Back when I was in the Navy, I had this friend, we’ll call Dee Ivan. Dee and I talked at length many nights in the barracks, sometimes until one of us fell asleep. With Dee, no topics were off the table and the cyclical theme seemed to be what many ask themselves and others; what the purpose of life is. (Life, being, the human experience.) Nobody can say they truly know, but I think we both agreed tentatively that it may just be survival.

The theory is loosely based off observations all around us. Civilization has sustained and innovated to optimal levels, working through new challenges that arise and will come later. In the cumulative global society, amongst first and third worlds, we have more or less thrived as opposed to merely survived.

However, not everyone values sentiments and ideology of society; a macro-body of nations and communities working together. Seems like in relatively current times, individuals and groups are moved to sabotage for their own beliefs. I’m talking about those that justify actions of murder, terrorism, arson, theft, vandalism, etc. Countless tragedies across the world, senseless acts seemingly against humanity itself, hence echoing the common anthem “[losing] faith in humanity“. Basically insert all the items from Skeeter Davis’s End of the World plus Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire and then just add in the rest from the past few decades.

A different friend of mine recently told me about his awareness of the malevolence of society that he noticed to be more apparent in urban environments. Malevolence, sabotage, acting on “intrusive thoughts”. Makes me wonder why this happens.

For example, in a punchline of a joke, it would be funny to imply the idea of kicking an old lady in the face. That’s why it’s funny, it’s a depiction of extreme behavior foreign to a civilized society. It might even be funnier to see it in a film or other form of media. However, it would not be funny to actually connect the toe, sole, side or top of your shoe in a kinetically charged thrust of the leg into the face of an elderly woman. The facial damage it would cause her would likely be permanent. Such an assault would render topical bruises, marks and possible lacerations, while surely yielding various broken bones. If the likely concussion wouldn’t catalyze her death within hours, it’d sure lower her life expectancy. Her family would suffer emotional pain, and inevitably financial inconvenience from medical bills. For the offender, the assault charges would stack up and local media wouldn’t lend a favorable impression. There’s little comedic value to be extracted from this real-life hypothetical.

I toss and turn and cannot think of any reason in nature these things happen. However, there’s a loose concept that does come to mind.

The Appendix Concept gives an unsatisfactory rationale of how sabotage exists in nature. Scientists since Darwin have debated the purpose and value of the human appendix. I remember at age 12 or so when my dad mentioned how during an abdominal surgery years ago, the doctors decided to remove his appendix “while they were at it”. Yea, it’s one of those “might as well” moments. Some articles and med forums online claim the appendix helps harbor useful bacteria and offers similar functions that the kidneys perform. But why do we have it, especially when it can rupture and kills us!?

That’s right, that’s a thing that happens. Human nature’s self-destruct organ. It’s the only organ that could deliberately sabotage the survival of its organism.

So lesson of the day: when you open up a book to read, skip the appendix.