Thursday, June 21, 2012

Man-made

I was commuting by bus today and gazing out of the window at the world passing by, when this thought struck me. Except nature, everything that we see around us is made by man. If you just let your mind absorb this fact, it's pretty amazing. Leaves you stunned if you dwell on it sufficiently.


Your mobile phone, the buildings, roads, signals, tube-lights, advertising hoardings, clothes, vehicles, airplanes, cups, pens, machines; the list is endless and encompasses almost everything.


It tells us that we humans are capable of extraordinary things. The proof is above, below, inside, around and on us. We have made tremendous progress in our thirst for knowledge and comfort. But at what cost to our planet? The answer lies in the simple fact that even the lack of nature is man-made.



3 comments:

  1. Thank you for saying it.
    I know we're calling the end of civilisation, at least the healthy sorts, by the pollution and urbanisation and all of the EVS textbook info. But we forget to credit mankind. The fact that we're conscious of everything, not only tangible objects, but even thought, expression etc- is because somewhere, we evolved.
    One day the earth will not take it anymore. tornadoes and O3 will envelope mankind and kill it. But you can't kill the planet.
    The next time you feel a little less happy, like there's something stopping you, look at your palm. Take a long, concentrated look at it and understand how something as tiny in the scope of things as that can change so much, By writing, by grasping, by clenching. Evolution happened because of that.
    I may sound like a self-help book here, but your post struck a chord.
    Thank you.

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  2. Flip side: is not everything we make part of nature, an expression of our nature, just as we are an expression of nature? This doesn't absolve us of responsibility for what we make, and its consequences. But I do find myself wondering about the dualism, human on one side, nature on the other.

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  3. The nature must be gazing back at us, watery eyes full of pity...

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