humans, like all other living beings, are a product of four billion years of evolutionary processes. we have been shaped and pounded by the rhythms of our planet's geology and climate as well by the continual interplay among biological organisms. you exist because eons of your ancestors, from bacteria to primates, struggled and reproduced successfully. the genes that reside in each and every one of us are the ones that helped our ancestors not only to survive, but to out-reproduce their competitors. and as improbable as it might seem, you are here through the success of billions and billions of generations.
every living species on the planet--from cabbages to whales--has gone through this process, and evolved to fit a particular niche. our human niche just happens to have emphasized brains over brawn, which has given us language, creativity, curiosity, and the most complicated social system of any species. however, our incredibly powerful brain is locked in a continual battle between reason and ancestral fears. this conflict helps us understand why religion has held such a grip on humanity and why reason must still fight to be heard... // elizabeth cornwell, j. anderson thomson, 01.19.09, suicidegirls
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