Are We Evolving Backward?

Humanity’s story has always been one of struggle, adaptation, and triumph of the mind. The folds of our grey matter, the neural highways of thought and creativity, are not accidents—they are the result of ages of evolutionary sharpening. These grooves allowed us to imagine, create, and reflect in ways no other species could. Yet today, the very organ that made us human seems under threat. Not from disease or disaster, but from our own choices

Artificial intelligence, social media reels, unchecked capitalism, and an education system that curbs curiosity are slowly turning us into passive beings. Like monkeys that lost their tails when balance was no longer essential, we may lose the folds of our brain when deep thought is no longer demanded. Evolution does not ask what is noble; it preserves what is useful. And if survival in the 21st century demands only consumption and competition, we may be devolving into instinct-driven beings once again.

The Brain: Use It or Lose It

The human brain is a marvel, densely folded to maximize neurons and connections. These folds gave rise to abstract thought, moral reasoning, and creativity. But like unused muscles, neglected neural pathways weaken. The problem is not that technology exists—it is that it encourages us not to use the very abilities that shaped us.

The human brain is a marvel, densely folded to maximize neurons and connections. These folds gave rise to abstract thought, moral reasoning, and creativity.

AI can write essays, solve equations, and even compose music. Reels feed us endless entertainment in seconds. Comfort and abundance reduce the need for effort. The brain is slowly being bypassed, reduced to consuming rather than creating. And what we do not use, we lose.

The Evolutionary Parallel

Evolution is efficient. Monkeys once relied on tails for survival in treetops. When that necessity vanished, evolution discarded the tail. Humanity’s folded brain, rich in creativity and reflection, exists because it was once crucial. But if modern life reduces thought to instinct and consumption, those folds may one day flatten.

The comparison is chilling: just as monkeys no longer need tails, humans may no longer need imagination, empathy, or deep reflection to “survive” in a system run by machines, algorithms, and shortcuts.

The Curbing Education System

Education should be the training ground for thought. Yet today’s system often narrows rather than expands the mind. Instead of nurturing curiosity, schools and universities too often reward memorization, conformity, and test scores. The result? Generations trained not to think, but to obey.

Education should be the training ground for thought. Yet today’s system often narrows rather than expands the mind.

When children are punished for questioning and creativity is sidelined for efficiency, we produce individuals conditioned to follow, not lead. In such a system, the brain’s potential shrinks—not because it lacks capacity, but because it is never allowed to stretch.

Capitalism and the Rat Race

The rise of capitalism has given us prosperity, but also chains disguised as opportunities. We run endlessly in a rat race for jobs, promotions, and possessions. There is little time left to pause, reflect, or imagine beyond survival.

In this race, humans are reduced to instincts. Hunger for position drives us to undercut others; jealousy in relationships sparks violence. These are the same primal drives that rule animals whose brains never developed folds of morality and reflection. But for humans—creatures capable of philosophy, art, and empathy—to be reduced to the same instincts is a profound tragedy.

The rat race not only consumes time but also corrodes values. We act upon impulses rather than reason, competing like predators in the jungle, though we live in cities of concrete and glass.

The Shame of Instinct-Driven Humans

Animals kill for food or mates because they know no alternative. Humans, however, spent millennia developing a brain capable of distinguishing good from bad, of reflecting on consequences, of building societies and civilizations. Yet in today’s world, we kill over jobs, money, and jealousy—primitive instincts disguised in modern clothes.

In today’s world, we kill over jobs, money, and jealousy—primitive instincts disguised in modern clothes.

When a species that evolved to think, reflect, and empathize abandons those capacities, it is not just violence—it is regression. It is a shame that we, after centuries of struggle toward higher consciousness, willingly fall back to the level of unthinking animals.

The Collapse of Law and Order

What should safeguard society—law and order—too often collapses into favoritism and bias. Justice is tilted toward power and privilege, leaving ordinary people disillusioned. In such a world, rules lose meaning, and instincts take over. People no longer trust systems; they act impulsively.

This erosion of order reinforces the cycle of devolution. If fairness and morality are not upheld by institutions, why should individuals strive to uphold them in their personal lives? The brain, capable of justice and reason, is sidelined in favor of raw survival instincts.

Laziness in the Age of Abundance

Ironically, abundance also fuels decline. Our ancestors sharpened their minds because survival demanded it. Every invention was born of necessity. Today, necessities are delivered at the tap of a screen. Passive consumption is one of the many factors why were may be evolving backward. Food, entertainment, answers—all are instant. Struggle, the very soil of growth, is replaced by ease.

This ease breeds laziness, and laziness breeds stagnation. The brain, deprived of challenge, begins to wither. Just as sedentary lifestyles weaken bodies, cognitive ease weakens minds.

Are We Devolving?

Evolution is not about moving forward but about adapting to circumstances. If survival now requires nothing beyond passive consumption, maybe the brain will indeed simplify. The folds may flatten; creativity may fade. Humanity could devolve into a species that survives comfortably but without imagination, empathy, or higher purpose.

Passive consumption is one of the many factors why were may be evolving backward

It is chilling to imagine a future where humans exist not as thinkers but as instinct-driven beings, indistinguishable in behavior from the very animals they once surpassed.

Resisting the Decline

Yet decline is not inevitable. Just as we exercise our bodies in an age of sedentary living, we can exercise our minds in an age of passive consumption. The path forward lies in conscious resistance. Education must be revived to encourage questioning, creativity, and reflection instead of blind conformity. Passive consumption of reels and endless scrolling can be replaced with books, meaningful conversations, and art.

Success needs to be redefined beyond the capitalist rat race, shifting the focus toward meaning, relationships, and creativity. At the same time, systems of law and governance must be strengthened to reward justice over favoritism so that reason can replace impulse in public life. Above all, individuals must deliberately practice thought—writing, painting, imagining, and reflecting daily—even when AI could do it faster. The brain thrives on use, and the more we challenge it, the stronger it will remain.

The Future We Choose

The folds of our brain are the legacy of evolution, the very mark of what it means to be human. But they are not guaranteed. If we continue to outsource thought to AI, attention to reels, values to capitalism, and justice to favoritism, we may watch the slow flattening of our minds.

Above all, individuals must deliberately practice thought—writing, painting, imagining, and reflecting daily—even when AI could do it faster.

There is still a choice in preventing ourselves from evolving backward. Evolution may shape us, but culture, education, and conscious action can resist decline. We must reclaim our capacity to think, to reflect, to act beyond instincts. Otherwise, history may remember us not as the species that reached the stars, but as the one that devolved back into the jungle of its own making.

About the Author

I am Sanchari Mukherjee, a student doing Masters in English from the reputed Presidency University, Calcutta. I love writing and appreciate art in all forms. Being a literature major, I have learnt to critically comment on things of various kinds. I take a deep interest in deconstructing the various essential structures and revealing the mechanisms of their working. Really glad that you came across my blog, hope you found it covering some critical insights essential for progress!