Do you think mankind is doomed?

1. 83

   Ella Quirkposted 12 years ago

   Do you think mankind is doomed?
   
   With all the potential hazards and doomsday predictions facing mankind - climate change, over population etc, do you think we will sort it out and make it safely into the 22nd century and beyond? Are you an optimist or a pessimist when it comes to humanity?

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2. 81

   kwade tweelingposted 12 years ago

   I think, perhaps foolishly, quite the opposite.
   
   While we have a high level of pessimism and cruelty, we also have more and more people opening up to new ways of thinking and caring.
   
   For lack of a better term, I feel we are in a state of evolving to a new way of treating each other and ourselves. We do have some growing pains to go through and some difficulties along the way, but I feel the human race will come out better than before as we go.
   
   I like to think of myself as a pessimistic optimist. I see things in a very bad light, but I have hope and see change for the better on the horizon.

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3. 74

   Gareth Pritchardposted 12 years ago

   Well everything is doomed, including us, the triumph of death is inevitable, no question, the only real question is how, will it be at our own hand or fate, that's the real question, I think.
   
   For 125,000 years we have built and destroyed but never seem to get past the one fatal flaw of ownership, when we can never really and truly own anything because we are doomed to the triumph of death, all of us and everything comes to an end.
   
   The only conciliation is the end of one thing is the beginning of something else.
   
   So everything is doomed in its present form regardless.

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4. 72

   lone77starposted 12 years ago

   The end of the world may come, but hope remains. Mayan prediction for 2012? Life will continue long past 2012, but there is a caveat in this pudding. read more

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5. 70

   stanwshuraposted 12 years ago

   Yes.  Everything that lives must eventually must die, for as we have beginnings and ends, life and death that occurs at micro-levels many millions (to whatever exponent you fancy) of times during our biological viability (as this composite of systems that govern the entire animal - the entire LIVING kingdom.
   
   The de facto and functional definition of life is change.  Change is action, movement - metamorphosis.
   
   The rest is a matter of statistics.  We change and change and change, and eventually, among the *infinite* combinations position and physicality (and physics) we hit upon a combination that is not conducive to our individual system's living on, and thus the biological system we are as individual people, breaks down. 
   
   Our system, and the sentience we have enjoyed with it, are no more.  It is our turn to serve within a living and cosmic scale trillions squared (and then squared again) times bigger than we are.  As bacteria and carbon-based systems and cycles happened to serve us well, so too must we take that role in the universe's circle of life.
   
   That, or Newton ("matter is neither created nor destoyed") was...um...er...*dead* wrong.

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6. 85

   Billrrrrposted 12 years ago

   People are but another step in the evolutionary ladder, soon to be replaced by an animal much more human and humane.  The leap is coming.
   
   Soon in cosmic terms, may be fifty or a hundred million years or more.
   
   The question really is whether the new species evolves from what we call 'humans' or from another species, as yet unknown.

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7. 60

   Ana Teixeiraposted 12 years ago

   humanity isnt doomed.. yet. we already have what we need to solve most of our problems.. but powerful people choose not to. we need to put our foot down and demand it. We need to reconnect with our origins and what really matters. But we still have a good chance

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8. 53

   whonunuwhoposted 12 years ago

   It is too easy to be a pessimist and sometimes when everything seems to be going down hill. our frustration seems to win out over our being positive, or optimistic. As a student of history, the old saying that history repeats itself, seems to hold true. The way that I see it, we have to take the good with the bad and keep right on trying harder to overcome our weaknesses, With all of the doomsday propaganda these days, we should try to realize that there have been many other prophesies very much like the most recent, yet nothing serious came about. Y2-K is a good example and how we were all going to be in the dark and without communication. It never happened! People tend to panic when so much negativeness is on the net and television. Disaster, violence, and extreme scenarios, sell a lot of tickets and make a few who take advantage of human weaknesses very rich. Some are getting wealthy in building underground bunkers, yet all of us have to come out and face the music, at some point in time.It takes only a few good men, women and kids to set the example for the many and go on into the lives that we have and try to make the most of what we have. Winston Churchill said it best when he told his fellow British people who were under attack in WWII, to never give up, and that is exactly what we should do, no matter how grave a situation really is. I believe that the worst  thing that can happen in 2012 is that people panic and cause further harm because of the fear factor alone. I don't think there will be a doomsday occurrence during this time at all! There are just too many great things for us to explore and invent in our future, which is ever so bright!

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9. 69

   connorjposted 12 years ago

   Absolutely not; Mankind will survive. Yet there will be catastrophic change over time; and as individuals or communities it will not necessarily be an "easy-road". "Life" will include struggles, pain and sadness; that is difficult to avoid  (completely) yet it can be minimized. Thought processes, selfishness, prejudgments, politcal issues, national aggression, etc. will create challenges to our survival; yet because (thanks to evolution), we possess the most amazingly brilliant and relatively "little-thing" in the known Universe I would not worry about Mankind. Our central nervous system is our saving grace.

