Why are we given the capacity to appreciate the situations we are put in? I've had a brain haemorrhage, and that would be no big deal if I didn't have the capacity to care about it.
I'm just sad at the moment, it isn't constructive, and there's nothing to be done. It's happened and it's nobody's fault.
Just trying to wrap my head around that one at the moment.
This is one of my pet subjects..............the fact that humans are over-evolved.
I can't believe it is anything other than nature's biggest f#ck-up that we have evolved to the point where we're aware of our own mortality, rather than still swinging happily and ignorantly among the branches.
Evolution should have ceased at that point or wiped out the whole population before the homosapien brain expanded, resulting in fearful, depressive mortals with awareness of their own mortality ! 
Can't say I'm much of an evolutionist, but I get what you mean.
Sorry Ben ; didn't occur to me that you might be a 'believer' ......hope you're not offended. x
I'm not really leaning one way or the other, I just see too many contradictions in evolution.
None taken!
What contradictions ?
I can't see how conciousness can exist if we evolved.
Conciousness does some great things; we make great works of art, we love selectively, we do things for others at purely personal cost, and there is no point in any of these things in a practical sense.
Hospitals certainly wouldn't exist, what's the evolutionary point of keeping sick people alive? That's not allowing natural selection do its job.
We also kill people out of jealousy, or personal beliefs, not out of some primal instinct to survive.
All creatures have consciousness but my belief is that 'man' evolved from a crude, ignorant being, developing skills and knowledge until his brain reached that level of sophistication which permits SELF consciousness.
For me the alternative is implausible, but it's probably prudent to draw a line here in respect for others who have religious beliefs.
Hope you're feeling a little more upbeat today Ben. xx
I guess that's where we split, I don't believe all creatures are concious (I don't think dogs are "aware" of anything, they just go about just generally being a dog), and we attribute certain cues from them that make us believe they are concious (he's licking me, HE LOVES ME)
I am 
I think we're actually in agreement Ben. I meant that although all creatures have consciousness, only humans have SELF consciousness which is why we experience such emotions as jealousy, vanity, fear etc................and are able to practice creativity.
I believe that animals can sense impending danger, but rely on instinct and senses to survive. Only humans have the intelligence to appreciate the nature of any malaise and its implications, and that intelligence is why we have progress of all kinds. But the side effect is the awareness of our own mortality.........bit of a conundrum, and a bummer !!
I don't think that animals have conciousness at all going by the very definition of the word.
Either way, I don't think we are progress, and I don't mean that in a bad way, I just mean it in evolutionary terms.
My post flew off before I'd finished it ; edited now !
Progress that we make now is only measured by a concious mind, without it, we wouldn't care about who can find the tiniest matter in the world, or how to make the most delicious form of spaghetti carbonara. These are both interesting and can only be appreciated by a our awareness. In evolutionary terms, they serve no purpose, but I don't want to live in a world without carbonara, so I'm pleased that it's this way.
I guess to take advantage of "Knowledge is Power". If you know you're broke, then you are at least pointed in the right direction to fix it, work round it, stop it getting worse, or help others to understand.
I guess it's also the flip side of having the capacity to know and care about being ALIVE - a variant of "'Tis better to have loved and lost than ne'er have loved at all".
I guess I take the opposite view to cat ... we're under-evolved to deal with our awareness. Or simply haven't found (at least as individuals) the mental tools to deal with it in a non-nihilistic way.
Sorry to hear you in bad place I understand what you saying I find myself there a lot
I can't think anything more to say
Virtual hugs
Emma x
Virtual hugs will do me fine!
My husband has been left severely brain damaged after a fall. 3 years ago come Christmas. Our life changed forever. My sadness for him and me, that he is no longer who he once was is beyond words. But on a good day he knows who I am and may say a phrase that will make me smile. I try not to look back and remember he often said God laugh at people that make plans. I take one day at a time now.
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