Our lives are so much more convenient compared with the lives of our ancestors that it’s easy to believe we make it all on our own. But it’s a safe bet to say not a single one of us would be able to survive for long if we were absolutely left to our own devices.
The most astonishing thing about our species is the level of success and dominance we’ve managed to achieve over time. Compared with bears, we’re a flimsy lot; we couldn’t hope to outrun a tiger; and we have to take the best care of our bodies lest we succumb to an accident that causes injury or death. But modern-day humans have become so intoxicated by delusions of grandeur that we fail to see just how fragile we all are.