My Final Humanities Blog Post

        The evolution of the left brain was a revolutionary change that changed the human experience more than any other event in  human history. As we read in Shlain, the left brain allows us to use logic and rational thought. The left brain makes rational logical thought a reality. It is the source of our ability to suspend emotion in favor of logic, a trait unique to humans, as well as the organ that allows us to communicate effectively in complex forms of language. Spoken language requires the cooperation of both sides of the brain in order to function to its fullest capacity, as we learned in Abrahms’ The Spell of the Sensuous. The left brain interprets the mouth movements in conjunction with the sounds which reach the ear, while the right brain simultaneously translates much more subtle signals that are revealed in the other person’(s) tone, expression, and body language. With the valuable information supplied by the right brain, we can more accurately gauge the reaction to our words and adjust accordingly. This is an intrinsic part of entertaining storytelling. As such, stories lose much of their meaning when they are read or heard without being seen. When stories are read, only the left brain is engaged. There are no non-verbal signals to interpret, only the mechanical nature of written language, depriving us of  more immersive experience. If we are able to hear the story read aloud, as we did with the excerpt from David Sedaris’ work, we may understand the meaning better through the reader’s tone and inflection. However, neither of these can match the immersive, engaging experience of observing an animated storyteller while he or she relates some tale.

        Whether we admit it or not, all humans are intrinsically linked to nature. At some point in every culture’s history, its people express a deep connection to the natural world.  In more “primitive” cultures, such as that of Native Americans, individuals are encouraged to respect nature from birth through their creation myth. In most Native American tribes, the creation myth very often features animals that wield god-like powers, and these animals are often portrayed as the creators of human life. In other stories, the animals enable the humans to survive, such as the story of the heavenly women who fell to Earth. One of the birds brought sediment from the ocean bottom to form land on the back of a giant turtle’s shell to save the women from drowning. However, in many of the “more civilized” cultures of the world, the creation myth suggests, whether explicitly or through implication, that humans are superior to animals. A good example of this is found in some interpretations of Genesis. In this creation story, it states that God created man before all the animals, and gave him dominion over all of nature.

        As a result of these opposing viewpoints, significant differences between the behavior of the cultures are evident. Native Americans show great reverence and respect for every part of the natural world, from the smallest organism to the largest. They base their entire lives around living in harmony with nature. In contrast, many western civilizations show little to no regard for Mother Nature. Environments are destroyed with impunity, and animals are hunted to extinction without a hint of scruple. 

        A culture’s creation beliefs also affect the definition of a sacred space. For example, the Australian Aborigines believe that all land untainted by industry is sacred because during the Dreamtime, their gods walked throughout the land, forming the topography and seeding life. Every topographical feature is the direct result of manipulation by gods, which makes all the earth sacred. In western culture, sacred spaces are most often artificial structures, constructed by mortal hands and often completely unrelated to any direct act by their deity. Practitioners must travel to that one arbitrary location in order to worship fully, which limits the appeal of that sacred space.

    Sacred spaces do not necessarily have to have any religious significance.  In Grizzly Man, Timothy Treadwell flees the civilized world in search of serenity and solitude. He discovers “his” island, as well as the bears that inhabit it. He instantly recognizes this sanctuary to be a sacred  place, free from the harmful influences of man and his machines. His time with the bears gives Timothy a level of clarity that allows him to think about his existence. He realizes that he must protect this sacred space from any who would seek to defile it, and dedicates the remainder of his life to this goal.

    The ability to understand the abstract idea of beauty is another trait found in no other species other than humans. No two individuals or cultures share the exact same definition of beauty. In older cultures, beauty often meant simply whatever features were most useful. For example, Nigel Speevey explains that while the Woman of Willendorf appears to be an incredibly crude interpretation of a woman, each feature was designed for a specific purpose. Desirable traits, such as large hips and large breasts, were emphasized due to the great importance of child-bearing in that era and culture. Her genitalia was also exaggerated to suggest fertility. However, other features, such as arms, lower legs, and facial features were minimized because they had no bearing on a woman’s primary use: reproduction.

    Throughout history, philosophers have expressed a plethora of opinions on beauty itself, as well as its relationship to love. Plato believed that love was nothing more than the desire to possess something beautiful.  Even the love a parent has for his or her child is the desire to possess something beautiful: a kind of immortality through the continuation of one’s bloodline. In the every love poem that we read, such as Song of Songs, there are no more than a few lines without mention of beauty. It is the catalyst for all real love, and holds a great fascination and preoccupation for humans.

    Unfortunately, many individuals use their beauty for darker purposes, as seen in The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde. Dorian uses his surpassing to beauty and charm to live a life inundated with  carnal pleasure. Whenever a problem arose, others would forgive him for no other reason other than his unchanging beauty. Dorian even managed to talk his way out of murder, using his looks to his advantage and overwhelming lesser persons. However, despite the ease in which he could bed anyone he chose, Dorian never truly found love, and was driven mad by guilt over his crimes. He does not have the courage to confess his crimes, and when he stabs his portrait in a fit of rage, he inadvertently kills himself. 

    In contrast to Dorian, Meursault, the protagonist of Albert Camus’ L’étranger, makes no attempt to weasel his way  out of iron grip of the law. He does not deny his crimes, and instead of struggling fruitlessly, he uses the many days of his incarceration to reflect on his past, as well as life in general. When his time comes, he is far better prepared to die than Dorian. Meursault accepts his sentence with composure and resigns himself to fate, knowing that the laws which had convicted him were just and fair.

    Although he would have denied this vehemently, his convictions about murder were in agreement with the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were given to Moses to give the Israelites a foundation upon which to base their legal and ethical codes. These values were continued by Christians, and by extension, the laws of our great nation. The commandments are clear, concise, and apply to just about every situation and time period, a fact which led to their adoption into our laws. Even though some commandments were not signed into law, they did become the basis of the ethical code that most people follow currently. Interestingly, there are a great many similarities between the eight-fold path of Buddhism and the commandments. For example, both forbid murder, adultery, and greed. These points are simply written in a different manner in the eight-fold path.

    Humans have and always will struggle to  understand why certain things happen to them. Every culture created its own stories to help explain these phenomena. These stories  often feature unwilling heroes reluctantly  embark upon an adventure that changes them into a completely different person. Interestingly, Joseph Campbell discovered that these stories are ubiquitous across nearly every culture. In addition, each of those myriad stories follows the same general path, which he dubbed “The Hero’s Journey,” or monomyth.  The hero starts in the real world, but is called or sent to somewhere unfamiliar to them. They face challenges, and eventually fall to the lowest level (the Abyss), which may be a mental or physical condition. There they experience a sort of death and rebirth. Eventually, they emerge and are transformed into a different being and return home.

    Every human being undergoes this journey, although they are rarely so  exciting. Instead, they happen subtly, making small changes within our psyches that eventually manifest themselves and cause visible change in behavior and outlook. Without this journey, we would be doomed to make mistakes without the hope of learning a lesson from them.