The Birth And Death Of Meaning

The ancient myth makers knew that we were children equally of the earth and the sky. In our tenure on this planet we've accumulated dangerous evolutionary baggage: propensities for aggression and ritual, submission to leaders, hostility to outsiders, all of which puts our survival in some doubt. We've also acquired compassion for others, love for our children, a desire to learn from history and experience, and a great soaring passionate intelligence, the clear tools for our continued survival and prosperity.

Which aspects of our nature will prevail is uncertain, particulary when our vision and prospects are bound to one small part of this small planet earth.

Spoken by Carl Sagan