Hubris

A Letter to the Future

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“If you’re reading these words and comprehending their meaning, it’s too late for my premier bit of advice: do not use written language. It’s temptingly beautiful, like a flower with thorns or a venomous invertebrate. But using language, like using thorns or venom, is a short-term proposition. And death can result from a single contact with any of the three.”—Guy McPherson

Going Dark

By Guy McPherson

Message, preferably non-verbal, in a bottle.
Message, preferably non-verbal, in a bottle.

“In pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it is perched.”Paul Ehrlich

Guy McPhersonSAN ANTONIO Belize—(Weekly Hubris)—February 2017—I have a few suggestions, if you’re interested. But first, please accept an apology on behalf of my self-absorbed species. We left a helluva mess. Sorry about that.

The mess is so bad, I’m surprised you’re here. We left a small world in our wake, populated with microbes, bacteria, fungi, and similar, “simple” life forms.

You must’ve brought what you need to survive. Maybe it’s several million turns around the sun after the year we called 2018. Probably you’re self-reliant and way late to our little extinction party.

Earth’s final civilization turned out great for a few people. Hot showers and bacon were the highlights for many of us. In retrospect, destroying our only home for a few bucks and a BLT wasn’t the swiftest plan we could’ve developed. To the “credit” of our species, most people were too ignorant and too stupid to evaluate evidence, so perhaps only the small minority of us sounding the alarm are to blame.

Anyway, back to that unsolicited advice. I have little to say and I’m hardly a reliable source. After all, my species went extinct at a young age. I predicted and documented our fall, but I didn’t prevent it. Too late, I realized the untoward behavior of the civilized members of my species could not be swayed by rational thinking.

If you’re reading these words and comprehending their meaning, it’s too late for my premier bit of advice: do not use written language. It’s temptingly beautiful, like a flower with thorns or a venomous invertebrate. But using language, like using thorns or venom, is a short-term proposition. And death can result from a single contact with any of the three.

If you come across anything flammable, run away. Somebody in your group is bound to harness the fire, at least for a while. Shortly thereafter, you’ll all discover fire cannot be harnessed for long. This white-hot lesson will come after the exam.

Language and fire are the two major forces leading to destruction of habitat. Without them, you’ll last long. With them, you’ll soon be gone. I suspect my warning is too late for either of the two.

Beyond language and fire, recognize that there are a few other factors that can contribute to your early demise. Civilization comes immediately to mind and, as with language and fire, I suspect I’m too late. Civilization is nearly as tempting as language and fire.

Civilization, to be brief, means storing food. Once the food is stored, it’s easy to keep from some people. So it’s locked up and ultimately assigned monetary value. A few blinks of the eyes later, you’re all dead.

Contrary to one of the overriding messages of civilization, there are no others. If you contemplate idolizing, worshiping, insulting, or attacking others, throw yourself into a volcano before the idea catches on. The others you believe you see are, in fact, the various forms of you. Treat them—and by them, I mean yourself—as you’d treat yourself, not like you treat the pocket knife you borrowed from your cousin. Treat them with dignity, respect, and love.

Remember that everybody dies and that all species go extinct. See. Smell. Taste. Listen. Touch. Breathe. Learn. You want more? Really? To what end, beyond a quick and violent end?

Like every living being, you have needs. Unlike many living beings, you also have desires that you are able to recognize. Learn to distinguish the needs from the wants and focus on securing the former. If you don’t obsess about your desires, you’ll be happier. And the beings that aren’t plagued with desires—the reflections of yourself—will persist a while longer. So will you and those you care about.

Care more than you believe is possible. Wear your proverbial heart on your proverbial sleeve. Let it get smashed. Love, and suffer as a result. Trust me: it’s all worth it. The going up is worth the coming down. The pain of living—really living, not merely making a living—is occasionally rewarded by joy.

I doubt you can find joy. If you’re lucky and attentive, it might find you.

If joy finds you, revel. Embrace the moment. Remember it. You might even jot down a note. If ever you stumble across the opportunity to create the conditions that brought you joy, seize the moment on behalf of someone else. After all, that someone else is really another form of you, longing for a moment of joy to relieve his or her suffering. If you are given the rare privilege of creating joy for another, and you don’t pursue it, please take advantage of that volcano mentioned above.

Finally, remember this: moments matter. They’re all you’ll ever have. They are gifts of enormous magnitude. Be grateful. Make them count.

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Dr. Guy McPherson is an internationally recognized speaker, award-winning scientist, and one of the world’s leading authorities on abrupt climate change leading to near-term human extinction. He is professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, where he taught and conducted research for 20 years. His published works include 16 books and hundreds of scholarly articles. Dr. McPherson has been featured on television and radio and in several documentary films. He is a blogger and social critic who co-hosts his own radio show, “Nature Bats Last.” Dr. McPherson speaks to general audiences across the globe, and to scientists, students, educators, and not-for-profit and business leaders who seek their best available options when confronting Earth’s cataclysmic changes. Visit McPherson’s Author Page at amazon.com. (Author Head Shot Augment: René Laanen.)

12 Comments

  • Anita Sullivan

    Thanks so much for this, Guy! I believe that joy in life, which should be spontaneous, has become a skill we need to teach each other. If joy were a goal (but first we have to know what it is), we would be unable to make ourselves and our planet so miserable.

  • Stephanie

    Thanks for continuing your blogs & education. Figured once you tasted Mexico, last thing on your mind would be us sorry ass Amerikans. Especially now.

    Guy don’t know whether to envy you or hate ya for having the courage to get the heck out of Dodge (the US) & passionately pursue a life of excellence. Am reminding myself of this as often as I can in efforts to appreciate the moments.

    Thanks for opening my eyes & staying true to yourself. Long may you run.

  • Guy McPherson

    Thank you, Anita and Stephanie, for your affirmative comments. I live in Belize, not Mexico. It’s a move I’ve had in mind for more than a decade. It’s uncomfortable and it’s awesome.

  • Gary Richards

    Guy,

    This letter brought tears to my eyes. I am a parent of 4 children and a grandfather of 3. None of them shall grow old as I and as I read your letter that thought swam in and out of my mind. Your predictions are all coming to pass as we approach our final days and I want you to know how much I appreciate all you have done to prepare so many for the end of our time on this small planet. Thank you for teaching us how to live a life of excellence and most importantly, to treat others as we would like to be treated.
    Peace be with you guy,
    Gary Richards

  • Tim

    How are you treated in Belize? Worried about police? Drug lords? Do you feel Belize will be less chaotic than the USA once everyone realizes we are on the Titanic? Where are your fellow Scientists that surely see this coming? Denial??

  • Guy McPherson

    Thank you for posting your supportive comment, Kevin.

    Tim, I don’t worry. I done hope and I don’t fear. Belize has been good to me, much better than the U.S. deep state. No mainstream scientist could agree with me in public and remain supported in his or her job. I suspect that’s why they are hiding in plain sight: They live in fear.

  • William Harris

    Words have use but words also are responsible for much misunderstanding of the topic. Remember all those philosophical conversations that ended with an argument about the key word. A richer life exists beyond words.