Do You Realize?

by Kevin A. Kuhn

The man looked into George’s eyes. “Okay, dude, wake up. You just need to know that love is the most precious thing in the universe, and it’s the only thing that matters. It’s more than just evolutionary programming. Do you realize that love is a natural painkiller? Do you realize that when two people in love stare into each other’s eyes, their heart rates synchronize? And men who kiss their wives in the morning can live up to five years longer than those who don’t? And that people’s blood pressure is lowest when they’re with their lovers? And most people, when questioned at the end of their life about happiness and fulfillment, state that love is the only thing that mattered? And man, if you feel like you’re letting go even a tiny bit of it, you ought to think about it. Friend, my advice is to spend a little more time thinking, wondering, and appreciating and a little less time worrying and stressing.”

“Actually, you’re wrong. There is documented, scientific evidence that worldwide violence has been decreasing since 10,000 BC. There has been a continuous decline in war, murders, and other violent crimes. And even slavery has been nearly eliminated. Do you realize you are living in the most peaceful period in the existence of our species?” “I have a hard time believing that,” George said.

“It’s true! Check the facts. Take murders: in the Middle Ages there were about a hundred murders for every hundred thousand people per year, while today some European countries have about one murder for every hundred thousand people per year. Overall, murder rates have dropped by about one hundred times from the Middle Ages to today,” Shiloh said. “I don’t know how anyone could know how many murders there were during the Middle Ages. Where did you find this, some random page on the Internet?” asked George, glancing out the window. “No, I read a book by Steven Pinker, called The Better Angels or something like that. He’s credible; look it up. And despite the fact that people think war violence is increasing, there has been a ninety percent reduction in war-related deaths since World War II.” “All right, Shiloh, for the sake of argument, I’m going to assume you are correct, and if so, that’s pretty surprising,” George conceded. “Good. Now, are you concerned about carbon?” Shiloh asked.

Again George felt he was being set up, but he forged ahead. “Yeah, I’m concerned. We’re pumping more and more of it into the atmosphere and it’s destroying the environment and overheating the planet.” “You do realize they’re talking about carbon dioxide, not carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a noxious, poisonous gas, but carbon dioxide is the elixir of life. It’s the one element that all life on Earth is based on. It’s what every plant on the planet needs for life, and what they need to produce our oxygen. Scientific evidence suggests that the increase in carbon over the past forty years has led to a ‘greening’ of the planet.” Shiloh was on a roll. The conductor walked by, checking passengers, and George and Shiloh flashed their monthly passes. As George watched the conductor punching tickets, the process designer in h...

is pretty good evidence that it has some impact on global atmospheric and oceanic temperatures. However, it’s difficult to understand exactly what is the impact...

I’m just saying that most of the planet lets their lives be driven primarily by fear.

“Also, do you realize that life expectancy has more than doubled in the last one hundred and fifty years? Or that poverty levels have dropped dramatically? A century and a half ago, seventy-five

five percent of the world population lived in extreme poverty. Now that number is under fifteen percent. And developing regions realized a forty-two percent reduction in the number of undernourished people in the last twenty-five years. There’s still an incredible amount of work to do, but do these facts line up with your worldview, George?”

“It’s about attention, money, and power. In these modern times, what’s the easiest way for people in power to control the masses? If one party is losing control, what’s the simplest way to regain their power? It’s fear. It’s the easy way out; it’s the lowest common denominator. How does a country convince its populace to go to war? It’s through terror. Everyone has to stop letting their lives be managed by fear. You, George, you have to stop letting your life be

led

by fear and worry. Do you realize that you’re fifteen times more likely to be killed by falling coconuts than by a shark? Everyone is worried about home invasions, sharks, and hurricanes. You know what they should be worried about, George?” Shiloh only paused for an instant. “Car accidents, television, and junk food, that’s what they should be worried about. But those are...

It’s just the laziness of governing and driving change by fear that pisses me off. Trust me, good governance is essential for our civilization. We need our government, our legal system, and our public-safety organizations.”

Shiloh leaned forward again. “Sins and immorality create ethics, social mores, customs, and beliefs. Revolutions create constitutions and governance. Wars create treaties, accords, and alliances. We would never have the belief systems, the democracy, or the peace we enjoy today without humankind’s history of violence. George, the murders and crimes you read about every day help advance our laws and law enforcement. Even frivolous or dishonest lawsuits create sophistication and flexibility in our laws. It’s taking too long, but it’s necessary. Do you understand?”

You need to let go of your fears. Fear should be an advisor whose counsel is weighed carefully, not a leader whose commands are followed blindly.”

“No, seriously, there has been an incredible amount of scientific research on the effects of positivity on the brain. It shows that positivity has a scientifically measurable impact on the hormonal, cardiovascular, and immune systems. It actually has a role in increasing hormones like oxytocin, which leads to many positive health impacts such as lowering blood pressure and the ability to handle stress.”

“Because technology is already advancing too fast, and we need our humanity to keep pace. And, more importantly, we need to learn from our mistakes. We can’t learn from our mistakes without great historians and teachers. People have lost touch with our past, which is a huge problem. It’s essential that we learn from our history. The saying is right: those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana, the Spanish philosopher, said that way back in 1905. One hundred and nine years later, we still don’t get it.”

Think of all the world-altering technologies just on the edge of major breakthroughs: technologies like fusion reactors, quantum computers, artificial intelligence, and 3-D printers. Significant advances in any one of these spaces have the potential to disrupt every aspect of our lives.”