The Stairway of Evolution

Imagine, if you will, the three stairs of human evolution....

The first stair was fairly easy, being only as high as their heads in a standing position. They were able to manage it alone, as individuals. All they did was raise themselves upright against the flat vertical of the step, and with a short leap, they grabbed the flat of the step, swinging one leg up. The momentary pressure of the corner of the stair rubbing on their breastbone was painful, but it was also worth it, for they found themselves standing facing a new step.

The mind stair stood higher, in fact much too high to climb on their own. This one they climbed together. With their increasing intellect, they discovered tools that led them to newer tools that made the third step possible. This third stair is where they are now.

The vertical of the soul stair extends into the sky, far beyond the range of human eyesight. Yet still these human beings stand proud to be where they are, gazing up, wondering what lies atop the soul stair. They have this one more step, and then they'll consider themselves complete human beings existing where they've wanted to be ever since they ascended the mind stair.

In their excitement though, they forget what's behind them, where they've been. With the trial of the body stair long forgotten, the body has become just a nuisance keeping them from cresting the soul stair. This clumsiness of the body quickly translates into sloppy use of the mind. Rather than gathering all the efforts of their bodies and minds, they all shout together how they will climb the soul stair.

Eventually, they divide themselves into groups. One group decides they have the solution, but as they move forward to make their attempt, another group decides they have a better answer. The second group moves forward to spoil the first group's effort, to make way for their own. And so it goes like this....

And so, too, will it continue like this, until every last being among them can agree on where they're all going anyway. Only then will a force come down to retrieve each and every one of them for transport to the top of the third and final earthly step.