On a cosmic level, we are nothing but a speck of dust. Yet, it is incomprehensible how profound and lasting effects our deeds leave here. Amid many species, we are nothing more than another lifeform breathing and increasing the entropy. Yet, how irrevocably we have changed this planet is known to all.
It is believed that the primary function of every lifeform on this planet is to reproduce. Therefore, the continuation of one’s kind is placed above everything. We live a considerably long amount of time after achieving that feat. Unfortunately, we are not the most successful species on the planet. Having spent only a couple of million years here, we are a mere babe in the arm compared to our colleagues.
Still, we dominate and dominate as no other species ever did. We watch other species dance to our tunes for our amusement. Changing the course of rivers, burning a forest down or even walking in space has become commonplace. The things that separate us from the rest of the species also put us in a tight position. We need to maintain a balance between what we can do and what we should do?
We are a product of billions of years of evolution. Only ten-odd thousand years ago, we decided to switch from hunting and gathering to agriculture. What followed was the dawn of civilization and, as some experts say, the end of our humanity. Most of the blots in our history, from slavery to the caste system, can be attributed to this switch only.
A belief that our birth decides our position in society led to the birth of the caste system in India. A belief that one race is superior to other led to the holocaust of Jews. Religion is one of the revolutionary inventions of humankind. We cannot imagine where we are without it. But it has led to some of the most heinous events too.
Dividing our country based on religion led to the bloodiest massacre in our history. No civilization can survive with fault lines here and there. How can we claim to be humans when we demolish the principles enshrined in our humanity. Being humans, it is for us not to live only by the statutes of human beings. Because the latter confines us and the former liberates us. This is a paradox that we need to comprehend to save mother nature.
Our countless battles and two world wars are staring right into our eyes. They tell us that this will bring our doom sooner rather than later. One of the worst byproducts of these wars is the refugee crisis. It penetrates us so deep that it can take decades to get over it. It is a shame that even our independence has stains all over it.
The 2015 refugee crisis brought some bone-chilling pictures to the world. Even though the French revolution taught us the concept of fraternity, we still seem oblivious to it. The chemical attacks on innocents in Syria confirmed a difference between human beings and being human. And it is this very gap that we need to fill to have a meaningful stay on this planet.
When Mahatma Gandhi said that we have enough for everyone’s needs, not even one person’s greed, the environment nodded. There are people in Madagascar who are left with leather to eat. Leather! When we burn thousands of hectares of forest to make way for our leisure, nature coughs carbon dioxide and methane.
An archipelago in the Maldives will sink not because of a Tsunami but because there is a lot of carbon in the air. Rich nations are building a wall next to their beaches, and the poor are simply praying for a miracle. Being the master of all the species, it is our responsibility to care for the environment that makes our planet habitable.
But are we human enough to do it? COP26 is being termed as our last hope. But unfortunately, we are still short of fulfilling COP21 promises—the divide between human beings and being human needs to be bridged to save this planet. Otherwise, the day is not far when your children will be enjoying the delicacies made of leather.
We have pushed hundreds, if not thousands, of species to the brink of extinction. Recently the world said goodbye to the last male white rhinoceros in Sudan. Countless species live in unimaginable hostile conditions to make our lives “stylish.” Every year, killing billions of animals becomes even more gruesome when they are made to suffer in terrible ways. For example, recent fires in the Australian forests killed more than a billion animals.
We cannot survive for long if we keep thinking about our well-being only. Eliminating even a single species puts enormous pressure on the food chain. This change in the ecology can be detrimental in the long run. As human beings, we have every right to do whatever pleases us to other species, but specific responsibilities bind us as humans.
Philosophers have wrecked their brains understanding the true purpose of our existence. We might never know it, but the truth is, it doesn’t matter. Our cognitive abilities have placed us at the top of every possible chain. This is where it first strikes us how different we are from the rest of the species.
And this is where we draw a line to have that balance. Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile”. To live for others, we need to see things through the prism of being human.
Maybe, these small things can fill the gap between human beings and be human. We are all born as human beings, but what completes our lives is being human. Mohammad Ali used to count his sit-ups only after they started to hurt. This was when he believed his workout started. Our life starts the day we leave the privileges of human beings and start being human.
Nature has bestowed upon us the ability to be all-powerful. But, as Stan Lee said, with great power comes great responsibility. If we believe that we are the master of the roster, then we need to act that way also. Because, being human, it would be a sin to live just as a human being.