5 SEPTEMBER 2023 EVOLVING

I have wondered for a long time, why we humans are so violent and aggressive. I have been learning about chimpanzees and I was surprised to learn that this species, to which we share more than 98% of our DNA, can be extremely aggressive. They, too, are known to kill members of their own species; and although they are mainly fruit eaters, they hunt monkeys to supplement their diets. Only chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, and bonobos share our subfamily, Homininae, our common trait being that we have no tails. Bonobos may be as aggressive as chimpanzees and have been known to attack humans; however, their societies are female dominated, unlike the alpha male dominated chimp societies. Male orangutans generally live solitary lives, eliminating competition. Gorillas are rarely aggressive unless they feel threatened.

We human beings have some similarities to each of the other four apes. Like gorillas, some indigenous human societies eat ants, termites, and other insects. Certain groups of humans are more aggressive than others, often engaging in battles and war. These groups are always male dominated. Human beings eat more meat than their ape cousins. There has been no discernable period in human history when humans were not at war with one another!

While many historians have denounced the existence of the amazons, others have found recent proof of their existence. Boudicca, a great female warrior of the first century, is proof that powerful women have always been with us. Her statue sits in London facing Big Ben. Humans are evolving. We may never know how, when, or where we separated from the other apes to become modern humans. Our history is vague and fraught with continued upheaval. I would like to believe that we are more peace loving, like the gorillas; but I also believe that like the bonobos, we can only achieve lasting peace through a female dominated society. I know I will never find satisfactory answers to these deep questions I have about aggression and violence. We continue to evolve both personally and as a species. In the end, the only control we have is over the evolving of our own soul.