Are We a Species in Decline? | Dr. Eric Pappas (Contributor: Carly Blaine) | TEDxJMU
Summary
TLDRThe speaker addresses the critical issues facing humanity, including wealth inequality, environmental disaster, corruption, technology's dark side, and the normalization of violence. He questions humanity's inability to resolve conflicts peacefully and our collective inaction despite recognizing the problems. The talk also touches on the unsustainable nature of capitalism and population growth, suggesting a potential decline of our species if we fail to change our behaviors to align with our values.
Takeaways
- 🌍 **Global Wealth Inequality**: The concentration of wealth is increasing, with examples such as three billionaires in the U.S. controlling wealth equivalent to the bottom 50% of the population.
- 🌱 **Environmental Disaster**: We are already in a stage of environmental disaster, with our habitat being despoiled and no easy way to reverse the damage.
- 🏢 **Government and Corporate Corruption**: There's a dramatic increase in corruption globally, including in democratic countries.
- 🤖 **Technology Dependence**: Society's reliance on technology is growing, with potential job displacement due to advancements like robotics and driverless cars.
- 🔫 **Violence as the Norm**: Violence, including school shootings and wars, has become an everyday occurrence, with wars often fought over religious beliefs.
- 💵 **The Cost of War**: Wars are extremely costly, with trillions of dollars spent, which could otherwise be used for social programs like education and healthcare.
- 🌏 **Consumerism and Pleasure-Seeking**: People are identified by their consumerist and pleasure-seeking behaviors, which often overshadow more altruistic values.
- 🗣️ **Difficulty in Action**: Despite espousing high values, people struggle to put them into practice, often preferring to be known for what they say rather than what they do.
- 🧠 **Inability to Resolve Differences Peacefully**: There is a recurring pattern of resorting to violence to resolve conflicts, indicating a lack of effective negotiation skills.
- 📉 **Species in Decline**: The speaker questions if humanity is in decline, both in terms of moral values and biological fitness, with our survival as a species potentially at risk.
- 💼 **Capitalism and Greed**: Capitalism, as described by Adam Smith, is driven by individual greed and selfishness, which has been distorted over time to mean profit at any cost.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the transcript?
-The main theme of the transcript is the current state of the planet, characterized by wealth concentration, environmental disaster, government and corporate corruption, technology dependence, war and violence, and the lack of action despite awareness of these issues.
What does the speaker suggest about the wealth distribution in the United States?
-The speaker suggests that wealth is highly concentrated, with three billionaires controlling as much wealth as the bottom 50% of the population.
What is the speaker's view on the environmental situation?
-The speaker believes that we are not on the brink of an environmental disaster but are already in one, with our environment being severely despoiled.
How does the speaker describe the increase in government and corporate corruption?
-The speaker describes an increase in government and corporate corruption worldwide, with more tyrants and autocrats, and a dramatic rise in corruption even within the speaker's own country.
What is the speaker's stance on technology?
-The speaker acknowledges the love for technology and its conveniences but warns that it can lead to job displacement and a dehumanizing effect.
Why does the speaker mention war and violence?
-The speaker mentions war and violence to highlight how they have become commonplace and normalized, especially with the frequency of school shootings and the cost of war.
What question does the speaker pose regarding human behavior?
-The speaker questions why humans do not act on the issues they are aware of, suggesting a possible lack of caring or understanding of life's meaning.
What does the speaker suggest about human values and actions?
-The speaker suggests that humans often do not act according to their stated values, preferring to be known for what they say rather than what they do.
What does the speaker think about capitalism as described by Adam Smith?
-The speaker thinks that capitalism, as described by Adam Smith, has been perverted from its original meaning and now often equates to any method of making money, regardless of ethics.
What are the three premises Albert Bartlett presents that the speaker finds concerning?
-Albert Bartlett's three premises are: unabated population growth, increased use of non-renewable resources, and increased consumption per capita, all of which are unsustainable.
What does the speaker suggest about the human species' potential for change?
-The speaker suggests that humans have the capacity for intentional change due to their ability to think, feel emotions, and reflect on their behaviors.
What is the speaker's final call to action?
