This is an interesting post about the concept of “survival of the fittest” and what it means for humans. It seems that being individually self-sufficient and completely independent is actually not at all how humans work. We are aggressively social creatures and that is the reason for our success:
(via: Pinterest)
Nice
when we as social creatures, are an actual part of our society, all is well, but when any status or social privileges elevate any of us above another, empathy reins.
combined with our overly dense population standards, it is hard to care for all the problems when they run so rampant, and not burn ones self out trying while watching others that could help flaunt their “status”.
though i agree with the content entirely, just putting my opinion.
I assume you meant “empathy wanes”. Humans are naturally schizophrenic, as we seek the blessings of civilization and resent the responsibilities.
We have not ALWAYS taken care of the elderly and disabled, People used to leave crippled and malformed newborns to the elements rather than try to keep them alive, Many cultures had rites where the old and infirm left the group so that they would not be a drain on the community, Yes we are social creatures, but not out of some impulsive altruism, but rather the selfish idea that many hands make light work.
We took care of the elderly and disabled in cultures concurrent with and prior to that. Abandoning them was the aberration.
People have discovered bones tens of thousands of years old which show signs of having been broken many years prior to the death of the human they belong to. In some cases, the human wouldn’t have been capable of contributing physically to the community in any significant way.
The fact that these individuals lived as long as they did after they were injured shows that they had to have been taken care of by others.