Do you ever really think about how fragile and demanding the human body is? How much we take for granted without even realising how much maintenance we require? And how, despite all this, the human race continually finds new ways to kill itself?
Ponder this. The human body:
- requires a constant intake of oxygen, about every ten seconds. If it goes 45 seconds without this, the body begins to weaken, and eventually dies.
- Requires, on the average, three intakes of sustenance per day, in the form of protein and calories. Without this, after even a few hours of a missed meal, the body begins to feel weak and uncomfortable. Within days, it starts to shut down, and within a couple of weeks, it dies.
- Requires a constant intake of liquid. Physicians suggest 15 cups of liquid per day. After one day of no liquid, the body becomes dehydrated and will die after approximately one week.
- Is like a giant water balloon. You poke it, it leaks. You scratch it, it bleeds. You puncture it, it has a continuous outflow of its life-giving liquid, and if it is not treated immediately, it dies.
- Requires, in additon to all of the above, approximately THIRTY PERCENT of its lifespan resting and regenerating. After only ONE day of missed rest, the body weakens, becomes more prone to disease, and will eventually shut down on its own.
- Is continually in a state of battle against viral infections, diseases and maladies. Millions of bacterial agents are constantly attacking the body, trying to compromise its system. The body often loses the battle to these invaders, leading to death.
- Breaks, fractures and sprains with the slightest amount of pressure. These injuries often result in infection and if not treated with medicinal agents, can lead to death.
- Contains numerous organs that will likely fail during the course of a body's lifespan, leading to death.
- Needs continuous excercise to stay healthy. Without it, the human body will grow inefficient, become prone to life-taking disease and eventually die.
Considering all this maintenance, upkeep, constant battling of infections, viruses, disease, need for considerable rest, the human body is the most inefficient of all machines. Even if one does ALL the right things - has a great diet, excercise, proper medical treatment, rest, and lives in a clean and safe environment - the body is continually dying, and inevitably will shut down after about eighty years, which in the great scheme of things, is a very short time. Even a tortoise has a longer lifespan than a human. Trees can live to be thousands of years, but the human body rarely makes it to one century.
Why am I pointing this out? Perhaps it is because I watch too much science fiction and I believe that machines will ultimately someday become the predominant life form on Earth as they are so much more efficient. But then again, considering the human nature to kill, kill, kill all that it doesn't understand, we won't likely make it that far.
Yes, this is a pessimistic point of view, but perhaps it is also realistic. Even if there is only a 0.01 percent chance of humans self-destructing, it is STILL going to happen someday. Only if there was a ZERO percent chance would this not be possible.
So, consider the fragility of life, the shortness of life, and the fortune that we all have to be alive. Live each day as it is your last, because it very well could be. The human machine is unpredictable and who knows when it will give out on you.
Ponder this. The human body:
- requires a constant intake of oxygen, about every ten seconds. If it goes 45 seconds without this, the body begins to weaken, and eventually dies.
- Requires, on the average, three intakes of sustenance per day, in the form of protein and calories. Without this, after even a few hours of a missed meal, the body begins to feel weak and uncomfortable. Within days, it starts to shut down, and within a couple of weeks, it dies.
- Requires a constant intake of liquid. Physicians suggest 15 cups of liquid per day. After one day of no liquid, the body becomes dehydrated and will die after approximately one week.
- Is like a giant water balloon. You poke it, it leaks. You scratch it, it bleeds. You puncture it, it has a continuous outflow of its life-giving liquid, and if it is not treated immediately, it dies.
- Requires, in additon to all of the above, approximately THIRTY PERCENT of its lifespan resting and regenerating. After only ONE day of missed rest, the body weakens, becomes more prone to disease, and will eventually shut down on its own.
- Is continually in a state of battle against viral infections, diseases and maladies. Millions of bacterial agents are constantly attacking the body, trying to compromise its system. The body often loses the battle to these invaders, leading to death.
- Breaks, fractures and sprains with the slightest amount of pressure. These injuries often result in infection and if not treated with medicinal agents, can lead to death.
- Contains numerous organs that will likely fail during the course of a body's lifespan, leading to death.
- Needs continuous excercise to stay healthy. Without it, the human body will grow inefficient, become prone to life-taking disease and eventually die.
Considering all this maintenance, upkeep, constant battling of infections, viruses, disease, need for considerable rest, the human body is the most inefficient of all machines. Even if one does ALL the right things - has a great diet, excercise, proper medical treatment, rest, and lives in a clean and safe environment - the body is continually dying, and inevitably will shut down after about eighty years, which in the great scheme of things, is a very short time. Even a tortoise has a longer lifespan than a human. Trees can live to be thousands of years, but the human body rarely makes it to one century.
Why am I pointing this out? Perhaps it is because I watch too much science fiction and I believe that machines will ultimately someday become the predominant life form on Earth as they are so much more efficient. But then again, considering the human nature to kill, kill, kill all that it doesn't understand, we won't likely make it that far.
Yes, this is a pessimistic point of view, but perhaps it is also realistic. Even if there is only a 0.01 percent chance of humans self-destructing, it is STILL going to happen someday. Only if there was a ZERO percent chance would this not be possible.
So, consider the fragility of life, the shortness of life, and the fortune that we all have to be alive. Live each day as it is your last, because it very well could be. The human machine is unpredictable and who knows when it will give out on you.
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