-The speaker's final call to action is for individuals to start with personal change, reflecting on whether their behaviors align with their values, as a first step towards broader societal change.
Outlines
🌍 Planetary Peril and Societal Decay
This paragraph discusses the critical state of our planet, highlighting issues such as wealth concentration, environmental disasters, government and corporate corruption, and the deification of technology. It also touches on the excitement around advancements like robotics and driverless cars, but warns of potential job displacement. The prevalence of war and violence, including school shootings, is noted, along with the high costs of war and the lack of investment in social programs. The speaker questions humanity's indifference to these issues, suggesting that material and power gains overshadow concerns for the collective well-being and the planet's future.
📉 Decline of Humanity and Capitalism's Impact
The speaker contemplates whether humanity is in decline, citing issues like declining educational standards and the destruction of our habitat. Despite acknowledging good people and positive actions, the speaker argues that these are not enough to reach a critical mass of change. The paragraph introduces a list of issues causing human conflict, suggesting that humans have a tendency to exploit and control each other, possibly due to deep-seated insecurities. The discussion then shifts to the impact of capitalism, as described by Adam Smith, and how it has evolved from a theoretical marketplace to a system that seems to prioritize profit over ethical considerations. The speaker also mentions Albert Bartlett's three premises indicating unsustainable human practices, leading to questions about humanity's long-term survival and empathy.
🤳 Distraction and the Misuse of 'Survival of the Fittest'
This section critiques the constant busyness and distraction in modern life, suggesting that it serves as an avoidance mechanism for self-reflection. The speaker discusses the concept of victim status as an excuse for inaction. The paragraph also addresses the misuse of Darwin's theory 'survival of the fittest,' clarifying that it was not originally about humans but has been misapplied to justify various forms of aggression and competition. The speaker reflects on the potential lack of hope and the limitations of hope as an action motivator, suggesting that real change requires more than just wishing for it.
🔄 The Need for Individual Change and Action
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of individual change as a starting point for broader societal transformation. The speaker challenges the audience to ensure their behaviors align with their values and to take action. The paragraph suggests that the coming decades will be crucial for humanity and the planet, and it may be time for individuals to reflect inwardly and then reach out to effect change. The applause at the end indicates the end of the speech and the speaker's call to action.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Environmental Disaster
💡Wealth Concentration
💡Government Corruption
💡Deification of Technology
💡War and Violence
💡Material Gains
💡Species in Decline
💡Capitalism
💡Population Growth
💡Survival of the Fittest
💡Individual Change
Highlights
Increased concentration of wealth worldwide.
Three billionaires in the US control as much wealth as the bottom 50% of the population.
We are in a stage of environmental disaster with no turning back.
Government and corporate corruption are increasing globally.
The deification of technology and its impact on society.
Excitement about robotics and driverless cars may lead to job loss.
Violence is an everyday issue, with over 200 school shootings in the past 20 years.
Wars are becoming commonplace and are extremely costly.
The question of why we don't do more about the issues we face as a society.
The inability to negotiate differences without resorting to violence.
The decline in species may be due to our inability to understand long-term survival.
Adam Smith's view on capitalism being driven by individual greed and selfishness.
Albert Bartlett's three premises for species decline: population growth, use of non-renewable resources, and increased consumption per capita.
The idea that humans might lack the empathy needed for long-term survival.
The importance of not being distracted from the real issues facing humanity.
The misuse of Darwin's 'survival of the fittest' concept in human society.
Darwin's belief in the possibility of human change and intentional improvement.
The potential lack of hope and the need for action in the face of global challenges.
The importance of individual change as the first step towards reaching out and making a difference.
