Parasites--are We Any Way Better?

Yesterday my grandson sent me a mail about parasitic plants.

While contemplating to reply him, a case cited by a scientist came to my mind. The scientist had a small swelling on his head.It was thought to be mosquito bite.Even after a week, the trouble continued.The small swelling turned into a lump with lot of irritation.On further investigation it was found that there was a moving object inside his head. and lo, it was an insect of about one and a half inches.
How did he allow an uninvited guest inside his head? It was a botfly.

" Botflies are parasites.The mother fly lays the egg and silently glues it on to the wings of mosquito.When the mosquito bites any human being, the egg is injected into the system and the egg is hatched inside the human being and the fly sucks the blood of the man and grows well."

If any surgeon tries to remove the fly, it just penetrates inside and inside..
Now a trick was played. A few pieces of meat were placed beneath the layer of the skin of the patient near the lump. The fly started penetrating the meat thinking that it was the flesh of the patient. By scrupulous methods the fly was allowed to come to the surface and it was carefully removed..The mother fly's intention was quite different and it resulted in the baby fly having a different host.

We are talking ill of these parsitic plants and animals sucking the host and even killing it.
But just think for a while.Are human beings better any way?
Almost every single human on earth spends 3/4 of a year of their life sponging off another person. They take their food, their oxygen, they live with them while constantly exhausting the host. Often they make their host sick and can even endanger their life. Eventually the parasite gets so large off the “hospitality” of the host that the host has no choice but to rip them out of themselves , most often damaging themselves in the process.
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Humans due to their higher cognition abilities have the ability to turn things to their advantage but it comes at a cost. It disturbs the balance in nature and slowly the repercussions start to be felt.
Humans have another flaw that worsens the situation, Greed. They keep taking everything and upsetting the balance further and further. There will come a point when the balances will rip so far that the scales themselves might topple.

Parasites are not greedy, what they do is to use the host for their advantage whereas humans out of greed keep accumulating resources far beyond they would ever need in their entire lifetime. A leech does not suck blood till the host is dry, it sucks blood to the point it is full without giving back anything in return.

Humans milk the environment and others till it runs dry, not until they are full. Humans are never full. This is beyond parasitic, its just gluttony.
No doubt we are parasites.We have drawn every particle of sand from the river bed.No sand is available for construction.All the water bodies and agricultural lands have been converted into concrete jungles.There is no water to drink.Shortage of rainfalls, no greenery to facilitate formation of clouds.To add insult ,plastic garbage tops the pollution list.How can we land in Swachcha Bharat?

So long I have talked about people exploiting nature.In real life situations we have parasitic friends and relatives who just suck our health and wealth taking advantage of our 'Daakshanyam' attitude.
I have seen many financially sound relatives keep their savings safe, exploit their relatives and leave them dry while their balances are safe.In middle class families this is an ego related issue.

Human parasites are far more dangerous than animal and plant parasites.
Are we not more condemnable ?
Just a food for thought.

Jayasala 42

 

Dear Monica,Thank you very much.Plastic articles offer lot of comforts.Some 60 years back we would have laughed at somebody who went without taking any vessel for shopping to get milk /oil.Once getting used to comforts, we don't have mind to leave the comfort, however reasonable one be.Somehow something has to be done to create awareness.The result will be slow, yet not an impossibility.

Jayasala 42

 

Thank you Nandini.

Jayasala 42

 

Dear KKrish,

Agreed that the development of civilization is inclusive of certain exploitations .Yes,there is selfishness in animals and that is the theory of 'the survival of the fittest'is all about.But human beings with rationalization indulge in too much exploitation-that cannot be termed as mere selfishness .It does n't stop with self interest ,interests of their own kith and kin for generations but leads to destruction of millions.What is the use of reasoning gifted to human beings? Can we compare ourselves with other creatures who act with self interest?If justification is done on this score,all the unscrupulous activities will have some justification or the other.

Jayasala52

 

Dear Agatha,
You are right.Everyone of us would have been exploited over some situation or the other.On many occasions,social compulsions drive us and force us to accept such situations just to avoid conflict at home.Children exploit parents, usurping whatever is available leaving parents at old age home .When we were young, when girls started earning, many parents enjoying the monthly income of their daughters somehow delayed the marriages of their daughters wantonly .Girls who were not in a position to choose their partners remained unmarried.In our S.S. L. C. batch ten girls ,now in late 70s remain single even today.Does this not amount to exploitation by parents of their own children? After all parents also are human beings and can't be expected to be selfless for ever.
Now also exploitation continues in some other fashion,some other form.Lawyers go on postponing hearing;Corporate hospitals go on extending stay in ICU ,don't hesitate to keep even corpse in ventilator under the pretext of observation and hand over the mortal remains after 10 days, after extracting a few lakhs more and finally give their verdict as 'God's Will'.The anxiety of the parents to save their children or the request of the son to save his parents at any cost-are definitely being exploited.
Request for 'quick approval' leads to ignoring vital aspects in building norms and all for money.We are being exploited everywhere -at the educational institutions, at banks, at hospitals, at workspot and even at crematorium.
Who is to be blamed?We are ashamed of ourselves!

Jayasala 42