Does anybody else feel the human race is worthless?

[mono]

Ah, I love absurdism! Camus, Kierkegaard, Kafka, where art thou?
I have followed this thread with some enthusiasm, smiled at most responses, frowned at few. Certainly, I would consider myself a bit more of an optimist than a pessimist, and have gotten quite good at it, but I would never call myself a ray of sunshine - I know myself as impatient, difficult to forgive, somewhat materialistic and Hedonistic, and I drink more wine than the soil beneath a grapebush.
It seems easy to slip into a thought that all of the human race seems worthless - the media covers murders, rapes, robberies, but one rarely hears of successful, miraculous births, we obsess of wars, global warming, international relations (or lack thereof), drug warfare, endangered species, poverty and starvation in other countries, animal abuse and abandonment, and how human fuel these, but one often simply shrugs his/her shoulders when two countries previously at war sign a treaty, when Al Gore comes to town teaching of Kyoto, scientists breed panda bears, or when an unsuccessful greyhound gets adopted from the Humane Society by a loving family. Cynicism seems so much easier to breed than optimism; we learn nursery rhymes that reek of happy endings in childhood, then come to literature that does not contain a good plot without an intriguing problem, whether by a hero/ine overcome or not.

Not to sound too stereotypical of 'what I have seen,' but as an RN who works in an intensive care unit, I have encountered many individuals in some impressively high extents of suffering and in their ends, miserable deaths, the endings of long marriages, the endings of motherhood and fatherhood. A former patient of mine, her last words consisted of asking for me, a nurse who had cared for her on multiple admissions. Would my presence have meant anything to her during her last moments, or anything to any patient I have cared for in his/her final hours? Probably, but it never fails to depress me afterwards, such as after an unsuccessful code blue occurs, when a husband of 50-something years sees his wife undergoing chest compressions, defibrillation, and invasive procedures, then regrets never apologizing for an argument they had gotten into the night previous while saying goodbye.

Do we seem entirely worthless? Perhaps, but it depends upon what side of the coin you look, and who you allow to nurture your thoughts (nature vs. nurture); if you overlook the mother feeding her newborn child in the park to see the police failing to stop a man from stealing an elderly woman's purse, then, yes, possibly we seem worthless. If you can see the construction of the Burj Dubai, the training of Lance Armstrong, the successful abolitionist movement of 1863 in the U.S., and the ambulation of a patient you contributed to saving in a cardiopulmonary arrest, you cannot deny some worth.

[PoeticPassions]

So long as there is hope and love, there is purpose. There have been great men in history that have made huge impacts on humanity-- some advanced human rights, some advanced peace, and some spread love and forgiveness. Among the great men, have been "evil" men... those that caused wars; that spread fear; that killed a countless number of people. These contraries have always existed, and they shall most likely not cease to exist. I suppose one needs hate to have love... but this is getting off the point.

Whether or not there is an actual purpose to humanity--that can be debated. Religious people will argue that our purpose lies in serving God and so forth, while others might say that we are all living in random chaos, and Nature is both brutal and beautiful; capable of massive destruction, yet also of creation. Regardless of the view, I believe that there is worth in every single person... every person is someone who has potential for hate and for love; for empathy and indifference; for "evil" and compassion. We can learn from every person (whether they commit atrocious or beautiful acts) and what they have done with their potential. Today, someone showed a lot of compassion, and today that person was worth to me more than any material wealth or any hedonistic enjoyment/pleasure/gratification.

The love I feel from those around me offers me a purpose... a hope... and creates value for all of these things.

We have seen the worst of humanity, and we have seen the best of humanity. The knowledge that individuals or groups have produced. Scientific advancements, literature, poetry, amazing architecture, revolution, etc... these are surely beautiful. Even in the midst of suffering, there is always something beautiful. Always something that makes us crave life.

I suppose that in the bigger picture of things, we might just be worthless. Worthless to this planet (or rather we are destroying this planet so we are beyond worthless). But we are here. We will be here until we die out as a species (who knows when that might be?) and so we have to make the best of it. Each person should strive to change the world for the better... to improve... to work for the collective good... FOR HUMANITY. If you don't, then you become part of the problem. And merely complaining about worthlessness entraps you into mediocrity and helplessness. Try to be of value.

PRACTICE UBUNTU

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu)

[The Comedian]

Nope. Not me. I think the human race is full of worth -- worth is everywhere. This Jack Daniels and spring water that I have right now, for example: it just seems to get more worthwhile with every sip.

And I have two beautiful daughters who show me the value of humanity with every breath -- even when they're driving me crazy.

And nothing beats reading Walden by the lake near our house on a quiet morning. And my phalaenopsis is in bloom -- 9 flowers. I love it.

[Virgil]

virgil!!!! that was a BAD example... its pretty much out in the open nowadays that the whole man on the moon thing was a(nother huge) hoax

What?? Of course it is true. Apollo 11, July 20th, 1969. That was the first time. Then there was six more missions and five more landings on the moon. Hey I used to pay hookey from school so I could stay home and watch on TV. I can't believe there are people who think it was a hoax.

