Evolution

 

I was curious. How did one cell ever decide to unite with other cells so that life as we know it can exist? It turns out time is the answer; billions of years where cells discover there are benefits to specializing in a group, but that even these specializations require limits if growth is to continue. It appears the old adage is true. Things are only as strong as their weakest members, so cells developed ways to get rid of freeloaders and nature made reproduction difficult for loners. It seems our social mores started a very long time ago.

I'd like to think we have gone beyond simple survival mode, but I think we have simply honed it to a level nature never dreamed of. Unless, of course, we allow that we are simply part of nature, part of the process of evolution still trying to find the optimal way to exist. A lot of simplies in a very complicated idea.

I wonder what life will be like four hundred billion years from now? 

Will we continue to value specialization over more ethereal things like compassion? And if we do, which things will we put more value on? Money? Health? Quality of life? 

And within those things will we focus on just providing them for a few elite, or everyone? Will we see the value in working together as an opportunity to excel and grow, or simply a way to use others as stepping stones for our own personal gain?

Without some careful cooperation we may evolve ourselves right out of being and give the earth a chance to go another way.