Trust Us. But Don't *Trust* Trust Us.

If you missed it, there is a galactic merger going on between the Milky Way, Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies happening right now! I already took a first stab at a merger agreement between the galaxies - pro bono, I might add.

Pictured: Come on, did you miss that day in elementary school? You should know this.

One of the notes in the agreement was to query whether life exists in other galaxies. At this stage we have no way of knowing (unless the government knows something we don't; I don't think so, but I wouldn't put it past them to keep it a secret).

If we ever make contact with another form of life, we will have a lot to do in the way of introductions. One of the most important things to communicate is that humanity, as a whole, is good (and therefore should not be obliterated) but that there are bad actors that permeate society. Heck, we should probably warn them that we are self interested enough that, if it comes down to us or them, we are picking us. But we still shouldn't be obliterated. It will take a delicate balance.

Pictured: What we are trying to avoid.

I feel like a fair way to decide exactly how to communicate this would be best figured out in some sort of contest. So, here's a submission. Just in case.

***

It's been great getting to know you over the past few days. But there's something you need to know about humanity going forward. Overall, we like to believe that we are respectful and a force for good. But that is not always the case.

Each person has a separate existence. We don't have any kind of hive mind or way to agree unanimously across the species. Therefore, each of us has a different idea of what constitutes "right" and "wrong." We have tried to standardize this over the course of our existence, enshrining various principles in religions, laws and norms.

Most of us agree on the basics. For example, if you ask any person at random, you can probably get them to say that killing others is bad and stuff like that. But, if you look through our history, you will see that we don't adhere to these rules in many circumstances. Even the government that I represent routinely kills others in "wars" and other situations where we feel our safety is threatened. We can justify just about anything to ourselves.

We also have a horrible track record for how we treat anyone we perceive as different. Even now, our society is plagued with violent intolerance against our own for things like the color of their skin, what chromosomes people were born with, who people choose to spend time with, and other matters that should be trivial. Then you have individuals that simply don't care about others or want to watch the world burn; those who enjoy hurting others just for the sake of it.

We are also a selfish species. Because each individual exists in their own bubble, we have a preference for preserving our own life over others.

I wish I could tell you that the world will welcome you with open arms but that would be a lie. Truth is, you will probably face unprecedented treatment - even to the degree that your safety and well-being cannot be guaranteed in most of the world.

If it sounds like humanity is wretched, you wouldn't be wrong. We have never been in a place where we are remotely close to everyone on the planet living in harmony.

But there is hope in our future. For instance, we currently live in the most peaceful time our world has ever known. There are certainly moments where we regress and fail, but I believe humanity is getting better and that it is worth preserving. Indeed, our contact with you will probably get many people to see that we are all the same.

For now, when dealing with large organizations of people such as governments, companies and NGOs, you will find that such institutions can typically be trusted to do what they say they will do. But you should remain weary of both individuals and humanity as a whole. I hope and pray that I live to see the day that you will not.

Pictured: We really are all the same.