Are We the Joker Species?

Our prefrontal cortex sets us apart from every other species. We can invent, create, solve complex problems, tell stories, imagine the future, regulate our emotions, control our impulses and think about the consequences of our actions. No other mammal comes close.

 

So here's the question...

 

What on earth makes us so stupid?

 

I don't think it's because we lack intelligence. Quite the opposite. I think it's because we so often use extraordinary intelligence in the service of remarkably poor judgement. We know what's good for us, we know what's bad for us, and yet we repeatedly choose the option that delivers immediate gratification over long-term wellbeing—for ourselves and, increasingly, for the planet.

Need an example?
Vapes.
Yes... vapes.

 

For decades we've known that inhaling toxic chemicals into our lungs is a terrible idea. We've invested billions helping people stop smoking. At the same time, we've become increasingly aware that plastics are choking our oceans and littering our countryside.

So what do we do?

 

We invent a brightly coloured, flavoured, disposable plastic device that delivers addictive chemicals straight into our lungs.
Genius.

Not only that, we market it in ways that make it particularly attractive to one of the most vulnerable groups in society—our children.

 

If someone had written that storyline as satire twenty years ago, we'd probably have dismissed it as being too far-fetched.

 

And vaping is just one example.

 

We produce enough food to feed everyone on the planet while millions still go hungry.

 

We build technology to save time, then complain we never have any.

 

We know loneliness damages health, yet we design lives that leave many people isolated.

 

We understand the importance of sleep, movement and human connection, then proudly sacrifice all three in the pursuit of productivity.

 

The list is endless.

 

Perhaps this is simply the human condition. We're brilliant at inventing solutions and equally brilliant at creating entirely new problems to solve.

 

Maybe that's why I think we're the joker species.

 

So I'm curious...

 

If aliens were observing us, what do you think they would conclude is the most baffling example of human behaviour?

 

I'd genuinely love to know.