If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal Summary

Are humans truly the apex of evolution, or has our intelligence become the greatest threat to our survival?

1. Asking "Why" Sets Humans Apart

Our ability to question "why" is a key feature of human cognition, separating us from other animals. Children, for instance, constantly bombard adults with questions about the world around them, displaying our innate curiosity. However, this quest for meaning can have unintended side effects.

Philosophers like Nietzsche wrestled with existential "why" questions, often at a great personal cost. Nietzsche himself became overwhelmed with despair and ultimately fell into catatonia, an example of how these questions can weigh heavily on human minds. Unlike cows grazing peacefully, humans carry a psychological burden of contemplation.

While curiosity has led to incredible achievements such as advances in science, it has also contributed to catastrophic outcomes. For instance, Nietzsche’s ideas, distorted after his death, were manipulated to justify actions like the Holocaust. This shows that our ability to formulate sophisticated questions and ideas can be a double-edged sword.

Examples

• Children ask fundamental questions like "Why is the sky blue?" reflecting early cognitive development.
• Nietzsche envied animals like cows for being free from existential crises.
• Misused philosophies, like Nietzsche's distorted works, have been used to justify atrocities.

2. Early Human Thought Was Simpler

For millennia, humans survived using learned associations, similar to other animals. We understood that certain stimuli, like the sound of a predator, indicated danger. These basic patterns worked well for survival in the wild.

Around 43,900 years ago, something shifted. Cave paintings showcasing half-human, half-animal symbols suggest our ancestors began pondering abstract questions. This marked the birth of imagination, as we sought answers about existence, the stars, and life itself. This turning point led to the creation of religion and symbolic meaning.

However, with our imagination came a flood of "dead facts" – information that holds no practical survival value. For instance, even though billions of people know who Luke Skywalker’s father is, it doesn’t improve our well-being. Our minds are now overwhelmed with data that serves no immediate or future purpose.

Examples

• Early humans associated sounds in nature with either safety or danger.
• Cave paintings in Sulawesi, Indonesia, represent the earliest signs of philosophical thinking.
• Modern humans store "dead facts," like fictional trivia, in their brains despite their lack of survival relevance.

3. Scientific Progress Can Misfire

Science has granted humanity great power to understand and manipulate the world, but not all scientific advancements serve our well-being. A poignant example is 19th-century phrenology, which falsely linked skull shapes to intelligence and fueled racism.

Though science has brought immense benefits, our tendency to misuse it has caused damage. For example, scientific theories about race were used to justify atrocities like slavery and colonialism. These missteps show how progress can sometimes amplify harm.

Even well-intended advances like medicine have pitfalls. Medieval treatments, such as using chicken buttocks to cure snake bites, reflect how misguided "solutions" emerge when rationality meets human imagination.

Examples

• The misuse of phrenology legitimized slavery in the 19th century.
• Chicken buttocks were once prescribed for snakebites in medieval Wales, demonstrating wild leaps of logic.
• Modern medicine includes triumphs but also historical absurdities (like trepanation for migraines).

4. Humans Are Masters of Deception

Unlike animals, who use deception instinctively for survival, humans excel at calculated dishonesty. This includes outright lying and a subtler behavior: bullshitting. The difference is that liars care about the truth and intend to manipulate it, whereas bullshitters prioritize sounding believable over accuracy.

Humans even reward this behavior. A recent workplace study shows that employees low in honesty yet skilled in persuasion are often viewed as competent and politically savvy. The ability to craft believable lies has oddly enhanced human success in society.

This behavior, though effective in the short term, has its drawbacks. Distrust erodes communities, and reliance on misdirection adds to human confusion and inefficiency, worsening our collective problems.

Examples

• Lying involves distorting the truth; bullshitting ignores the truth altogether.
• In corporate environments, deceitful employees often rise due to "political skills."
• Animals like foxes deceive for survival, but only humans lie recreationally or extraneously.

5. Humans Struggle With Long-Term Thinking

"Prognostic myopia" describes our tendency to focus on immediate rewards rather than long-term solutions. A striking example is humanity’s fight against bedbugs using DDT. Although the pesticide initially eliminated many insects, it quickly created pesticide-resistant bugs.

