Humanity being insignificant is just not true, and even incorrect

Debate Room
1

Earth and everything in it, especially humans, when compared to the size and scale of the cosmos, is objectively pretty small. But why do some people say that our small size is what makes us insignificant?

Do those things bigger than us even have a brain to appreciate the void they’re floating in? Can those things even think, communicate, and develop a sense of meaning?

You’re basically comparing yourself to big, brainless, and unintentionally lethal things by devaluing the power of your own brain.

Humanity is significant in the universe, the most significant to be exact. Sure, a black hole, supernova, or some meteor bigger than the moon could kill us right now, but those things are just big, insignificant cosmic events.

Who decided we are the most significant? Well, compadre, I have concrete, reliable evidence on WHO made that decision.

WE DID. We humans, did. Because WE are the only ones WHO CAN decide who is significant or not.

By calling yourself insignificant to the cosmos, you are reducing yourself and your capability to think by saying some brainless gravitational force or a big ass rock is better than you.

Just because humanity is tiny compared to the vastness of space, and we live on a small “pale blue dot,” doesn’t mean our existence doesn’t matter. Yes, we’re small in the grand scheme of the universe, and one day we’ll be gone, but that doesn’t mean our lives aren’t meaningful. The size of the universe doesn’t take away the value of our experiences or the things we do.

2

Surely its the context that matters here, Natasha?

In the context of the preciousness of human life and the value we place upon ourselves, then no we are not insignificant. I am not insignificant to my family and friends and they are not insignificant to me. The same goes for all human relationships on whatever level.

But in the context of a vast and indifferent universe and in the context of aeons of time, then we brief sparks of life are very insignificant indeed. If a gamma ray burst or wandering black hole snuffed us out tomorrow then the cosmos would just carry on as before without noticing our absence.

Assuming that we can survive and live at peace with one another, then if we make permanent settlements on the Moon, Mars and elsewhere the insignificance of the wider universe will begin to impact on the minds and hearts of those pioneers. We’ve had a foretaste of this with the isolation felt by the people in Antarctic bases during the six-month long night they have to endure.

There are no trees, no grass beneath the feet, no beaches to leave footprints on, no warm sunrises or beautiful sunsets, no gentle rain or rainbows, no birdsong or the rustle of leaves, no scent of flowers or the tang of ocean air. None of that.

Instead, outside of the small bubbles of light and warmth of the bases, there are howling winds, darkness, killing cold, hypothermia, frostbite, wind chill and bleak expanses of ice and snow stretching to the horizon. These terrible conditions and the lack of the wonderful things I listed above, along with living for months on end under artificial light can eat away at the human psyche like slow acid. Some people can deal with it but others can’t.

Now magnify that a hundredfold for anyone trying to make a permanent home on Mars and consider how their minds might crumble under the strain. Then the insignificance of humanity in the face of a hostile universe will be very keenly felt by those brave enough to try and carve out a life there. Mental disintegration is a danger, but I hope that this awareness of our insignificance will give rise to a deeper realisation of the significance of the preciousness of humanity.

I hope that our national, ethnic, religious and political rivalries will wither in the face of the deadly challenges we will face just to stay alive for another day. My hope is not altogether a fanciful one. A recent documentary series on British tv carried extensive interviews with the astronauts and cosmonauts who worked together on board the Mir space station in the 90’s. Working together people from Russia, the US and Europe kept the station functioning and able to support human life. They had to. Any other option meant danger or even death.

Anyway Natasha, returning to my earlier point after this long ramble, I submit that you are right, but that context is all important here. On a human scale we are not insignificant to each other. But on any kind of wider planetary or cosmic scale, we are.

Thank you,

Walter.

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3

Yes because significance is relative to something.

I think humanity needs a little humbling at times. We think we are the apex of everything, and usually it’s the conceit of any given age that we have learned all there is to know. Then we encounter things like the vastness of the universe or the indifferent beauty of nature (up to and including a fatal cancer diagnosis) and realize we’re not “all that”.

On the other hand, every individual has worth and something to contribute and should be valued. Both can be true at the same time.

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4

Earth and everything in it, especially humans, when compared to the size and scale of the cosmos, is objectively pretty small. But why do some people say that our small size is what makes us insignificant?

Do those things bigger than us even have a brain to appreciate the void they’re floating in? Can those things even think, communicate, and develop a sense of meaning?

You’re basically comparing yourself to big, brainless, and unintentionally lethal things by devaluing the power of your own brain.

Humanity is significant in the universe, the most significant to be exact. Sure, a black hole, supernova, or some meteor bigger than the moon could kill us right now, but those things are just big, insignificant cosmic events.

Who decided we are the most significant? Well, compadre, I have concrete, reliable evidence on WHO made that decision.

WE DID. We humans, did. Because WE are the only ones WHO CAN decide who is significant or not.

