Humanity at its best and worst.

[Honestnathaniel]

What events in human history demonstrate humans at our best and worst? What defining moments do you view as being our finest and our most despicable?
We know we can achieve wonders in all fields and we know we can be awful sad,hateful bastards too. What are your choices and why?

 

[jukebox]

For the worst, take your pick from the various genocides.
When you see something such as some great literature, poetry or art, then I guess that's humanity at its best.

 

[BBKAllDay]

Dropping the atom bomb in Hiroshima/Nagasaki reflects both in my opinion. It showed what humans can achieve through science and innovation (to end the war), but it also showed that we are capable of wiping out thousands of people in a blink of an eye.

 

[HARRISON_3]

Worst? Check out the Florida thread.

Best? 9/11 IMO. People coming together,cultural and racial barriers coming down, and a renewed sense of patriotism (if only for a while.)

 

[Honestnathaniel]

Dropping the atom bomb in Hiroshima/Nagasaki reflects both in my opinion. It showed what humans can achieve through science and innovation (to end the war), but it also showed that we are capable of wiping out thousands of people in a blink of an eye.

Good answer.

 

[genecop]

Both extremes happen every day all over the world Good and Bad. Of coarse the go to response for evil would be Hitler and the Holocaust. Unfortunately the good examples do not occur on a grand scale. Selfless acts that involve helping the less fortunate are examples of what we are capable of. Working in soup kitchens, building projects for Habitat For Humanity, Building Ramps for wheelchair bound families....

 

[Yodsanan]

Best? 9/11 IMO. People coming together,cultural and racial barriers coming down, and a renewed sense of patriotism (if only for a while.)

lolwut.




sarcasm...?!

 

[Opfer]

Seems to me like many times humanity's best stems from the actions of only a few or a single individual while the worst involves the masses.
Not sure why, I realize there are tons of counter-examples.

 

[Honestnathaniel]

Worst? Check out the Florida thread.

Best? 9/11 IMO. People coming together,cultural and racial barriers coming down, and a renewed sense of patriotism (if only for a while.)

Even if that renewed patriotism leads to war, and increased racism towards middle eastern peoples? patriotism is not an inherently postitive thing imo because ultimately we are all cut from the same cloth on the most fundamental level.

 

[Tycho- Taylor's Version]

My recent streak of pessimism is keeping me from posting in here.

Sometimes the positives are harder to find, methinks. Not to mention that what we call achievements tend to happen in different domains than our biggest failures.

 

[bcordova]

It was mention pretty much before. Wars bring both out in people at the same time.

 

[HARRISON_3]

lolwut.




sarcasm...?!

Well...mostly-to an extent. I guess certain groups of folks got just the opposite treatment.

 

[PolishHeadlock]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39146...rs-crash-save-wife-unborn-child/#.UNdwZeTExSQ

The Vancouver, B.C., couple were traveling through Washington state to visit family Friday when an oncoming Chevy Blazer weaved wildly. As the car hurtled at them head-on, Brian braked hard and swerved to the right, ensuring he would take the brunt of the crash as the Blazer slammed into them.
“It’s pretty obvious if you look at the car that if it would have been a head-on crash, we both would have been killed, right along with our baby,” Erin Wood told Carl Quintanilla on TODAY Monday from Vancouver.

War tends to bring out both.

http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/ma...es_to_stop_suicide_bomber_awarded_navy_cross/

When Marine technicians restored a damaged security camera, the images were undeniable.
While Iraqi police fled, Haerter and Yale had never flinched and never stopped firing as the Mercedes truck — the same model used in the Beirut bombing — sped directly toward them.
Without their steadfastness, the truck would probably have penetrated the compound before it exploded, and 50 or more Marines and Iraqis would have been killed. The incident happened in just six seconds.
“No time to talk it over; no time to call the lieutenant; no time to think about their own lives or even the American and Iraqi lives they were protecting,” Kelly said. “More than enough time, however, to do their duty. They never hesitated or tried to escape.”
Kelly nominated the two for the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for combat bravery for Marines and sailors. Even by the standards expected of Marine “grunts,” their bravery was exceptional, Kelly said.

http://www.gossipcop.com/victoria-s...d-shooting-hero-saved-kids-children-students/

Victoria Soto, a 27-year-old first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School, lost her life during Adam Lanza’s violent rampage — but not before saving her students from a similar fate.

According to reports, Soto rushed her young pupils into closets and cabinets when she heard gunfire, hiding them from Lanza and telling him that her class had gone to the gym.

The gunman murdered Soto as she protected the children before eventually taking his own life.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

Dropping the atom bomb in Hiroshima/Nagasaki reflects both in my opinion. It showed what humans can achieve through science and innovation (to end the war), but it also showed that we are capable of wiping out thousands of people in a blink of an eye.

correct if you would have just said the good was scientific innovation leading toward providing nuclear energy to millions of people. The bomb was not needed to end the war, the war was already over, the bomb was needed to put fear in the russians who were clearly the biggest threat to global domination.

 

[BBKAllDay]

correct if you would have just said the good was scientific innovation leading toward providing nuclear energy to millions of people. The bomb was not needed to end the war, the war was already over, the bomb was needed to put fear in the russians who were clearly the biggest threat to global domination.

You do have a point. Japan was basically done after Midway, but how do you think it would've played out without the bombs? I'm not sure if invading the mainland was in MacArthur's agenda.

 

[nostradumbass]

Best is probably a symphony. A whole group of expert musicians who have practiced their entire lives to express the work of a genius, who has written music that inspires simultaneous happiness and sadness with contours, without trying to steal the show. It's why nerds are admirable.

The worst is displayed in shows like Bridezillas, hoarders and the Apprentice. At least the genocidal dictators have some motivation with high stakes and team leadership whereas these people are assholes just because they're pettily self-centered and entitled with nothing but first world problems.

 

[Honestnathaniel]

Best is probably a symphony. A whole group of expert musicians who have practiced their entire lives to express the work of a genius, who has written music that inspires simultaneous happiness and sadness with contours, without trying to steal the show. It's why nerds are admirable.

The worst is displayed in shows like Bridezillas, hoarders and the Apprentice. At least the genocidal dictators have some motivation with high stakes and team leadership whereas these people are assholes just because they're pettily self-centered and entitled with nothing but first world problems.

Bridezillas = worse than genocide?

 

[Chest Rockwell]

You do have a point. Japan was basically done after Midway, but how do you think it would've played out without the bombs? I'm not sure if invading the mainland was in MacArthur's agenda.

the russians would have continued to decimate the germans and the japanese would have had no choice but to negotiate a peace deal, a deal which was already in the works anyway.

 

[nostradumbass]

Bridezillas = worse than genocide?

Not the thing itself but the display of character, because it's so petty and unimportant. Genocidal leaders are psychotic and obviously misguided but in their heads, some people benefit from their actions. Hitler legitimately thought he was bettering humanity whereas the bridezilla ****s are aware that its just a one time party for themselves and it's the epitome of selfishness. Clearly genocide as a thing is about as bad as it gets.

 

[weich]

The eradication is probably the single biggest accomplishment of combined human effort. It has saved hundreds of millions of lives.