Lance Packer
Why do I have friends, family members, a job, a place to live, and things to put in it—but also have those pesky people who frequently disturb my sense of comfort and satisfaction with life? And, it isn’t just people that are a problem. It is also bacteria that cause diseases, bugs that bite, the neighbor’s dogs that won’t stop barking, weeds that keep growing in my garden, trees that crash in a storm, or even elephants that invade my farm crop and tigers that stalk my village at night—all depending on where I live. So, what’s with this assault on everything I like and need? Life can be good if only there weren’t this contention. What’s the problem? The problem is quite simple: All those pesky people, bacteria, bugs, dogs, weeds, trees, elephants, and tigers also have their lives to live—just like you—and are intent on doing it. You’re simply in their way. Or, more precisely, you’re part of their way of getting the necessities for their process of living, just as they’re part of your process of living. We’re all alive and therefore need to control our environment as much as possible. That is the key to answering questions of why life is as it is, not only for humans but for every living thing on Earth. Simply being alive, rather than a rock or a mud puddle, for example, has requirements for existence, and how those requirements are met explains the diversity of our planet’s species. Using examples of many life forms but focusing primarily on humans, Control is the result of a quest by the author to answer these questions of life. Starting with personal experiences, he shares the development of his inclusive answer—control. It is a simple concept, but, like many others such as ecology and evolution, it has a multifaceted foundation and ramifications in life which deserve closer examination. The book involves a detailed discussion of the control paradigm and how it is embedded in other ideas we have, such as self, soul, memory, consciousness, religion, and government. Examples are also given of its application to understanding human past, present, and future life, as well as a broader perspective of how the same concept applies not only to humans but all life forms, simple and complex. It is a dialogue with the reader to propose answers to life’s dilemmas but also raise questions for further thought and exploration. Stimulation of thought and enjoyment of being inquisitive, as well as practical personal application, are goals the author shares with the reader.
