Reflections on Human Nature and Evolution

Question. Why do humans always court disaster?

Answer. It is fundamental to our place at the crest of the wave of evolution.

The Law of Entropy (2nd Law of Thermodynamics) holds that the outcome of all actions tends towards chaos. But The Law of Conservation of Energy (1st Law of Thermodynamics) requires that for every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction. Chaos therefore throws up the occasional wave of adjustment, a peak rising above the flat monotony of the universal ocean.

Life constitutes such a wave, and we are currently surfing its crest.

We have only achieved this through risk taking, and to continue riding the wave we must continue to push the limits between the known sea of woes behind us and the unknown void before us. This is what distinguished us from our more cautious Neanderthal cousins.

The trouble is, that most waves eventually subside back into the scum on the ocean surface, or crash into a rocky reef or shore.

Few lap on a tranquil sunlit beach.

(The Neanderthals occupied Europe for hundreds of thousands of years in harmony with nature, before we took over a mere 40, 000 years ago)

The River Severn, the longest river in England, boasts a regular tidal wave that can be ridden by those sufficiently skilled for over 7 miles (7.6ml current record standing up). Somewhat further upstream lies Shropshire, birth place of Darwin and of the industrial revolution. On its southern border, astride the river, stands the Wyre Forest, a haven for wildlife and humans, from the stresses of life at the edge.

For deeper inspiration on where your wave could take you, consult this website, www.wyreforestcottage.com