The fragile rope of human civilization

Human civilization resides in a space between the caves of dogmatic extremism and the cliffs of nihilistic despair.

Keeping that balance of the necessary consumption of myth and significance without it sending you to the caves of dogma is one task. The other task is not letting “it’s all bull shit and you die” taking civilization over the edge.

The times of civilization being able to strike that balance like the Classical period and the later renaissance and enlightenment led to culture and scientific breakthrough. Times where civilization retreated to the caves of dogma or to the edge of nihilism brought forth stagnation or destruction.

Aristotle's ethics where virtue is moderation.

Humans need some sort of transcendence to justify their existence but if it rocks towards dogmatic extremism it can be a vicious mistress.

"Man is a rope over an abyss." Nietzsche