Accounts to settle

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I do not believe that the world rests on our shoulders. I think it’s dangerous for us and for the world, even admitting that we have some influence on what happens at large. In reaching this conclusion I look to the spans of time that humankind come from (at least 150000 years) and this should plead for modesty. Our recorded history is a history of processes gone their own way and out of control. To think that we can harness this processes is, I think, conceit and spreading violence around us, like revolutionaries did. Of course the need to act is quite unterstandable. We have certainly to strive, to take sides, but only in the minimalist perspective we can control, examining with great accuracy the consequences of our actions.

It is better to progress than stay in the dark. Revolutionaries have grabbed for power, for different reasons, some benevolent, others for themselves. Humanity has progressed quickly, and is continuing to do so at an increasing rate. We need to be careful. But we should not hesitate to use technology. What is the purpose of evolving powerful brains if we do not use them? We have advanced more technologically than socially, yes. Obstacles have only slowed progress, not stopped it. We evolved brains in order to have a much greater chance of survival. To rise above the rest, shape our future, and one day spread to other planets. It was nature's error, perhaps. But yet again, advancing and progressing is part of human nature. It is somewhat a paradox.

We are controlled by, use, defy, and abuse nature. But it is our natural behaviour. You could argue that scientists fit into your "charlatan/quack" category.

Since the dawn of humanity, we have sought to better ourselves, improve our chances of survival, quality of life, to learn more about the world, and shape our future.

It would defy our own nature to just progress slowly and think so carefully about our actions. We have learned so many things by trial and error.

People disagree with each other over ideas. How society should work, what is and is not fair, how resources should be distributed. And that has been a survival of the fittest issue between groups of people. Determined by the credibility of their ideas, how relevant or popular those ideas are, who agrees with them, how capable those people are at sticking to and standing by their ideas, their intelligence/competence, and their military/mental strength.