The unintended consequences didn’t stop there. DDT contaminated waterways, entered our food chain, and had lasting toxic effects on humans. Despite being banned in 1972, its residues persist, contributing to health risks like cancer in present-day generations.

This inability to foresee consequences isn’t unique to DDT. Humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels and unsustainable consumerism demonstrates a consistent blindness to the ecological cost of short-term gains.

Examples

• The use of DDT caused bedbugs to develop immunity, worsening infestations.
• DDT polluted ecosystems, entering the food chain and harming human health.
• Carbon emissions from fossil fuels highlight our disregard for planetary sustainability.

6. Nature Outsmarts Humanity in Survival

Bedbugs, annoying as they are, highlight an intelligence fine-tuned for survival. They adapt to human behavior, hide effectively, and survive extermination attempts. These pests reflect nature’s efficiency in thriving despite human intervention.

In contrast, humans often worsen their own survival odds. Our actions, such as overusing pesticides, harm ecosystems and weaken our resilience against future challenges. By focusing on dominance rather than harmony, we've made ourselves vulnerable.

Other species, from cockroaches to crocodiles, persist without needing to destroy their environment. They outlast humans in terms of species longevity and adaptability.

Examples

• Bedbugs evade pesticides by hiding in unexpected places, like book crevices.
• Crocodiles have adapted and thrived since the age of dinosaurs.
• Humans poison themselves with pesticides while trying to control other species.

7. Intelligence Doesn’t Equal Happiness

Nietzsche's longing for the tranquil existence of cows highlights an important point: intelligence doesn’t guarantee happiness. Humans grapple with depression and existential crises in ways other animals avoid.

Animal life, such as that seen in content farm animals, shows the simplicity of physical comfort and absence of existential dread. Meanwhile, humans overcomplicate their lives with worries far removed from basic needs.

If intelligence creates complexity, simplicity enables fulfillment. Observing chickens at peace, the author reflects on how animals lead richer lives in terms of pure, worry-free well-being.

Examples

• Nietzsche envied cows for their lack of existential burdens.
• Consistent worries over meaning make humans anxious and disconnected.
• Farm animals in safe environments display sociability and contentment.

8. Humans Fail to Learn From Mistakes

Our pattern of repeating errors dooms us in many ways. Historical misuse of science, such as phrenology, has left lasting societal scars. The same goes for environmental errors, including overuse of resources without heeding long-term harms.

Although we accumulate knowledge, it rarely translates into wiser choices. Instead, humanity continues to pursue unsustainable objectives, ignoring warnings about consequences.

In contrast, animals learn adaptively and rarely disrupt their habitats in self-destructive cycles. By prioritizing survival over dominance, they thrive where we falter.

Examples

• The misuse of DDT in the war against bedbugs made pests stronger over time.
• Fossil fuel dependence contributes to climate change despite warnings since the 20th century.
• Animal species tend to adapt gradually, avoiding destructive overshoots.

9. Can Humans Change for the Better?

The author believes that despite our flaws, there is hope. His daughter's dream of a sustainable, cruelty-free future illustrates the power of aspiration. Movements for environmental preservation and ethical farming practices also suggest growing awareness.

Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker emphasizes that human progress is possible through reason and innovation. However, skeptics like John Gray argue that societal gains are fragile and temporary, reflecting cycles instead of consistent improvements.

Whether we can change or not depends on acknowledging our self-destructive tendencies and acting on solutions that prioritize harmony over dominance.

Examples

• Efforts to restore biodiversity show humanity's potential for positive action.
• Vegan and sustainable farming practices indicate shifting ethics.
• Philosophers like John Gray warn against overestimating societal progress.

Takeaways

1. Practice long-term thinking by weighing potential consequences before making decisions—especially regarding environmental and societal choices.
2. Focus on simplicity and well-being: Remember that intellectual achievements don't necessarily lead to happiness.
3. Resist misinformation by valuing truth and bolstering ethical transparency in personal and professional settings.