Transcripts
we are a planet in great peril we really
are where our planet in peril here are a
few of the things just a few of the
things that characterize our planet we
have an increased concentration of
wealth all over the planet an example of
that three billionaires in the United
States control as much wealth as the
bottom 50% of the population of the
United States this is happening all over
the world we're not on the brink of
environmental disaster we're in a stage
of environmental disaster
there's no turning it around with the
environment we have managed to despoil
our habitat we have increased government
and corporate corruption all over the
world we have more tyrants more
autocrats dramatic increase in
government corruption even in our own
country the deification of technology we
love technology we love easy we love
fast we love our computers we love our
cell phones all of it we love we love
video games we love pornography we're
just and we don't judge it folks we
don't judge it and lately
robotics driverless cars things of that
nature we're all excited about that and
the thing that we may not realize is
that that robot that's so fascinating
might have your job in a year or two war
and violence violence is now an everyday
thing in this country and around the
world over the past 20 years we have had
over 200 school shootings we only hear
about the ones that take out a lot of
students it's become an everyday issue
and we get together after the shootings
and we we mourn together and and then we
forget about it a couple of weeks and we
just keep moving on war on the other
hand is becoming very commonplace
generally speaking at least globally
there are wars over who has the right
god and I think the thing that we don't
think
a lot of times is that war cost money
cost a lot of money it cost trillions of
dollars in the United States and what is
war debt us what are the alternatives
free tuition for everybody better health
care but seems like our politicians and
and industrialists have a real penchant
for the business of war so here's the
question what's wrong with us why don't
we do anything about this why don't we
reach out do we not care do we have no
sense of what the meaning of life is
what we're supposed to be doing here are
we so tied up in our own material gains
power gains that we don't think about
this we don't think about that long
journey that we're on as a species you
know around the world we're known for
our pleasure-seeking and our consumerism
that's how we're identified across the
world so here's the issue you know I
hear from people around the world these
wonderful values these these humanistic
and life-affirming values these
wonderful things from people but it
seems like we have a terribly hard time
putting them into action actually doing
the things that we talk about it's like
we like to be known by what we say not
by what we do it's a big problem that we
have so much difficulty accepting
differences our differences especially
religious racial ethnic around the world
we're not doing much about it again
we're not not really reaching out we're
you know small efforts so when I was
when I was in my 20s I realized
something that that has bothered me ever
since
so I figured I would share that with you
maybe it'll bother you for a while too
that as a species as a people we have
the inability to negotiate our
differences without violence you know we
might sit down at the table for a while
and negotiate and talk a little bit
after that it's like well now forget it
let's just get the
guns out we do it again and again and
again and I know the pentagon's business
is war we have to be doing that but who
has the power here's the question are we
a species in decline not do we have
declining math scores or you know we're
not shaping up like we used to
biologically in a Darwinian sense are we
a species in decline now we have ruined
our habitat we know that and that puts
us in a bad situation so it's too late
to turn it around but are we a species
that somehow is not understood quite
what we're supposed to do that after a
time we will no longer exist on the
planet so you might say Eric oh god you
are so negative
you were so negative there are good
people all over the world doing
wonderful things I know there are there
are wonderful people doing wonderful
things I hope that in as an activist
I've been a part of some of those things
but we haven't reached any critical mass
there's not enough of that if there's a
critical mass it's in all the stuff I've
been talking about so Carly and I came
up with a list of issues that put human
beings in conflict with each other now
the list is way too long I could speak
for a half-hour on it but so we come up
we come up with four that might be
important it seems like human beings
have a real penchant I mean forever not
just now for getting over on each other
it seems like we like to take advantage
of people we like to control people and
we see it every day and it's not just
financial it's not just sexual and and
ethnic and that we have this desire and
all I can think of it you know as a
psychologist and I hope I'm not over
simplifying that maybe this is this
profound insecurity that we have that
secure people don't need to control
other people they don't need to get over
on other people there's nothing in it so
kind of a simplistic view but one
possibility right
so Adam Smith I want to talk about Adam
Smith in 1776 Adam Smith wrote the book
The Wealth of Nations many of who you've
heard of it it is the Bible of
capitalism it's the instruction manual
for capitalism and Adam Smith says in it
this is a quote the capitalism is driven
by individual greed and selfishness
individual greed and selfishness now
Smith was talking about the the
theoretical marketplace the ideal
