S E L F A W A R E
Vitruvian Man
da Vinci
Humans don't settle for just being.
We have our own specific identity
and we want it to have purpose.
Why do I exist?
What should I do?
How do I fit in?
These are questions requiring reflection -
objective observation of one's own personal
characteristics as well as one's role in society.
Physical sustenance alone is never enough
to sustain the life of the mind.
A G R I C U L T U R E
Farming. Growing crops for future food.
Provide water and protection for the plants.
You understand time as a string of days.
There is a time to plant, time to nurture and
time to harvest. These seasons repeat as a
group into a year. Tracking the paths of star
in the night sky enabled ancient farmers to
calculate where they were in the plant's
life cycle. Observation and simple math
enabled humanity to harvest a surplus,
providing enough food to support the
creation of towns.
E N G I N E E R I N G
Ziggurat of Ur
2100 BC
You need a plan.
What will it look like?
How long will it take?
How many people?
What kind of material is best to use?
What about the weather?
Where's the money?
We will need engineers and mathematicians.
Of course, this all has to be recorded so hire
a good number of scribes.
P O L I T I C S
What a clever species we are.
We organize to get things done.
Someone has to be in charge.
Rulers were made King.
Laws are made to govern behavior.
Disputes arise between societies that
sometimes require the lethal use of force.
Politics involves the acquiring of power
and then its efficient use for governing.
A R T
Venus of Willendorf
About 30,000 years ago someone carved
the woman of their desire. She was a
four inch tall token of sensual form.
Her compact curves fit comfortably in the
palm of one's hand - just small enough
to take with you wherever your group
chanced to wander.
The head is under a basket. Could be
this prehistoric artist figured carving
facial features too difficult. Could be
that art doesn't always follow logic.
F A I T H
Life ever lasting. Heaven awaits those
of faith. It is a sacred story involving
redemption as God had his son crucified
for the sake of cleansing humanity of
their sins.
Stories of faith address questions that have
answers science cannot provide. Like matters
of the spirit, sacred events leave no physical
trance for our detection. Undoubtedly,
much remains beyond the ability of our
current scientific instruments to discover.
But it will still need to be physical to detect.
Organizations promoting spiritual values often
validate human feelings of empathy, as well as
setting standards for decency and fairness.
Love thy neighbor.
What a concept.
* * * * *
© Tom Taylor
OVER EASY
