Humanity might survive if we stop pressing the big red button

Personally, I think they just didn’t have a group chat to warn each other, my mother mused recently over a glass of red wine. Which brings us to modern humans, she continued, allegedly the smartest species on earth, yet still fully capable of walking into sliding glass doors. If we plan to avoid going extinct again – long story, don’t ask about Atlantis – she interjected, we may need to tighten up a few habits.

After a long pause, I happened to agree with her wine-infused observations. If I entered a building that had a large red button labelled “Do not press” at the main entrance, I would see it as a challenge, I told her. She grinned.

“See what I mean?” she added. Let us, as a species, embrace a radical new philosophy called “Leave it alone.” And maybe also don’t argue with nature. Perhaps we should stop building entire cities in places named things like Tornado Alley, Floodplain Estates, or Mount Lava View.

[paywall]

Also, if the local wildlife looks annoyed that you’re there, that should be a clue. If the ground occasionally trembles like it’s clearing its throat, that’s another clue. Humans hardly ever read instructions, she blazed on.

Somewhere right now, a human is assembling furniture with pure confidence and zero manual. This same energy is applied to global decision-making. We skim instructions for medicine, technology, and international policy like they’re terms and conditions for a free app.

Maybe extinction can be avoided if we just occasionally say: “Hang on, what does page two say?” Ha! I never read the pamphlet in my pill box, but I will not admit it out loud.

[/paywall]