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program

[Silas Thorne]

Yes, the moon story is a hoax to keep us from finding out who our true masters are: the lizard people who live under the earth.

[Silas Thorne]

Seriously, from my perspective I believe that the actions of one person can make a big difference to the world, for either good or evil, and that there are many more people who make a positive difference to the world than a negative one. I think there's hope for the world (including the natural world) and the human race.
I heard a quote from a wise Japanese guy called Doshin So, and it has been translated from Japanese:
'the person, the person, everything depends upon the quality of the person'.

[weltanschauung]

are you sure that's not a conspiracy theory?

blah it doesnt matter, but in any case, are you sure it isnt

[weltanschauung]

What?? Of course it is true. Apollo 11, July 20th, 1969. That was the first time. Then there was six more missions and five more landings on the moon. Hey I used to pay hookey from school so I could stay home and watch on TV. I can't believe there are people who think it was a hoax.

Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program

hey, just for the sake of it, everyone saw these too

[wat??]

After reading The Mysterious Stranger it has finally dawned on me how worthless we are as human beings! Kurt Vonnegut emphasized this before his death and he is absolutely right. After all the violence and abuse and war and dirty money and rape and murder and drugs. Shouldn't we just end this? Pretty soon the Earth will be so overpopulated that there will be no more resources for us to consume and destroy. It is sad. I see it everyday. I work a bad job and I live in a bad town and I've traveled and I still see this pain and nonsense. It happens all the time. Every single day. Good things do happen rarely, but usually they get run over. When one lives through a bad childhood I believe ones bull**** sensor begins to run properly and one can take away all the glamor and bull**** and begin to see things for what they really are.

I look in the mirror and i see a pig. I look at my grandmother and i see a pig. Every face I stare into I see a deceitful pig staring back at me. OINK OINK OINK OINK OINK. Some may claim I'm insane, but take the time to think about it. Year after year day after day second after second there is constant pain and war and violence and there is no end in sight! Things have been getting worse even! Now we have bombs that could kill us all in a second if not less! Think about this!

After the holocaust we claimed there would never be so much gruesome killing again, but in the 90's in Africa more than 800,000 people were slayed at one time. It doesn't stop people! It never stops. I see how piggish we are at work and at home and at school and you do too. It does not stop. I will never have children. I will not contribute to this sick experiment.

Kurt Vonnegut certainly did not emphasize that human beings are worthless.

[NikolaiI]

what's Mythbusters?
edit: I agree that having a man land on the moon was not a humanity's most useful endeavour, though.

It's a show which has a team of people and they try to prove true or false various myths... I've only seen it a couple times... like for instance whether or not you could shoot someone down from being hanged by a rope with a gun from that time period, or whether cigarette lighters can explode (they can if you have a whole, whole lot of them together, but then it's not very big)

[SleepyWitch]

blah it doesnt matter, but in any case, are you sure it isnt

yes. I'm sure it's a conspiracy theory.

[weltanschauung]

Actually Mythbusters exploded that and man did land on the moon (or is that a conspiracy too????)

i bet they exploded indeed

hey man, no offense, but a tv show?
come on..

think it, speak it, buy it, drink it
read it, vote it!
use it, eat it, hear it, say it
have it, live it, spend it, be it

yes. I'm sure it's a conspiracy theory.

good for you
however...

[Eugenie]

I have to go with God's opinion of the human race :For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son.............

Now to do that shows that God considers us terribly valuable and worth suffering for.
there is a portion in the Bible, I would have to find it, but I remember when a child reading that humans became so evil and selfish and cruel and murderous and wanton at one point that God'grieved in His heart and was sorry that he had made man. Sorry, but still wanting to redeem us and love us and share his awesome universe with us.
It is the things people do that are depraved and deceitful and cruel and so on that make it seem that mankind is worthless I guess. But when you look at the new born babe, see the innocence and beauty, when someone does a random act of purely unselfish kindness for someone else, then you see what human kind was fashioned to be.
I always remember the story of a priest who was in a German concentration camp and it was the practise to kill a person or more for something to do in a day I suppose. A man was chosen and was terrified and heart broken, for he had family and had hope still......
This priest walked up to the guards and asked to be killed instead and they agreed and forced him to drink something that ate the insides of him , being the nice men they were. That strengthened the others, that act of divine kindness.
So, no I think humankind is very very precious.

[1n50mn14]

yes. I'm sure it's a conspiracy theory.

Unfortunately, very basic science proves it wasn't a hoax.
Check out this website.

[ihavebrownhaira]

I am the founder of this thread and I am proud-well I was proud- that I have created this thread, but it has gone too far. Now we are talking about poor television shows and man walking on the moon. We have gone too far. Of course people will continue to go, but out of respect for my misery and out of respect for my having the guts to write such a thread I would like to end it now. I don't believe this will happen and its fine. I no longer care to look at it.