Modernity: Civilized, or Uncivilized?

A qualitative analysis is warranted, in the present times, whether humanity is civilized, or uncivilized? Humanity is a civilized race. Undeniable. Unclothed human beings are a repulsive sight. Society does not tolerate seeing nude people in public places. From birth we are wrapped in clothing. Thus, humanity, regardless of race or religion, rich or poor, noble or commoner, educated or uneducated, rural or urban, and uncontacted or Innuit all wear a form of clothing. Even cavemen and cartoon characters are clothed in films. Unimaginable, mere thought of seeing humans unadorned. Humanity is tied to the custom of wearing clothes from time immemorial. Uncivilized human race, hence, does not exist. Everyone of us is civilized. We can conclude that we are born into civility. Further justification is unnecessary.

Human civility is not constrained to our dress. For, we can observe that dress is common across the human spectrum. Birth to death, we are covered in dress. Even though dressing is merely an external projection of self, it is integral to our civil existence. Naming is yet another attribute of human civility. Everyone receives a name at birth. We don’t select the name. It is given to us by our parents. We take pride in our name. Mispronunciation of our name is seen as uncivilized behavior. Common, again, across vast humanity. We come into this world with a name. Civilized custom for modernity, or ancestry. Similarly, humanity inherits race, religion, customs, traditions, and rituals, which determines our journey from birth to death. We are born into a civilized world. Civilized customs may vary from region to region, it is merely distinction without difference. 

Unlike animals, humans come into the world incapacitated. Maternal nurturing is essential for humanity to survive the first several months of our existence. Why does our life journey have an impotent beginning? Most mammals spring into action within a few minutes of birth. Human race differs. Our journey is imprisoned from birth. Imprisoned we were in our mother’s womb. Before entering the mother’s womb, we existed in the father’s body as a sperm cell. Our existence in a physical body commenced seven generations back lodged within our ancestors’ bodies. Latent existence for over a century, and an incapacitated commencement when we, ultimately, arrive for about 100 years for a few lucky, or unlucky souls. Where our journey commences, once more, unknown. Why should human journey in this beguiling world be entrapping? Isn’t our purpose in life to enjoy a brief visit to this world like a vacation? When we ponder existentially our birth, youth, growth, aging, and death, our existence appears burdensome. Animals are far freer than humans. If human existence is encumbering, then our distinctive quality as a superior race is compromised. There must exist a secret to unlock our supremacy. Human supremacy is conclusive. 

A birth in an animal body is a birth with intelligence needed to survive limited to each individual species is completely awakened at birth. Witness sea turtles headed to the ocean, unguided, to the ocean. They do not head toward the water without intellect. The intellect needed to continue the journey of life within the confines of a turtle body is, completely, in an awakened state. Hence, they head out, undaunted, toward the waters. Few may not survive the journey, however, that is par for the course. Everything we witness in this universe, minus humans, fits into the awakened intellect frame of existence. Animals are cultured from birth. Hence, animals are not creators of problems facing our charming Earth. Cultured and intellectual existence of animals is Civilized. 

As a superior race, should we not anticipate higher quotients of culture? We are the possessors of an awakening unknown in animal species. They possess intellect, but without awareness. Our life exists in higher dimensions than animals. We can utilize our minds (not the same as the brain) for far greater endeavors than mere survival. Awareness of mind is a unique and superior quality humanity possesses. Mind exists in all species, but it’s latent and limited. Our mind can explore beyond the physical realm. We can see the sky and stars. Animals can’t see the sky and stars. We can explore the purpose of existence. Animals can’t. Higher dimensions of life are feasible only in a human body. Unlocking of higher dimensions is a process.

Hence, our birth is not merely to a set of parents. Our identity is not a mere name. Our identity is multi-dimensional. We are born into a race, culture, religion, traditions, and rituals. Inalienable for humanity to exist without the composite meta-aspects to life. Remove them, we descend into animal species. Greatness cannot exist with a singular purpose. It is multi-faceted like a diamond. Human birth is a diamond of all life forms. Our culture is an unlocking mechanism to derive the highest benefits for not only in our present journey, but for many journeys to commence after this birth, or to even escape birth and death cycle endemic to this world. Life is a cyclical journey that can be easily gleaned from observation, because life sustaining ingredients are continuously recycled. Our environment is not generating new molecules of Earth, Water, and Air. We are sustained by the same water trillions of our ancestors depended upon. Elegance of Nature. Forever New. Forever Great. Forever sustaining. 

Unlocking the potential of the mind requires cultivating our body. It begins with draping our body with clothes. Just as we cultivate soil, the human body requires cultivation. Therefore, our traditions and rituals. They are not formed, ignorantly for momentary celebratory purpose. Greatness hidden inside simple protocols. An untrained, unrefined, and unawakened mind cannot see the latent greatness in our culture. Let that culture be from any region, or be of any philosophical strand. It enlivens human life to unlock the world beyond the physical vista we observe. A metaverse must exist when we observe the cyclical aspects of essential elements for survival of not only the human race, but every species and molecule in this universe. Does this require deep study, and education offered by the modern world, which came into existence just a few centuries back! Modernity suggests that humanity existed sans culture, that is Western perspective on humanity. 

Into a cultured and civilized world, humanity came into existence to produce trash and pollute our Earth and Water with chemicals, forever chemicals, and nanoparticles in modern times. We discovered animals exhibit culture endemic to their body. They are not polluting and creating trash. Humanity, however, produces waste at an unsustainable rate. The word ‘progress’ is synonymous with uncultured and uncivilized in the present age. How can civilized species create waste? 

Humanity exists in modern times, without heart and sans culture. Our culture is dictated by the wealthy hungry corporate sector. Corporate well being is deemed as a panacea for humanity. Competition in the corporate sector has descended into the human layer. Corporate greed has creeped into the human domain. Our cultural identity is lost, but we gained a corporate identity of profession, and for whom we toil. Culture reduced to irrelevance. Traditions are seen as unscientific. Educated deliver both pro and con on the strength of the same subject. Human existence is a conundrum in modern times. Every aspect of our existence is against Nature. The pandemic of recent times is an indicator for human’s vain efforts to assert domination over the natural domain that a reversal of times is not a distant future. Uncivilized modernity will lead to the Post-Modern era for humanity to flourish yet again with civility.