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imagine if you experienced every human life in history?

your life began as one of the first humans on the planet.

By Sharon OkiriPublished about a year ago 3 min read
imagine if you experienced every human life in history?
Photo by Eugene Zhyvchik on Unsplash

imagine your life began Approximately 300,000 years ago, your life began as one of the first humans on the planet. you lived in Africa, and your existence was similar to that of your hominid ancestors. To survive, you fashioned rudimentary tools, hunted, and gathered food and resources. Ultimately, until your life came to an end.

The journey does not end with death. Instead, you shall travel back in time to be reincarnated as the second human to ever exist. Although you may not recall your previous life, your past actions shall still impact you. As you pass away once more, you shall return as the third person, then the fourth, and every subsequent human that has ever lived. You shall experience the lives of every individual that has ever walked the Earth.

The combined length of these lives, if placed in a continuous line, would stretch for nearly 4 trillion years. Your memory only retains the experiences of your current life, meaning your mind does not bear the entirety of human history. Nonetheless, each of your lifetimes holds significant influence over your future selves.

The impact you have on the world may not always be apparent. Historical figures, though significant, make up only a small portion of your experience. Most of your existence is made up of mundane activities like eating, laughing, working, and worrying. During one tenth of your 4 trillion years, you were a hunter-gatherer. For 60% of your time, you were an agriculturalist, honing tools and techniques that were utilized over approximately 800 billion years of working on farms.

Over the course of your lifetime, you devote 1.5 billion years to engaging in sexual activity. Additionally, 250 million years are spent giving birth. In total, 20% of your existence is dedicated to raising children, during which time you impart various cultural values that shape the direction of future generations. However, in certain instances, these cultural values are disrupted through acts of invasion and imperialism. Alternatively, you may experience the sorrow of losing your land and loved ones.

Malaria and smallpox afflict over 1% of individuals, but medical treatment can save many lives. During humanity's early stages, the average lifespan was relatively short. Consequently, people had fewer opportunities to influence others, and their impact was typically restricted to those in close proximity.

As human life expectancy increases and the world's population grows, individuals are spending more time reliving their action-packed years. A significant portion of one's existence, one-third, occurs after 1200 CE, and a quarter of it takes place after 1750. During this time, technology and society change at a rapid pace. Innovations such as steam engines, factories, and electricity transform daily life for future generations.

One has experienced revolutions in science, the deadliest wars in history, and significant environmental destruction. On average, human lives are lasting longer, but the pace of existence is accelerating. Conversations that once took months now occur in minutes, and business ventures built over generations transform rapidly.It is possible to enjoy luxuries that were once unattainable, even during past lives as royalty. Having lived over 100 billion lives, you have been reborn as the youngest person alive today. Despite experiencing over 300,000 years of human history, your current actions hold greater significance than 99% of your past lives.

The ability to travel at high speeds through the air enables the transportation of contagions and cures across oceans in mere hours. Furthermore, the internet has the capability to expand one's personal sphere of influence to a global scale, facilitating collaboration with individuals from anywhere in the world without the need to physically leave one's home. In modern times, humanity has developed tools to manipulate the genetic makeup of living beings, thereby permanently altering their future generations. Furthermore, there exists the potential for future technologies to create a safer, kinder, and more equitable world for generations to come. Nevertheless, it is crucial to exercise caution, as even a single careless invention could have catastrophic consequences.

The risk of human-induced extinction has increased due to nuclear weapons, lab leaks, and climate change. In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, undoing humanity's progress or cutting short future possibilities is a frighteningly easy task. Uncertainty looms over what the future holds. However, it is evident that human potential is limitless. Therefore, it is essential to ponder how to spend this life and work towards a better future for all future generations.

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About the Creator

Sharon Okiri

Kenyan born, raised in Norway author, who loves writing about mystery and facts

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