marketplace where let's say for example
individual greed and selfishness maybe
back then I could make a better shovel
than you and charge the same price I
make more money based on my individual
greed and selfishness or you could offer
a service I couldn't offer you're gonna
make more money than me by that
individual greed and selfishness but
what's happened over the years is that
that term has lost its me and he has
been perverted in any number of ways and
now it just means that any possible way
you can make money makes you a captain
of industry and I'm not saying all
industries are bad you know not being
dualistic but it just seems like there
aren't any rules anymore if I can sell
you air and make money on it I'm
considered a pretty profound success and
I think capitalism has become how how
little can I sell you and how much money
can I make off it we love those people
do you think that your computers and
cell phones and everything that there's
not an astronomical profit on that
mostly because those things are made by
slaves but you know that's that's where
we've gone with with Adam Smith another
character Albert Bartlett you haven't
heard of him he's a physicist he came up
this was mid 90s I guess when I read an
article that he wrote that started me on
this species in decline kind of idea
okay he came up with three premises
listen to these one
is that we have unabated population
growth we have more people and more
people and more people and it's not
going away number two we have the
increased use of non-renewable resources
we're using them at an astronomical pace
they are going to run out some of them
have already and they don't have
replacements third increased consumption
per capita everybody has more stuff more
population more material use more
consumption that is unsustainable
scientifically unsustainable so maybe
maybe we simply don't understand the
terms of survival maybe when that first
ape jumped out of a tree and stood up
and the human race was born maybe that
it was not wired in such a way to
understand how we were going to survive
long term indefinitely
maybe we lack empathy as a species maybe
we're simply in denial it's like
everything's alright don't worry about a
technology you'll solve the problem it's
no problem let's you know text somebody
or could be distraction everybody I know
folks everybody I know is busy all the
time all the time we must be very
important in order to be busy all the
time what it says to me the advantages
of being distracted is that you don't
have to think about yourself you don't
have to deal with your demons which we
all have to do if we're going to live a
reasonable life we don't have to think
of most anything we're just we're busy
all the time
victim status victim status I can't do
that I mean I can't be a social activist
I'm busy all the time I can't care about
these things I'm busy all the time okay
it's inevitable that Darwin is going to
come up in this so here it is
in 1859 he published Origin of Species a
book that many people quote with very
few people have read it's 600 pages of
small type the phrase that comes out of
there that we all use is survival of the
fittest I heard it the other day and NPR
in some context now that could mean a
number of things if applied to human
beings it could mean hey you know I'm
I'm a pretty bright guy maybe maybe I'll
have a little bit easier time in my life
whereas at the other side of it it could
mean I have a lot of guns go ahead and
get me angry and I'll blow you away now
we've used this time and time and time
again I've heard it my whole life here's
the irony of it folks the origin of
species is not about human beings he
mentions human being once three pages
from the end of the book it's about
birds and insects and butterflies it's
not about people
fast forward 1871 he writes what I
consider his seminal work the descent of
men in which he says human beings do
have the possibility of change they can
change themselves because we can think
because we have emotions and because
we're capable of intentional change so
again you can come back to me and say
Eric you have no hope you're not a
hopeful person I'm not I'm not here's
here's the here's the downside of hope
as for as far as I'm concerned let me
think of a good example central Africa
there has been a famine and severe
agricultural problems for about ten
years
people are dying not enough that we hear
about it when when the little children
start dying in droves two or three years
and now we'll hear about it so you might
say wow I hope something's done I hope
they
rain I hope they get irrigation I hope
they get help
I hope somebody goes in there and helps
those beautiful little kids because
they're dying I really really hope
something goes on I hope and you hope so
much that you almost feel like you're
doing something like maybe you're
feeding the kids or maybe you're a
social activist that you're really doing
something to help because you're hoping
and you're not so is there a solution no
there is not thank you and good night
no just kidding that would be way too
easy
thought about it that the next few
decades are going to be pivotal for us
we might only have four or five more
decades with the planet looking like it
does including our own community things
will be dramatically different in this
world in four or five decades maybe now
is the time for us to be acting so what
do we do now
what do we do now maybe the first step
to reaching out is reaching in it may be
the first step to reaching out is
reaching in all change starts with
individual change how do we start I
think our problem is often that our
behaviors do not reflect our values our
behaviors do not reflect our values do
your behaviors reflect your values thank
you and good night
[Applause]
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