Cyber Men, A.I., the Self Aware Monkey, Consequence of Actions Committed by Criminals, and why should we care about humans, anyway?

Though I have no degree in psychology, I still believe that I have a somewhat tuned mind to the human psyche.  I have watched them (people) grow from birth through adulthood, seen the mistakes they have made, made my own mistakes in return, and they have rarely disappointed me.

I speak more in the negative on this subject.  I have always expected them to fail. 
They have great potential, do not misunderstand me.  Though time and time again, regardless of the history of those who came before, for some reason, they think to themselves "but this time I can get away with it".

I'm not some misanthrope who thinks that there is only wickedness, if such a thing exists, is all that (hu)man* can perform.  I do think however that this is proof of free will.  I feel that this is proof above most arguments that we are free beings, accountable to our actions merely for the fact that if these morals that we break were learned solidly throughout history then we could not disobey them.  They would be so hard wired into us that the option to do otherwise would literally be unthinkable.

This is not the case.  I know there will be those crying disclaimers, citing genetic disposition towards alcoholism, and the like.  I accept that some things do get passed on, and it is documented in most of the religious texts with the simple condemnation's in Leviticus and Kings, that the sins of the father shall be passed on.

And that is where I think it means the most that we are free.  We can put down the bottle, the pill, the needle.  We can control ourselves regardless of what our dna tells us.  We can starve ourselves to death if we want, but the problem still remains: why do we not evolve into deeper beings?

The intelligence of the human living four thousand years ago is not that much different from the human today.  The ancient Egyptians had aqueducts, as did the Romans.  Some would argue that they were more ingenious than our present crop of people because they had to figure out ways to thrive without technology.  But I digress, taking us away from the task at hand. 

If a (hu)man were to be truly rid of the trappings of humanity, if s/he really did grow out of the so called shackles that keep us all down, would they be a super humane creature. Or a monster?  They would not consider themselves a monster, for they could not and would not measure the self by any standard greater or lesser than the self.  And there is the danger to people anyway.  A being in the next step of evolution would only be able to be judged by people of their own standing, and barely that because it would be one sentient beings opinion against another sentient beings opinion, taking into account that objective morality does not exist. 

We could follow that particular rabbit all the way down until we found the ultimate being, God.  Back to the beginning, har har.

The problem is that the (A.I. Cyber Man, etc) sees himself above the pain and futility of humanity, and therefore will chose to be either indifferent to it, or cruel to it.  They will become nothing better than a child who has been bullied, later becoming a bully themselves.  This selfish philosophy causes nothing except pain for themselves and others.  Cruelty will be paid with cruelty in kind, and the sufferer will cry "See!  It is an unjust world!  I am made to suffer and no I will make others suffer, and that will be fair."

Who could possibly think that this is something to be aspired to.  All those liberal thinkers who allege that morality is subjective, as simple as choosing an ice-cream flavour, are deluded and want no accountability for their actions.  These are the people who burn themselves on a flame as a child after being told that fire is hot, turn around and call this proof of no loving god, for what god would allow a child to suffer?

It is a learning process, coming right back to the first comment, that of free will.  We have been told that certain actions are wrong, for us, for others, and we continue to do them and cry like babies at the injustice of being corrected for our transgressions.

I have learned so many virtues from watching others.  The virtue of patience, knowing that they can learn and sometimes do.  The virtue of Temperance, knowing that lashing out with my anger will not change anyone’s heart.  The virtue of Charity, that being kind to those lesser than myself build deep community.  That Diligence will save me time in the long run, and solve problems before they happen.  That Kindness can inspire others more than a berating.  And finally that humility, that most castoff virtue in today's world, means to give credit where credit is due, and to know when we are wrong and accept it, not to endlessly justify every action we do so that we are never wrong.

Psychiatry is one of the greater evils of today.  Not for the ones that need help, but for the ones that don't need it and are given therapy anyway.  When we focus on ourselves, on our faults, endlessly in therapy sessions, looking at only ourselves, with only one other person looking at us, we become a hate machine caught in a loop.  Since all we see is ourselves, nothing else can be seen.  The smallest depression collides like a tidal wave and all is lost.

There's nothing wrong with a little self-evaluation, seek improvement on one’s self.  It cannot be done in a vacuum, though.  As iron sharpens iron, so does the countenance of ones friends.


G.K. Chesterton wrote "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried." 

*I mean no gender specificity here, sometimes it’s just easier to use “he”.  My laziness should not be placed as an act against people.