The crown of creation – grasshoppers and us

The Human – crown of creation – at least that’s how we act. We, the humans. Inhabitants of the earth, and yet we make the earth our servant. One community, one species, and yet we divide ourselves into different classes, rulers and servants – even if we don’t want to believe that in the 21st century.

The Human – the crown of creation – the most intellectual thing on earth, but is he also the smartest? “Logic distinguishes him from the animal, makes him superior.” Has anyone ever looked at the news and asked themselves – which logic?

“Humans are superior to their instincts.” When animals lie on their backs in a fight and show their bellies, the other side shows bite inhibition, following their instincts. Humans kick again – superior to their instincts. But woe betide women who wear clothes that are too short, then the other person is “only following their instincts” and that counts as an excuse – human logic.

Nature, the basis of our existence, and its “wild animals” – the creatures that live sustainably with nature – are consistently pushed back by humans. In biology class at school, we are taught that the number of individuals of a species is naturally kept in balance by resources (water, food), predators or diseases. We humans, however, are of course above these laws – and are flabbergasted when a virus spreads in our overcrowded cities, looking for origins, slander theories… Perhaps it was simply nature, biological law – natural restoration of balance – but of course that can’t be the case, humans are above these rules!

“The plague of grasshoppers in Africa”, we all heard of that. Thousands of brown flying insects attacking fields, leaving trails of devastation in their wake. In biology classes at school we learn that these grasshoppers are actually green and have no wings. They graze peacefully in one place. Only when after a few yeaars they become so many that their long legs rub against each other, they change, suddenly turn brown, get wings and set off to attack new areas as a dreaded plague of grasshoppers and then move on – like armies – leaving trails of devastation behind them. They follow their instincts.

When I look around me at the moment, I see grasshoppers everywhere, hear the rubbing of human legs. The rattling of sabres. I see the gathering of armies, in some places already the trails of devastation. Humans – instinct-driven – not a bit superior to biology, to nature, to their instincts – no trace of logic. Humans, like every other animal, follow the laws of nature – logically. That is the only logic.

The crown of creation?! – I doubt that we are. Eternal? – rather doomed to end. The only thing that is (perhaps) eternal is nature and its laws – and both get along quite well without our “logic”.