I think the accounts of humanity evolving from more ancient primates and then spreading across the planet ring true. I realize that, yes, "race" is a series of groupings that are actually superficial. But, it also seems that all humans are related rather closely related. Males from many different groups can mate with females from many different groups and successfully produce viable babies that grow into fertile adults.
So, saying that I do or do not have this sort of blood or relatives of that type doesn't always make sense to me. I don't look Greek and I don't know of any connection between me and the Greeks, but there might be some. Evidently, a great many of my ancestors, including the Neanderthal and Denisovans, walked around the eastern end of the Mediterranean sea on their way to Europe. That route would probably lie them up nicely to stay awhile in the area we now know as Greece.
I learned from friends that the ancient Greeks had three principles they advised following for a better life:
Know thyself
Make no promises
Practice moderation in all things
It is hard to know myself. I seem to be fluid and changing all the time. It's too late to make no promises. I have already made many. But I seem to have a feeling for moderation. Whatever it is, I can come to feel that I have had enough of it, at least for a while. Thus arises a modern puzzle: should I be moderate in my application of moderation? Or, should I be immoderate occasionally or in some things?
I am interested in things that do not become boring or burdensome despite high numbers of repetitions. Breathing all the time, continuing every day to assuage hunger - some things don't seem overdone even with steady streams of actions while on the other hand even four or five days of hamburgers for dinner seems immoderate and unpleasant. It's a puzzle.
