Recently, I have returned to a more natural way of life. What does that mean, you ask? Well, I have not joined a nudist colony — however, I did consider it in-depth. And no, I did not decided to hunt my own food and become a hermit in the more northern reaches of Canada.

But I have been spending more time outdoors fishing, hiking and camping. Aside from the therapeutic and calming effects of these types of endeavors, I have been enlightened to something about us, the human beings.

At a variety of times throughout my life I have been educated that the human species is the most intelligent and advanced creature to inhabit the earth.

Whether it was my grade five biology teacher, or those really smart scientist types on the learning channel, they have all said it. However, I have recently come to understand that they were wrong. We, as a race, do some of the stupidest and personally damaging things.

My first example deals with a storm that occurred a couple weeks ago when the tornado sirens began wailing in Ames: What did you do? I know what many of my friends and myself did; we ran for the door or closest window and stood on our lawns in hopes of catching a glimpse of the funnel.

In retrospect, it was not the most intelligent decision. I imagine that if I saw the funnel it would have been the second to last thing that I would have ever seen before I got an aerial view of Ames and Story County.

A second example of our lack of intelligence is that we have this urge to fight battles we will never win. Granted, I am a card-carrying optimist and would encourage anyone to fight any battle to the end and stand up for what they believe in.

However, I also believe in using your brain and not putting yourself in a position that questions your right to live, without pain and without broken ribs.

Last weekend in a local bar, I saw the most unbalanced bar fight ever. One half of the sparring pair was a definite candidate for playing the lead role in “Revenge of the Nerds: The Nerds Reunite,” and his opponent was some steroid junky who’s neck would not fit through a manhole cover.

The guy was huge, and he squished the nerd like a little bug. Intelligently, the fight was started by the nerdy smaller individual because of a spot at the bar.

It was annoying to see that someone would put themselves in a position to have his ass so violently and painfully kicked.

What causes this blockage of reasoning and information in the human mind? When I was younger, my mother would always tell me “Slow down, and think before you act,” or “Think before you speak.”

It is something humans and many other species fail to do. They act out and consider their actions in the aftermath, when it is too late.

We have all seen the power and the violent destruction an oncoming tornado causes.

We, as a species, understand that bigger things can often cause more pain and suffering to the smaller or weaker, so why ask for the trouble?

My other examples include the psychology of the human species. We have all stood on top of a very high bridge or building and looked down. What did you feel?

If you are honest with yourself at this point, you will admit that you had the urge to jump. Not because you have a death wish, but because you feel a certain degree of invincibility.

You felt it because you are human and egotistical.

Why do people drink and drive?

Why do people have sex without taking precautions to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases?

And why does the nerd kick sand in the muscle man’s face? Because we are not the smartest species to inhabit the planet!

Again, I reiterate, I am not trying to depress or oppress anyone. Strive to be the best you can be, fight injustice, battle the evil that threatens to push you down, and set goals and work diligently toward achieving them.

But it would be great if some people actually used our “larger than any other species” brains before they acted.

People can claim that we have been desensitized by television, or that the under-educated and ignorant population is the cause of these problems.

However, I believe that is just passing the buck.

We, as a race, are arrogant and self-centered and believe that nothing can harm us. And it is this egotism that is going to continue to hurt us and prevent us from moving on as a species.

It is kind of depressing, but maybe one day scientists will be able to pin-point the gene that makes us so stupid — or at least one that makes us think before we act.

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Marty Forth is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Ottawa, Canada.