Are Humans in control of the Earth, or is Earth in control of the Humans?

The answer to that question essentially boils down to whether we humans are in control of our instincts or whether our instincts are in control of us. The old saw we only use 10% of our brain is IMHO part true and part false. Most of the processing done by our brain and nervous system is completely unconscious. In other words we don't have to remember to breath to survive, and if we don't remember to sleep the brain/nervous system will force sleep upon us.

Etcetera, ad infinitum.

I asked an AI how many unconscious autonomic processes the brain/nervous system is running continuously, the answer below seems to infer this approximate number is not known:

>The brain and body are constantly running numerous autonomic processes, including heart rate regulation, breathing, digestion, blood pressure control, sweating, salivation, and the movement of food through the intestines, all managed by the autonomic nervous system without conscious thought; essentially, these processes are happening continuously without you needing to actively think about them.<

So let's just say then the neurological space required for running and maintaining the body is considerably larger than the neurological space the rational and reasoning conscious mind uses.

Is that a disturbing thought? Maybe for some who tend to think of the reasoning mind as all there is. We humans are, after all, the only rational species on Earth, and we have created advanced technologies. So on the whole we are in control of the Earth...right? But how much of this human creativity is built upon the precursor platform of the unconscious instinctual mind?

And the answer is, obviously, all of it. All of the product of our human mind comes forth from the biology of the Earth. Biology is itself, as far as we know, an unconscious process. And compared to the length of time we modern big brained humans have been here, biology has proven itself to be extremely durable. Several extinction events (of biology) have come and gone, and biological Earth has survived, and is still here.

And humans are anthropocentric - definition:

>To regard humankind as the central or most important element of existence, especially as opposed to God or animals.<

All of existence? A definition that would, ironically, make us God. Or only human existence? Which might make a modicum of sense...maybe.

Meanwhile, in the context of anthropocentrism, we seem to have collectively forgotten we are biology, and the product of biology, which is the only avenue by which we have arrived here, to begin with.

So, Earth birthed biology, and biology birthed humans. Biological Earth was here long before us, and will very likely be here long after we are gone.

That also means, BTW, that biology birthed technology, and the modern mythology that technology will make us a permanent fixture in the cosmos is the same basic mythology we humans have always created (ie, immortality).

Technology is a minor miracle, no doubt about it. The major miracle, biology, is the one we under appreciate.

So perhaps if we humans develop a little less hubris we might extend the duration of our time here a bit longer than we would otherwise.

Remembering the definition of hubris:

>A noun that means excessive pride or arrogance that can lead to failure or ruin.<