Poetry Corner #18: Fear
Has evolution prepared us for this?
I wonder if what my brain is experiencing in between the brief moments of clarity, that seem more scarce these days, is some sort of evolutionary phenomenon. They’ve been happening less frequently lately —those fleeting moments of lucidity, I mean— which means a great portion of the time, the mind is invaded with what feels like short circuit waves, firing off at random, due to the overload of information and stimulation it’s been receiving.
This may seem small and insignificant for a single brain, but if I’m not the only one experiencing this, it may actually be a collective occurrence in evolution, and it may actually have significant repercussions for our species. Although, candidly, it feels more like devolution.
Were we made to see, hear, and feel this much? Is our biology prepared to withstand the infinite number of stimuli we encounter every day…every hour?
They say millennials have experienced so much in our short lifetimes. Some even say we’re the unluckiest generation. But, are we?
We grew up alongside the internet. We experienced a global recession and a global pandemic. We’ve witnessed war and terror from a front-row seat — our phones. We’ve followed and watched the rise (and fall) of self-proclaimed gurus, the deterioration of values, the democratization of luxury, and so many more cultural shifts. But, do we really have it harder than previous generations? Or, compared to billions of people around the world today, who are facing terror, disease, and oppression, are we really worse off?
Our generation has been conditioned to have empathy, or the illusion thereof, but can we really discern the situations where we should apply it, or are we too mentally and emotionally drained from information overload? Our brains are trying their best, despite the excess of artificial substances and content that cloud our judgment.
My brain has been sending me signals to slow down, quiet down, breathe in, and disconnect. I don’t always obey the signals, but when I finally do, I see it. As the noise fades and clarity starts to come into focus, I hear it faintly in the distance. I’m scared. Can thousands of years of evolution save me now?
Today’s poem is about fear, but it also offers hope in ourselves, which is all we got. Enjoy.