Isn’t it interesting that the most intelligent animals in the Great Wide World are the most violent and dangerous. The closest animals to humans are primates, in fact chimpanzees share almost 99% of our DNA. And Chimps are the most violent and agressive of all the animals in the animal kingdom, next to man of course. Primates kill their own kind six times more frequently than any other mammal. So, what is it about big brains that creates violent, dangerous creatures?
“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Humans, the most intelligent species of all, have spent vast sums of energy and finance to determine the most efficient methods to inflict violence upon each other. Odd, don’t you think, since humans are the only species that can actually consider the consequences of their actions? I’ve always thought it was an evolutionary hiccup but it’s possible that it’s driven by primal needs that we still don’t completely understand.
Room to Roam
I live in a very small town in one of the least populated counties in the United States and violence here is pretty much non-existent. Occasionally a couple folks drink too much down at the local watering hole and beat the shit out of each other but that occurs infrequently. Cities are considerably more violent but it might just be a matter of sheer numbers.
For instance, let’s say we had a good knock down brawl once a month here in our little hamlet. That would equate to 340 knock down brawls per day in the Houston Metroplex, based on the population delta. What if we run the numbers the other way for homocides. 2021 was a multi-decade high in Houston with around 470 murders. That equals 1 homocide per 1000 years or so in our little town, based on the same population delta.
So, are people in close proximity to one another more violent than folks with lot’s of room to roam? For Chimps, violence and warring are almost always related to other Chimps infringing on their territory. Violent behavior in the majority of mammals is generally connected with sex. The males beating each other bloody for the possibility of procreation. I suppose a good percentage of the drunken brawls down at the local watering hole, have a similar flash point.
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” ~ Albert Einstein
With all the wars, death and violence presently in the Great Wide World, I decided to do a little research and see if I could determine the most violent and deadly period in our short history. Sadly, what I found was that our entire written history has been filled with hatred, violence, aggression, wars, destruction and genocide. The 20th century was the most deadly but again that probably has something to do with numbers. More folks to inflict violence upon, means more death and destruction, I suppose.
That’s a Lot of People!
Approximately 231 Million people were killed in wars or other politically motivated genocides, like Nazi Germany, China’s Great Leap and Russia’s Gulags, along with numerous others. That’s nearly 70% of the present population of the U.S. and it’s just an estimate, the number could be significantly higher. That’s a big number but the scary part is that we might just be on track to break that record in the 21st century at the present rate of aggression, violence and warmongering.
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” ~ E.F. Schumacher
When Football is the most popular sport and MMA, (21st century Gladiators) numbers are growing so rapidly, it’s obvious that we are a truly violent species. However it’s also true that humans have a tendency towards compassion and empathy. It’s an interesting dichotomy. The aggression and violence very likely stem from the primal desire to survive and procreate.
At the same time, humanity would have never made it this far without cooperation, sharing resources and protecting one another. Our violent nature is a stark contrast to our colossal capacity for beauty and love. In the middle of every war or cruel totalitarian regime, there were acts of kindness and compassion, bursts of brilliance and profound creation. It seems the same human heart that so easily inflicts violence on others, is also a fountainhead of kindness.
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” ~ Mark Twain