Self Consciousness is the Highest Form of Evolution
We often think of IQ and intelligence to be the highest attribute of human beings. I would argue that it’s the degree to which we are “self conscious”. Self Consciousness, more than anything else sets us apart from every other living animal on the planet.
What is self-consciousness? The ability to know you are alive? The knowing that you are real. The knowing that you will one day die. The knowing that you are vulnerable. The knowing of your past, present and future. The ability to KNOW that you are “alive” in a physical body, in a specific space and time. Have residiual memory and being able to plan for the future. Knowing your “ego”. Knowing you are a separate living being from every other living being in existance. Being able to ask the question, “Why am I here?”. “What is the purpose of my life?”. “What is the purpose of my existance?”
The very definition of “self consciousness” is not clear. What is clear is that I am “self conscious” and aware of my existance. Knowing that the very body I inhabit is more than who I am in total. Knowing that the space and time I inhabit, is temporary and artificial to who I am in total. I remember the past, live in the present and plan, contemplate and worry about the future. I am able to hold all 3 time periods in my consciousness and integrate them into a unifying but also conflicting level of awareness. Isn’t awareness just another word for “consciousness”?
Adam and Eve were originally naked and unaware, like other animals. Not until they took of the fruit of the knowlege of good and evil, did they become “self-conscious”…. of their own nakedness, their own vulnerability, perhaps their own impending death.
Children freely run around naked, take baths in front of others without care until they reach the age where they become “conscious” and aware… much like Adam and Eve. Then small children become distinctly aware of their own bodies and shame of nakedness. A light bulb turned on. A mirror was activated.
I’d argue that IQ and intelligence is a talent. A skill set. Not different from the ability to run fast, sing high notes or dance beautifully. IQ and intelligence expresses itself in skill sets in careers like engineering, medicine, computer programming, mathematics, et al. Skill sets that are highly evolved, far more advanced than animals, ie. the ability to think spatially, creatively, mathematically, logically.
Soon we’ll have AI to handle much of these high IQ and intelligent tasks. Much like how engineering has made brute strength and size negligible, AI will soon make human IQ and intelligence less valuable.
What then does this highest value in human nature, ie the ability to know one’s own consicousness, provide in terms of “value” in the evolutionary process? What is the value in this?
Self-consciousness can be burdensome. It makes you question yourself, look uncomfortably inwards, worry about the future, remember the painful past, and question the very value of your existance.
What then is the value in “self-consciousness”? Self-Consciousness, intelligence and emotions are separate and different. You can argue that consciousness came from or was derived from intelligence. Intelligence came from the cumulative operating system which is our emotions.
We have varying layers of operating systems that work inside. The nervous system is at our core. Overlapping the nervous system is our emotional mind. Strapping around that is our modern mind, which gives us intelligence, imagination and the ability to learn. Sitting on top of this is the mysterious ability to be self-aware and self-conscious.
The value that self-awareness brings is the ability to look into the future, for generations and plan. To be able to sacrifice the present for the future. To properly allocate resources, in space and time. Not merely reacting in today’s environment and circumstances, but also for tomorrow’s possible unknowns.
In evolutionary terms, you can explain the reason for self-consciousness, as a survival mechanism. But perhaps there is something more to it. Is there something deeper and metaphysical?
Is the ability to be self-conscious a window to our higher mind? Is it the connection to our existance, before we were born, and soon after we physically die? Is this our true self? A lingering memory that reminds us in a quiet whisper…”you are more than this…” “Remember who you are…” Are humans the only life beings with the ability to have a connection with the Universal Mind, reminding us that we are more than our physical bodies, more than the space/time that we are in….reminding us, teasing us…”yes you are more…”
