A Brief History....

[poliphilo]

We are very new.

I find this a comforting thought.

When I consider the seediness, depravity, cruelty and greed of humankind, I reflect that we are only beginners. We are still practicing; we haven't worked it out yet; we have time to improve. We have been around in our present form for a few million years- nothing in evolutionary terms- and civilization- the attempt to live in a civil society- is a very recent development.

We have only had writing for about three thousand years.

The written history of my own country goes back (and then only patchily) for two thousand years. If we want to know what happened before that we have to get out our spades and trowels and dig.

Two thousand, three thousand, four thousand years- these are ridiculously brief stretches of time. We have emerged from the forests, blinked and looked around a bit. That's all we have had time for. We are still little more than beasts.

Comments

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

You bring up an excellent point. No matter how much, as a history lover, I am tempted to look as our time on earth as a long one, I have to remind myself that it is not long at all, in context with the other things of this planet. You bring a breath of fresh air and hope on this rather rainy October afternoon.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

If we don't destroy ourselves during this time of transition, then the future could be amazing. We have progressed so far in the past few thousand years. What we might become in another thousand or two is probably beyond our imagining...

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! Here is to hoping we make it--cheers!
[Raises bellini]