war and evolution

War is one of the most common and enduring themes in human history, and despite centuries of attempts to end it, we are still plagued by conflict today. Is there any hope that we will ever see an end to war, or is war an inevitable part of human nature?

There are many theories as to why wars occur – some people argue that wars are inevitable, the result of legitimate security concerns. However, others believe that war is the result of human nature, and that we are naturally inclined towards aggression.

The truth is, there is no single answer to this question. It is possible that we will see an end to war one day, but it is also possible that war will always be a part of human life. What we can say for sure is that wars will continue to occur as long as there are people in the world who are willing to fight them.

Think about the last time someone cut in front of you in line at the post office. Or that guy at work who disparages you, to his advantage. Or that time your friend borrowed something valuable, and never brought it back.

At heart, humans are competitive beings. We seek to get ahead of others and we fear losing out to them. This can lead us to engage in conflict – whether as casual “microaggressions” against those around us or full-blown battles on a massive scale.

In fact, the existence of war can be traced back thousands of years to our earliest human ancestors. Even though there have been countless attempts over the centuries to end war – including today’s global peace movements – it still continues to plague our society.

But is war inevitable? Or will we ever see an end to it? The truth is that there is no single cause to war — other than the basic, evolutionary nature of the human species. After all, humans are not the only animals that engage in conflict – even ants and bees wage war against each other.

Red State versus Blue State; Shiite versus Sunni. These conflicts do not seem to make any sense, they seem to be fights over nothing. There is something deep in the human psyche that demands that we fight. So to answer the question as to whether wars will ever end, we need to ask: Is it possible to change human nature itself?

Human nature is the result of millions of years of evolutionary development. And while we have evolved in many ways since the days of our earliest ancestors, some aspects of human nature remain the same. This includes our basic instinct for self-preservation and our tendency to compete with others.

As long as these instincts exist, there will always be a potential for war. However, that does not mean that war is inevitable – after all, we have also evolved to develop empathy and cooperation. It is possible that, as we continue to evolve, we will eventually find a way to overcome our aggressive tendencies and live in peace.

Only time will tell whether we will ever see an end to war. In the meantime, all we can do is continue to work towards peace and hope that one day, our efforts will finally succeed.

So, while it’s possible that we may one day see an end to war, it’s also possible that it will always be a part of human life.

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Article by Audere Magazine. Image by Pexels