Why Civilization Fails: Insights from a Cannibal Island

There is a thought-provoking anecdote about the development of human civilization. A plane crash survivor lands on an island inhabited by cannibals. These cannibals, led by an intelligent European-looking chief, plan to feast on the survivor. The survivor, bewildered by the chief’s apparent culture, asks, “Aren’t you influenced by civilization?” The chief’s response? “Sure, I’ve been influenced. When I eat you, I’ll do it with class—using a plate, fork, and seasonings. It’ll be quite sophisticated.” This story makes us think about why civilization has truly failed to stop wars and horrors. Civilization needs an inside job. That is, to change human civilization for the better starts with changing the person from within. In fact, there are no horrors. The so-called horrors we witness are just people displaying their inherent egoistic human nature, which is enjoyment at the expense of others. That nature is what needs fixing. No matter where we look, on personal, social, international, and global s