Has Human Intelligence Gone Awry?

One of my take-aways from the flat-out wonderful film AMERICAN FICTION is that Americans have fallen prey to stereotyping themselves, forcing themselves and others into preconceived societal molds. We thought stereotyping applied only to prejudices, but it turns out we enjoy seeing ourselves as tribes. Americans like to imagine themselves as badass—super heroes, social rebels, or maverick agents. We seek out entertainments that underscore our beliefs about ourselves, and those who create those entertainments are happy to oblige us. However, whether right-wing or left, we feel compelled to mimic our notions of what our constituents are. Thus, people who once fought for freedom in the name of the country are willing to risk creating a dictatorship to follow a charismatic head man, and those who swear they work only for the common people may secretly use insider trading to swell their bank accounts. We strive to belong to our group—comfortably, so certain pastors live like kings. Humans may not be psychologically capable of being independent moral beings if you follow the logic and science of Dr. Justin Gregg of St. Francis Xavier University, a senior research associate with the Dolphin Communication Project. We’re easily led.

If there were a contest about who’s better for the Earth, animals or humans, animals would take the gold medal easily. In his fascinating book IF NIETZSCHE WERE A NARWAL: WHAT ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE REVEALS ABOUT HUMAN STUPIDITY, Justin Gregg goes to great lengths to explain in entertaining terms the thinking styles and behaviors of both animals and humans plus their relative impacts on the health and future of the planet. Science is discovering how very intelligent animals are within their particular realms. They function very much as humans do. Humans, however, have a couple unique cognitive abilities that are both blessings and curses for our survival. We’re specialists in asking why—claiming causes—and in using language to deceive to change both the behavior and beliefs of others. We can even lie to ourselves to justify our actions. However, we’re limited by what Gregg calls prognostic myopia. We care less and less about the future as we consider a future farther and farther away from us. We don’t act on priorities that will benefit not us but our descendants—such as relinquishing fossil fuels to protect climate. We talk a good game we don’t actually play. We’re almost entirely incapable of prioritizing benefits we don’t personally experience. However, unlike animals, we can conceptualize our own mortality.

IF NIETZSCHE WERE A NARWAL is at once humbling, frightening, and enlightening. (I recommend reading it before someone decides to ban it in order to preserve our faith in human superiority and privilege.) The popular saying that what we don’t know can’t hurt us suffers badly. But all hope is not lost. Gregg points out that humans are adept at providing pleasure for themselves and others—love being the greatest pleasure and power. If we apply love, we may be able to develop greater self-awareness in order to change our behaviors and laws enough to avoid a destiny that is literally dark. If nothing else, we’re free to admire the animals around us without feeling childish.