Why do humans remain the same despite living for several eras?

G

That's a profound question.

Even with the best karma changing method there is, the fundamental tendency of my life has not changed. I grew up as very defensive and cynical and have only been able to convert the negative aspects of those traits so that my defensiveness is controlled and turned against causes of harm to others as well as myself. The cynicism is now a jaundiced view of claims and statements and a comparison of past performance. I don't get angry about it, I just don't get taken in.

Daisaku Ikeda wrote many decades ago that you can convert poison to medicine, or sorrow into happiness, but not change your fundamental tendencies, and I didn't really believe that.

After 26 years of practicing with SGI, I believe it.

Change in what way?

People don't often change - not in a lot of ways, Someone who is sweet natured at 20 will probably be so at 40, 60 or 80 unless something really big happens (they're robbed or abused or such). And vice versa, someone who has a nasty streak will tend to keep for life. I am not sure a lot of this stuff can really change...

But people often change in other ways... They mature and grow.

There are other things too - imagine someone born in 1900. Their life expectancy (western society eg US, UK, Europe) was 50 years (today it is more likely to be their 70's or 80's).

Etiquette and social norms were extraordinarily different from today. They had World War I (men would have fought if their country were involved). The Depression. World War II. Post wars.

For most of their lives (more than half) people died in huge numbers from diseases like Polio or smallpox which are now virtually unheard of in modern western society.

Technology has changed hugely. As a child, only the rich had indoor plumbing (okay not a new technology but still), telephones were virtually non existent, computers, record players were still being known when I was born, which have been replaced by tapes and now CD's and electronic such as I-Pods. For someone who's had limited exposure to these things til late in life they may be scary or not understood or not cared about...

Our innate qualities such as greed is what helps our survival, it's just the greed with money and materialistic things are not easily controlled at the moment. It's not that greed is a bad thing, it's just it becomes uncontrollable at this day and age with money which equals power, and power to control humans...that loop needs breaking.

Ever looked at Spiral Dynamics? If not, it's a pretty interesting theory...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Dynamics

Basically says humanity has gone through about 7 levels of consciousness:

1 - Archaic: Survival (food, warmth, water, safety, sex)

2 - Tribal: Magical (obey spirits, sacred rituals, tribes, ancestors)

3 - Feudal: Dominate (Selfish, demand respect, savage)

4 - Traditional: Purpose (follow moral code, repent your sins, sacrifice for salvation)

5 - Modern: Success (exploit resources, prosperity comes with technology, competition)

6 - Pluralistic (many truths): Harmony (awaken your spirit, heal the earth, know yourself)

7 - Power of now: Integrated (value in every level, compassionate, wise)

Each of these stages 'transcends and includes' (the term Ken Wilber uses) each previous stage.

It's about human behavior changing over thousands of years, evolution of consciousness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT2MLim4zRw

The lifestyle of people throughout the world and history has been quite variable. Before agriculture, there was little need for conflict. Practically all human history occurred before farming, and during that time the population was too low for there to be any warfare. There may have been domestic violence and power struggles within small groups, but there may also have been tabus in place regarding them.

Most evolutionary change is in short bursts. A breed will stay the same for as long as possible, then some disaster will come along and force them to change for survival. After the coming plagues and natural disasters the surviving human race will be a brand new model.

It's because as a species, people's ideas change but they still have the same goal. Humans will keep making the same mistakes all over and over again and not even realize it. This won't change because we are a proud species, vain enough to look at our mistakes and say that it's supposed to be that way.

the test of time is not easy. fewest of the few can pass, if they did, their voices 2 lead others can not yet be heard by the majority,cause they did not yet finish their test. the fewest of the few have 2 continue the road on their own, that what makes their journey theirs, unique 2 each individual,leading 2 one goal, though roads uniquely differ.

the world is a restless passage , who r in it r restless.

when we get tired of this restless chaos, it is then where r at the safety shore of change 4 the better. and it seems that restlessness is overwhelming our world more and more everyday!!!!!!!!!!!

everything around from media 2politics 2sound 2arts.... praises chaos and encourages restlessness through out the eras!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and if something came through out the eras to establish balance, most come by force not with understandable knowledge, the knowledge is lost in the chaos, r lucky who glance it in time of its rest through out the time, they r the fewest of the few, who glance and apply it.

We learn.

'If we remember that the cognitive capacities (perceptual, intellectual, learning) are a set of adjustive tools, which have, among other functions, that of satisfaction of our basic needs, then it is clear that any danger to them, any deprivation or blocking of their free use, must also be indirectly threatening to the basic needs themselves. Such a statement is a partial solution of the general problems of curiosity, the search for knowledge, truth and wisdom, and the ever-persistent urge to solve the cosmic mysteries. '

http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.ht...

What are you talking about? Are you saying that the inhabitants of today's world are comparable to the Puritans who burned people alive for being witches? Are you saying that we are the same as the Aztec's with their crude tools and human sacrifices? Are you saying that we are the same as barbarians? You give our species no credit.

humans have changed a lot

we no longer eat our enemies

we no longer enslave our enemies

we no longer allow husbands to kill their wives and children

we don't force people to stay in a loveless marriage anymore

we don't force people to go to church anymore

we don't kill women when there is an epidemic of any sort anymore, (thousands were killed during the plagues, sort of as a 'safety measure', in case they were responsible)

we don't let people starve in the streets, mostly

we know what to do with electricity

we have changed a lot, but there is always room for improvement