Chimpanzee regrets being taught English by scientists

Reportedly, the chimpanzee says he has no use for all of these man-made “luxuries” that his new lifestyle provides - would prefer living humbly with his friends in the jungle.

Now, I’m not saying living in the woods is ideal, easy, or even sustainable. What I am trying to say, is that we have lost touch with who we are as a species. Let’s take a look at what we know about humans in the animal kingdom, and how we can incorporate a wild animal’s freedom into our domesticated lifestyle philosophy.

What does a chimpanzee do every day? Not much, right? Of course, they spend time searching for food to eat, they travel in groups so there’s a lot of social interaction going on. Lots of down time I’m sure, plenty of playtime and napping or grooming each other. Imagine never having to go to work…

But we need to buy things, right? For sure, I definitely want somewhere to live, I need to eat every day, and I’m not equipped nor mentally prepared to kill for my food yet. Gratefully, I have drastically reduced my consumption of social media, internet scrolling is way down. We are all constantly chasing the newest tech, spending money on fancy cars, clothes, jewelry, flashy vacations and dinners…for what? Who told us that was important and valuable?

What about the people who live in isolation, that have never even heard of Sabrina Carpenter? Do you think they are worried about money? I bet their overall satisfaction with life is pretty high, because they don’t know any better. They have no concern of politics or chasing their dream career slaving away at a desk for their next raise - they don’t even know that Luka Doncic got traded to the Lakers on a Friday night via text message for Anthony Davis after Dallas made a run to the finals in 2024.

I digress…So how can we find a happy medium between these two extremes? Think about it, we’ve all heard every cliche about the journey not the destination, living in the present, money doesn’t last forever, time is your most valuable resource. The people we share experiences with make them memorable, not how expensive it was. Who hasn’t had an absolute blast having a bonfire with your closest friends or family under the stars?

We are the most adaptable species on the planet. We can persevere the most extreme conditions and our bodies will push themselves to the limit for survival. Everything you have in your life is a choice, and it is up to you whether you want to work for the things you think you need. Here’s a spicy little spicy religious tidbit for you, the Bible tells us that God will always provide what we need. What I don’t think most people understand, is that all humans need to survive is food, water, shelter, and spirituality. That means all of these extra man-made conveniences we enjoy are already a blessing (part of our ability to create), but humans as a species don’t really need all this stuff.

We built the world that we live in, and that is precisely why we are responsible for fixing it. 

It’s all about perspective. If wild animals could build cities and defend themselves, I am certain they would keep us out. We need to take a step back and realign ourselves with the natural world that we’ve been a part of since existence began. Humans are meant to coexist with planet earth symbiotically, but we behave like parasites consuming everything in sight with zero remorse.

Again, if you don’t believe me - look outside.

A note on the brief mention of spirituality - all I’m saying is listen to your soul. The same way a dog chases a ball, or a lion knows when it is time for a hunt, or an elephant mourns the death of a loved one, we know instinctively what we should and should not do. We all make mistakes, but we must reflect and learn from them each day. Bad choices pile up, ask an addict who didn’t learn his lesson for years (that would be me).

Humans have built a world based on profit and convenience, where we are faced with choosing between right and wrong almost perpetually. Unfortunately, we continue to make choices that are consequentially bad for the world, and each other. Unequivocally. Irrevocably even(ly).

Do the next right thing, to the best of your knowledge and ability.