The universe is vast and complex. There are billions of galaxies and trillions of stars like our sun. Most likely there are also billions of planets like the earth that lie in a sweet spot with liquid water and conditions permitting organic life.

 

We humans have achieved remarkable progress in science and technology. But we exhibit two crucial character flaws. One flaw is that of hubris. We liken ourselves to gods and elevate our importance. Quote from De Rerum Natura: On Nature and Poetry,

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“The universe has a voice,” you boast.

“And you, hubristic fellow,

Would portray its spokesman?”

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A second flaw is our tendency to share beliefs which are anachronistic and in clear contradiction to contemporary knowledge. Quote from The Bridge,

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Their lives were steeped in myth; their beliefs and customs strange!