What is wrong with us? No, really, what is wrong with us? Older generations tend to believe that younger generations are ruining the planet while many from younger generations feel as though older generations have already ruined this world before we even had a chance to be born. Often, people today consider those who lived in the far past, such as members of the ancient Egyptian society to be intellectually different from themselves on a fundamental level. Many things from the past are considered to be mysterious and are popularly romanticized if they are not immediately understood.

A prime example of this is the construction of the Egyptian pyramids. Despite being widely considered a marvel of ancient engineering due to their scale, the uniform nature of their bricks, and longevity, many today are baffled as to how people from so long ago could have created them. For example, it is easy enough to find conspiracy theories online as to how the Pyramids of Giza were created using aliens, or secret civilizations, but how difficult would it be to simply believe that normal people built them? Imagine that you live in an age without any kind of computer or long range communication, the fastest way to get somewhere was by horse, and books are not widespread. Plus, in ancient Egypt, Pharaohs were associated with the divine and burial rituals were believed to impact how one spent the afterlife. Therefore, it you’re an architect, why not try to make everything as precise and stable as possible? You wouldn’t want to be the one that messed up the afterlife of the person who used to rule your kingdom.

Therefore, if lots of people worked together and were led by effective organizers, then the pyramids become a lot less mysterious, and instead emphasize how much we can accomplish when we cooperate. The main difference between people today and people who lived in ancient times is simply technology. The same thoughts about the universe and our purpose on this earth have been echoed throughout history. The question “Why are we here?” has been asked countless times since the beginning of our species, and continues to be asked today. Both in ancient times and today many people attribute their existence to deities, try to explain how the world works, and debate on how best to govern themselves. The same thoughts about the universe and our role in it have been echoed throughout history, whether it’s coming from Aristotle, a French salon, or a philosophy blog. In the end, humans have always been just that: humans.