A religious man asked me, “If humans were not supposed to rule the world, then why did God give us superior intellect over other creatures?”

To which I responded, “By all measures, I have physical and mental strength that would be considered ‘superior’ to a toddler or a puppy, but I would never consider myself their ruler or owner. I am their caretaker.”

By being bestowed certain strengths and advantages, I was also assigned responsibilities to be their steward, which means my job is not to rule, but to manage these resources for the highest good of all.

And so I will plant carrots for the caterpillars 🐛, and protect the vulnerable seedlings 🌱 that would otherwise be stomped on before they have a chance to thrive, and remove invasive species to maintain the harmonious balance of the ecosystem.

There are two camps of extremist thinkings: one insists that humans are the rulers of Earth and the other one believes humans are ecological useless. Both are wrong. Humans do have an important role in the balanced ecosystem. We’ve just forgotten our roles.