While there are people who do not believe in evolution, meaning the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form, the scientific evidence makes it clear that most biological organisms once existed in a much simpler form than they do today. In short, biological entities evolve. Not only does the physical form evolve, but patterns of behavior as well. Dogs, for example, evolved into animals that formed partnerships with humans to gain food and the comfort and warmth of the campfire.
Humans, however, cause me to question whether evolution is always in the direction of making the organism a better fit with its environment.
The evidence that humans might actually be devolving, though unscientific at this point, is compelling.
Let’s look at a recent incident in the chaotic state of Florida, for instance. On July 13, 2023, drone video taken over a beach in Clearwater, Florida, by a company that makes see-through boats and posted to their Facebook page, showed a large number of people, including children, swimming close to and touching a group of manatee that appear to be either playing with each other or mating. One scene shows a manatee charging toward another and nearly hitting a man in the water, causing him to fall backwards. Is this an indication of human intelligence—or a complete lack thereof? Think about it. Manatees can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and they have solid bodies and powerful tails. Even if it wasn’t intending to, if one crashed into a human—especially a child—the result could be fatal. The stupidity of this action notwithstanding, feeding, harassing, harming, molesting, or otherwise jerking around with manatees, which are considered a threatened species under federal and state laws since 2017, is illegal and can lead to fines or jail time.
Our national parks, where wildlife is supposed to be protected and available for people to view (hopefully safely) also provide scenes of the lack of sapience in homo sapiens. On July 17, a tourist in Yellowstone National Park strolled too near grazing bison and was gored. According to news reports, this incident was just one of three in the May to July time frame just in Yellowstone Park. There have also been reports of people touching or otherwise disturbing baby animals causing them to be rejected by their herds and having to be euthanized, or doing otherwise stupid things that put them, their companions, and the animals at risk. All this despite clear signs warning against approaching, feeding, or disturbing the animals.
I could also mention some of the truly astounding things our politicians have done or said of late, but that would run into a book-length essay. Suffice it to say; in terms of intelligent behavior or compassion, many of our fellow humans fall far short of the mark.