The Hard Truth About Humans
I’m clicking ‘publish’ on this article shortly and then strolling 150 meters to my local station to cast my vote.
Nope. I’m not going to tell you who I vote for.
And, nope, I’m not going to post my thumb pic on socials.
Today, it seems important to me that we keep it simple, peaceful and intentional.
Around us, the world is going batshit crazy.
Gaza and Ukraine are dominating global news headlines with increasingly troubling footage from the front lines.
In Africa’s back yard, there is violent conflict in Sudan, Congo, Central African Republic, Mali, Libya, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Ethiopia.
It seems that tempers are starting to flare in hotspots around South Africa too.
A close friend said to me recently, “What do you expect? The hard truth about humans is that we are descended from violence. Our spirit animals are warring jungle primates. We’re tribal beings genetically predisposed to tearing each other apart.”
He was referring to the violence meted upon neighbouring tribes in Chimp Empire on Netflix, a series that he’d recently binged.
If chimps are truly our closest relatives, my friend reckons, then we’re in pretty big trouble.
Yeah, sure - but, on the other hand, the social anthropologist Bret Weinstein reminds us that our other closest relative is the bonobo.
Have you seen those things on NatGeo? Bonobos kinda look like chimps, but they’re intriguing to biologists because of their marked behavioural nuances.
Those furry lil creatures spend their days eating and shagging, mostly.
They have a “zeal for recreational sex” according to naturalists.
The type of confrontation preferred by bonobos is the sort that occurs in massive, hippie-style love-fests.
Bonobos are democratic, friendly and loved up. Okay, they’re not perfect - but they’re a lot more peaceful than their chimp cuzzies.
Bonobos help each other out. They collaborate efficiently and communicate gently. They look out for their elders and ensure equanimity in the tribal food distribution network.
Chimps, meanwhile, are hyper-aggressive, hard-core and militant. They are prone to infighting and politicking.
In conflict, chimps prefer to rip each other to pieces than to talk it out.
We carry the ancient DNA of both.
So, here’s the thing. It’s been 30 years of democracy, as of today. We have seen enough war and confrontation in that space of time.
We have already fought for choice.
Now it’s time to use that choice, so that we don’t have to keep fighting.
Today, for once, let’s channel our other spirit animals.
The peaceful, loving kind.
See you at the polls.
Peace -
