Dwarfed by the universe and an unexplored planet primitive men felt insignificant, a feeling aggravated by men’s inability to control nature and the violence of their fellows forces symbolized by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. To deal with his helplessness, man turned to magic, science and religion. Magic couldn’t deliver consistent results and had a dark side: black magic. Science increased man’s ability to cope with the physical universe (for some the only way to apprehend the mind of God) but scientific knowledge humbles men. Religions whose god is interested in individual welfare provide reassurance but even many of the faithful find this proposition unsupportable. That self-importance concerns people other than philosophers and theologians is the result of technologies that release men from the struggle for survival and enable men to outlive their hormone driven years.

Our significance depends on the impact our choices have on the physical and cultural heritage we leave to our posterity. We must choose the things that nurture us, not passively accept the things manipulative people offer us that nurture them. Consider the arts.

Creative people find little significance in repeating the works of the past. The accumulation of such work compels artists to find new ways to express an ancient aesthetic. Many things currently offered as art, music and literature are feeble attempts and owe their existence to the symbiotic relationship between artist and critic, fail to delight the audience or inspire admiration of the artist. Ignore the critics.

If personal limitations leave us unable to perform at the cutting edge of human progress, significance may be gained from others’ appreciation for services we have rendered, opportunities available in the helping professions. Those opportunities disappear when the professions are forced to adopt the business model.

Economic systems should not override man’s search for significance or his responsibility for the planet.

 

John E. Gibson 

Owatonna