In The Road, we see a recurring fear of other humans in a post-apocalyptic setting - and it is justified; one can never tell what a human is going to do.
Unlike the rest of the Animal Kingdom, humanity is unique in that we each have our own opinions and beliefs considering the perfect societal system. Wolves travel in packs, whales travel in pods; ants form colonies and feral cats go at the world on their own. Humans, however, divide ourselves. Rather than have different beliefs or behavior based on our race, we form our own ideas regarding how people should be - contrasting ideas concerning big government versus anarchy, capitalism and socialism are completely unique to each human, despite where they live.
We are a species which wages war with each other, we kill over greed, we mourn people we have never met when they pass away. Humans are the most interesting and diverse of all observable mammals, and the least trustworthy.
In times of destruction and mayhem, animals tend to work closer together than before - packs of wolves become inseparable, ant colonies swarm and regroup in new plots of land.
Humans, however, are different. What nature would see as a time during which you must band together to save yourselves humans see as a time of devastation when nobody can trust another. Two humans fight each other - a civil war breaks out. No ceasefire really stops the murderous urges. In the Animal Kingdom, it tends to work out that the two involved parties either avoid contact, fight to the death, and if not, they cease fighting when the battle is won.
We are not perfect - society is flawed: humankind is flawed with it.
If or when apocalypse hits, it is almost certain what will happen - any animals surviving will group up and become ferocious scavengers; humans will immediately get their hands onto any ammunition and food that they can.
They will fight to the death over food. They will fight each other to get more food.
If they must, they will resort to eating each other.
We must think of what exactly the human race has created for itself - we live in a society that has words, perceived emotions. Putting words into a certain order can feed someone unable to fend for himself in the wild. Humans take the fitter and more active of their species and put them into jails for "violence" (this is natural for every other species in the world, apparently; but not humans). They impose a "justice" system based on their own morality and faith in gods whose existences are unproven.
Compared to animals, we always think of ourselves as creative, cultured. Civilized. Somehow better than other mammals.
But we're not.
There was a concept that was once quite popular - natural selection. The fittest of the race breed and fight; they can get their own food. They will survive. Those with skewed genes will not survive - they are the weak, the sickly gazelles. They will be eaten or destroyed, unable to find food. Our protection of society - green paper, overabundance in food for some people over others, indulgence in certain flavor patterns - has made us weaker as a species. We solve everything in law - again, made up by man to protect the weak but skilled with words.
Words destroy us.
Words have made humanity into something that restrains nature and allows many to live in starvation while others do nothing and eat themselves large.
In a world where nothing matters... nothing matters.
Words don't matter.
Laws don't matter.
Nature comes back into play.
Humans disregard something very important when it comes to emotions - they are also fabricated. Emotions are nothing more than chemicals flowing into your brain, causing certain senses and instincts to trigger. We are not meant to "love". Companionship is what we truly search for; any who find themselves "blinded by love" are interested in attractiveness or being pampered - this is lust. What those who are in the happiest relationships (also man-made) really have is companionship and trust. Their most base instincts to protect and care for each other; to soothe pain (chemicals, again) and be a source of comfort.
When people are truly "in love", they are nothing more than companions. Inseparable companions, but only companions. They are mated. They will not give up that bond for anything but death.
Imagine if humankind gave up all of its perceived importance. Its languages and poetry, its "higher learning" and anti-bullying campaigns. Imagine if we all could roam naturally - foraging, hunting on our own. No more steroid-pumped animals.
We would lose society, but what would we get back in return?
A world without hate - hate is man-made, there is no hatred in nature; merely perseverance and predatory instinct. No love or possessiveness - an open community working to provide for themselves, all men and women equal; children growing up learning things vital to survival.
But what do we have instead? We have built a society rewarding those who can obtain the most green paper and silver discs, we put the greedy and selfish on our highest pedestals and worship them, giving them power over us. Those who seek and demand a more natural and coexistent lifestyle are trampled on by the demanding and powerful.
There is no true power. There are weapons, yes, but those in charge of them are not truly in possession of them. There are charities, but they often don't fully serve their purposes of helping the needy.
I'm not insane, though. Really.
Although it would conceptually be preferable, anarchy would not work with this generation.
We are too steeped in our morals - our false prophets, our conceptions of "beauty" over practicality and full of hatred over natural shapes. We spend time reflecting over meaningless quotes and poetic dribble when, in reality, they do nothing for us. What use are words? What use is green paper? What are silver coins when forests are burning to the ground and seas drying up?
Absolutely nothing.
See, we have built ourselves a society on falsehoods - false representation, false "currency", false equality. What is the truth in a world built on lies?
The current generations are lawsuit-happy: they have become content and lazy with their fast food and "laws" and prophets. We can't have things in halves, though: we must have all of society or none of it. We must embrace this superficial and useless hierarchy made of ideas if we are to have emotions and read, to "feel" and "love".
If we are to become true anarchists, we must leave that all behind. Humans are not trustworthy, and they do not trust easily.
No words. No false "emotions". We would not hate, but we would not work together, either.
So why do I say all of this?
In a post-apocalyptic scenario, there are really three types of people.
- Those who realize the hopelessness of the situation and in some way stop their own pulse,
- Those who are idealists and believe that banding together will somehow help, and
- Those who represent human nature in its truest form - they take whatever rations they can find and will even kill other survivors to provide sustenance for themselves.
In apocalyptic society, we can do very few things with ourselves. We can become animals; preying on each other to survive. We can cling to our societal values and to each other, hoping that something happens to save us all while scavenging for what little food there is.
Let's be honest - who will come out alive in these circumstances?
Will it matter if they've all devolved to cannibalism? Will they still be human, then?
What does it really matter, though?
These are just words, invented by humans for humans to communicate.
The fact that I can communicate this message to you means that humanity is doomed. Anarchy cannot succeed. Society will crumble and so will the human race.
A glorified system is always what falls the hardest and fastest - and the social structure of today is so glorified that it is simply accepted and rarely questioned.
When we fall, we will fall hard.
We will fall fast.
As for me, I'll be one of the first people eating other people; so stay away from blonds with glasses.
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