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10. 0

    mcals71posted 12 years ago

    Yesterday I was watching the movie, "Augustus" with Peter O'Toole, and even though I'm very familiar with ancient Roman history, because I studied it ad nauseam, I was still impacted by the reality that nothing much has really changed in 2,000 years. Back then people were concerned about the economy and infrastructure, and politics were much the same way as they are today. Not much has changed in 2,000 years, except for the fact that we dress differently, and use cars, instead of horses. If we keep moving at this pace, I don't see much change happening within the next 2,000 years. What slows us down so much? Constant disagreement over what to do and what not do do, wars, greed, self interest, you name it. For me that's a sign of doom. We could be so much more advanced than we are today as a species if we hadn't allowed all these bad things to stand in the way of progress. Lets just hope that we don't become bait for some belligerent civilization from outer space, once they begin to realize the depth of our many weaknesses, as the National Geographic documentary, "Aliens Attack" suggests. It's a possibility raised by Reagan when he spoke to the United Nations, while he was President of the U.S.

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11. 37

    edhanposted 12 years ago

    We human beings created those potential hazards as you had mentioned. It is now up to us again to know and decide our fate in future.
    
    If we do not attempt to reduce the effects that we had caused, then it will lead to the our end of the world eventually as the earth's resources are being drained.

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12. 61

    SarahandSophiaposted 12 years ago

    If man does not let go of his greed and need to control the environment, mankind will be doomed. Not with a 2012 apocalypse. If mankind continues to ruin the vegetation, land masses, oceans with pollution and chemicals the human race will decline because there is no food, water or oxygen.

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13. 61

    roelfinaposted 12 years ago

    Let us occupy our minds to prevent mankind to be doomed.  One counts - so let start with ourselves and try to protect this earh by  Preserving our world by developing our spiritual feelings and life experiences - rather than overrulling  our spiritual feelings by our concentration on our intellectual thoughts without feelings and life experiences.

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14. 60

    tom hellertposted 12 years ago

    Any culture that ignores history is doomed to repeat it so yes we are doomed.

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15. 60

    sabujohn03posted 12 years ago

    I am an optimist.
    My principle is forget about the past, do not worry about the future and live in the present. However every one should realize that what ever happens tomorrow is the result of what we do today. Let us not harm the environment and the ecosystem.

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16. 81

    coffeegginmyriceposted 12 years ago

    If people in the whole world continue to give up fixing things, that is the path we will all be travelling...the END of MANKIND. We will just have to think of Plan B to get us prepared, if ever.

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17. 60

    Strenoposted 12 years ago

    I'm optimistic but the world has to end someday. Nowadays we have the technology to change many things, but it cant change what was meant to be.

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18. 70

    Darrell Robertsposted 12 years ago

    I think that with more humans trying to preserve the earth things will get better.  I do not forsee mankind destroying themselves in the near future. However, if we are not careful with the nuclear wepons and other weapons of mass destruction then I think we weill harm a great portion of humanity and create a hellish planet.
    
    In the long run, the planet will die once the sun blows up, according to our scientists.  I think if humankind finds a way to populate other planets in other solar systems by then, humankind may even out live that event.
    
    Best wishes.

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19. 72

    Ciel Clarkposted 12 years ago

    I am an optimist.  Even though I know I will die, I am optimistic because it is very cool to be alive and I just want to try to make the most of it. 
    
    Of course there will be change, good bad bizarre, but that has always happened and always will.  I would truly love to see what will happen a thousand years (+) in the future, but of course we can't know that yet.
    
    Eventually (as one person answered) the sun will burn out and that will be it--  we will all be long gone by then, but we have the right now. 
    
    Be here now, try to make things better, even one person can make a difference.  And happy travels.

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20. 61

    Unleashed Freedomposted 12 years ago

    does it matter? well, personally it will to each of us, that we and our family and friends are well and safe. but does it matter on a larger scale? according to me it does not. there have been many ( scientists are not sure how many as yet ) mass extinctions, and more life forms have died out. dino's everyone is aware cause of the PR that Spielberg did for them, but there was the cambrian mass extinction.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambrian%E … tion_event
    and another -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-Ediacaran_extinction happened quite 'close' to it. so does this one matter from the earths point of view? nope.

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21. 81

    procreate-lightposted 12 years ago

    I believe that mankind as a collective is doomed.  At least in it's current reality. However I interpret "doomed" as an ending and a beginning.
    
    Humanity, as individuals and as a group of evolved collective souls will not be doomed at all. The earth is simply on the edge of a new golden age that will transform the lives of those who reside on her.  Those souls which have evolved and have attained a high enough level of spiritual growth will enter into a new age.  Those who haven't will be gone.
    Each individual has had and continues to have the opportunity to turn away from negative and evil thoughts and actions to the light.  To follow the doctrine of the Golden Rule.  Virtually every religion has it's own version of treating other people the way we would want to be treated, to love them as you love yourself, and to strive to be of service to others. The messenger in each may be different, but the message itself is pretty common. Love each other, and take care of the planet.
    They all predict of a time for judgement, and that time in my opinion is fast approaching.
    
    Good will triumph over evil, and I believe God's will shall be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Perhaps a better question would be, will "you" as an individual be doomed?  We all have the gift of free will, and we all have an internal compass of right and wrong, truth and honesty vs lies and deceit, greed vs sharing, love vs hate.  What path will each person choose and strive for?
    
    In the end those who are ready will move on, and those who aren't.....well, I guess they'll be doomed.

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