We Will Survive!
There have been many ages throughout our species’ journey through evolution. From the Early Stone Age, The Bronze Age and the countless global revolutions, humanity has been in a loop of never-ending change, adaptation and improvement. Now we live in a new millennium, a new era of unlimited potential. Differently, however, in this era, in this 21st century, change comes at a moment’s notice. Change in this modern world does not only come naturally, but through technology and our manipulation of life itself. We have embraced change in all its forms in the hope that tomorrow will be better than yesterday. In order to teach those who will inherit our world, we must examine the adaptations we currently undergo and understand our means of survival, as one.
In the aspect of physical adaptation, advances have been made, especially in the realm of medicine. Artificial physical adaptations take place in the form of manipulations. One of these physical adaptations is braces. Braces technology has improved immensely over the past decades, making braces more effective and less painful. Braces alter the positions of our teeth, ridding us of immediate threats like tooth decay, erosion and cavities. I myself have reaped the benefits of this gift.
Another physical adaptation we currently go through is tanning. Unlike most of the changes we go through, this adaptation is a natural part of human evolution. In the 21st century, global warming poses a great threat to us all, but luckily, we have an ace up our sleeve. When exposed to too much sunlight, our body naturally tans, giving us a protective shield. This form of human evolution is critical, since we are on the verge of living in an extremely globally warmed world. Because of this naturally acquired form of adaptation, we will survive.
With our 21st century adaptations sorted out, I now want to shed light on what I consider to be our species’ greatest evolution yet, our collective knowledge. The knowledge of the past is lightyears behind where we are today. Just over a century ago, knowledge was only granted to men, with mostly white backgrounds. In today’s more egalitarian society, not only is knowledge available regardless of sex and race, but regardless of monetary status, to a degree. Because of the internet and our ever-expanding education systems, more people have been empowered by knowledge and wisdom than ever before. This collective wisdom of ours is a result of decades of advances in all aspects of life, which have changed the way we live, communicate and socialize. Even the values held on by our ancestors are changing. The knowledge we harness from these modern sources of information, can be considered a form of learned adaptation. Because we teach our offspring vital lessons about life, they grow up to be more successful and brilliant, living a life better than ours. As each generation grows up with more information at the palm of their hand, they have a greater chance of thriving.
Human knowledge has especially advanced the medical world to great lengths, in little time. In this pandemic-ridden world, for example, we have successfully produced multiple vaccines, in proportions that invite awe and intrigue. In more or less 12 months, we have created a weapon, that would finally put our common enemy to sleep. After so much hardship, we can finally see the light at the end of this dark tunnel. Also ,thanks to other scientific advances in masks, air filtration and medical treatment technology, we can prove once more that our species will live on, because we are the fittest.
Now that I have examined how we are currently evolving, I now want to pivot towards how our children, the future of humanity, have to evolve to face the world that they will live in. I have no doubt that , technologically speaking, they will live in a much better world than ours. By the time the next 2 to 3 generations mature, perhaps our species may be multi-planetary and space-fairing ,at that point, but that does not mean our evolution stops there! In fact, evolution must continue! For the survival of the next generations, education has to be given even more priority than we currently give it. Children in the future must strive to be more educated than others, because with education comes wisdom and with wisdom comes success.
The future kids of humanity also have to adapt to a more hostile environment, caused and created by our generations. Children who will grow up in the middle of the 21st century, have to create or improve existing technologies, to continue the fight against climate change, and to adapt to the effects of climate change, that would be irreversible by then.
Yes, the future is uncertain, and with uncertainty comes fear. But what we as a people, need to understand, is that in order to survive, evolution cannot stop. The moment we stop evolving, is the moment our end starts!
In conclusion, I want to leave you with a simple yet profound message. Evolve. If you are mentally, socially, technologically and emotionally stuck in the past, evolve. If you want to thrive in this ever-changing world, evolve. If you want to live the life you want to live, evolve. If you want to insure the survival and longevity of our humanity, evolve. It is by evolving that we insure that we will survive!