snakes were a common cause of death 300,000 years ago.

We all fear heights to some extent, which makes sense, as otherwise we would have walked off a cliff. These are survival mechanisms that we share equally. And yet, we are all strangers on a bus, united by distance, not talking, not thinking, just doing.

The Distracted Driver

A theory in neuroscience suggests that because the brain consumes around 20 percent of the human body’s energy, many things become ingrained as muscle memory. We can only consciously process a limited amount of information at once, which is why distracted driving is so hazardous.

In fact, any means of getting behind the wheel of a car without paying full attention to your surroundings is a death wish. And as you pull the victim out of their vehicle, you dare not look them in the eyes, because on some instinctive level, you know you just harmed family.

Conclusion

I don't feel like writing an entire article, and not many will ever read this or take it seriously. However, know that I love you, whoever you are, and you will always be family — whether you like it or not. Reach out if you need assistance.