What means the most to you in life?

[juju]

Originally posted by wolf
Not to presume to know another's thoughts ... but I think he means "nature" in the sense of "not created by the hand of man".

Yeah, that's what I meant to say. :) I think that's silly.

Originally posted by wolf
Civilization is, as far as we understand it, part of the natural growth of society ... but it isn't "natural."

Why not?

Originally posted by mrnoodle
Point taken. I have to back off, but only a little. I would amend my statement (to the horror of my journalism profs) to say, "Civilization, at its most advanced, tends to isolate humans from those factors which govern non-civilized beings." This leads, in turn, to a desensitization that is DE-evolutionary, in my opinion.

Do you mean evolutionary in the scientific sense of the word, or in the change/progress sense of the word?

Originally posted by mrnoodle
Another point of contention - I think we overestimate our effect on the rest of the world. We certainly try hard enough, but one good plague, seismic event, or climate change could crush our species as surely as any other species. The thing we're best at is endangering our own existence.

If we're so good at endangering our own existence, then how come we've come to inhabit virtually every corner and climate of the world?

Of course there are many potential natural disasters that could be very detrimental to us. But other animals are at the exact same risk.

Anyway, don't think I'm attacking you. I just find the subject interesting. :)