When a baby is born it knows nothing about the world.
So little, in fact, that it has no concept of self.
The baby, its mother, and the world are one.
As the baby grows it discovers the world for the first time. Hands, feet, pee, poop, mumma and dada.
The baby’s mother whispers “you are special!”, and the baby establishes a sense of self.
I exist!
A few years later, the education process begins and the young child learns that she is part of a larger human community.
We exist!
And we are great!
For thousands of years though, the “we are great!” part was not assured.
Terrifying and wild beasts roamed the countryside. And men, the natural protectors of the family, could establish their courage and manhood by going out to hunt them.
The problem though is that times have changed.
The greatness of humanity is no longer in question, and our numbers are now 7 billion strong and counting.
Hunting no longer represents courage or manhood, any more than dueling, jousting or sword fighting.
Wild animals were once a threat to humanity, but it is now we who threaten them.
And as the times continue to change, we need to evolve our thinking if we hope to continue thriving.
We would do well to adopt a more balanced approach, and appreciate that while humans may be pretty great, we’re not half as great as life is!