By calling yourself insignificant to the cosmos, you are reducing yourself and your capability to think by saying some brainless gravitational force or a big ass rock is better than wacky flip you.

Just because humanity is tiny compared to the vastness of space, and we live on a small “pale blue dot,” doesn’t mean our existence doesn’t matter. Yes, we’re small in the grand scheme of the universe, and one day we’ll be gone, but that doesn’t mean our lives aren’t meaningful. The size of the universe doesn’t take away the value of our experiences or the things we do.

I really like this perspective. Measuring significance by size or raw power completely misses what actually gives something meaning. The universe is full of massive objects, but they don’t think, feel, question, or assign value — they just exist. Meaning only appears where there is consciousness to experience and define it.

Human significance doesn’t come from being indestructible or permanent; it comes from awareness, creativity, empathy, and the ability to reflect on existence itself. The fact that we can even have this discussion is something no black hole or supernova can do. So while the cosmos may dwarf us physically, it doesn’t invalidate the importance of human experience. Significance isn’t measured in kilometers or mass — it’s measured in meaning, and meaning is something only minds can create.

5

Please describe what you consider to be a mind. Do non-human creatures have minds? Does the mind exist in the brain? Do you think the mind can exist without a living body?

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My two cents worth here…. In the grand scheme of things in regards to the universe as a whole, humanity in general is indeed insignificant. In what way, shape, or form does humanity have any influence at all on anything outside our little speck of dust “life raft” floating in the vastness of interstellar space? Outside of our tiny planet are distances and objects so large they defy the limits of our imagination. Even our most advanced technology and most powerful weapons can do nothing to have any significant effect on anything outside of our own atmosphere. Therefore, (again) in the grand scheme of things, humanity is considerably insignificant to our indifferent universe. On the other hand…

Within our own Earthly environment, we are absolutely significant. To what extent we are significant, however, depends solely on each individual. Some folks wield enough power and influence to have drastic control over the lives of thousands or even millions of people (Whether those effects are beneficial or detrimental depends greatly upon the person in control.). Regardless, I would say that individual is considerably significant within his/her sphere of influence. Then there are those of us who are content to simply be a good influence to their families and/or whatever group of close friends we may have. For that matter, there are also those who contribute very little to friends or family. Either way, their existence is certainly significant, if only to a small handful of people.

Our lives being meaningful is different from being significant. Just because we may give our lives some sort of personal meaning or “purpose”, it does not necessarily make that meaning or purpose significant in any way. For example, say my personal meaning/purpose in life is to disassociate myself from society and hide away far from any and all people to live my life in solitude. In what way would my life be significant to anything or anybody? Plus, would the universe care in any way, shape, or form? Basically, what it all boils down to (in my humble opinion), is that humanity in general is significant only within the realm we occupy, and only to those things and people over which we have some amount of direct influence. In other words, we are significant only to ourselves and those around us. As far as the universe is concerned, we could disappear at this very moment, and it would make zero difference as far as the universe is concerned. Again, just my simplified amateur opinion.

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7

Humans attach significance ti their existence, it seems subjective to me, of course if one considered a human life of no more significance than a rock or an ant, then this might make our lives brutally cruel. Which is probably why animals that evolved to live in societal groups have also evolved to empathise with other members of their species.

To another mind of course, but the cosmos is insentient, so the idea would be significant to the cosmos, doesn’t make any sense to me. Do you significant when compared to the cosmos? If so then I’d suggest this was true only to other sentient minds. Just as we attach meaning to our lives, we understand this is true for others.

8

Yes all judgements of (in)significance are made by us, not the things we might say are more or less significant than ourselves. It is all in between our ears.

I long since ceased to care about the indifference of the universe or the gods or whatever – or even the indifference of other humans. I hold those close to me who care about me and ignore those who don’t.

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9

On Earth, the issue of significance is purely a human construct. As far as we know, humans are the only living organisms on the planet that knows it’s going to die. This creates an existential anxiety that draws in issues of purpose, meaning and our significance within the cosmos. We know the clock is ticking…

Of the estimated 10^30 (1 nonillion) individual organisms running around on this planet humans represent about 0.01%. At the risk of sounding dismissive, this sort of makes the issue of significance appear relatively insignificant to the other 99.99% of all organisms on the planet.

According to the people who get paid to study it, life has existed on this planet for around 3.7 billion years. Homo sapiens, as a species, have taken up about 0.0067% of that time. An individual human life will only carve out about 0.000000000022% of that 3.7 billion years.

When this becomes your P value to statisticians, it would be considered non-significant or effectively zero. Applied science would consider an event of this sample size to be essentially non-existent. Epidemiology would also treat a disease as non-existent with that sample size.

As far as how significance is viewed by the rest of the universe…who knows. They haven’t returned our calls…

According to Viktor Frankl, finding purpose over significance is the best a human can accomplish. Or, as Oscar Wilde would say, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

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