paulolc
Could it be that the imperative you describe, that mystical mysterious intention, be related to the beautiful incandescent sunsets, the songs of birds, the aroma of flowers, the taste of chocolate, the feeling of a warm embrace, the laughter of children, the awe-inspiring majesty of the cosmos, the things that give life meaning? The information distilled over four billion years of biological evolution and natural selection.
So, you’ve worked in psychology and you have observed that “thinking humans want more than just adapting to immediate struggles for existence”. You bet! Nothing about us is immediate. We don’t want to just survive. We want to thrive! To live a life full of purpose, meaning , direction and full of worthy goals and realization! Oh so true!
Now, what would you think it would a species require to completely dominate a planet and who knows, the universe? The strength of a bear? The height of a giraffe? The speed of a cheetah? No, right? It’s all about this Meaning giving mean machine we have between our ears. A brain capable of projecting the future, allowing us to tell stories, collaborate in large numbers providing layers upon layers of meaning and purpose. Sometimes, even when there’s none. Remember the clouds, the constellations, gods, folk stories, myths. We have this compulsion to connect the dots. Maybe they’re just dots and we do with them whatever we want.