People are funny

You know, people are in a similar relationship to themselves (individually), as the mass of humanity on earth today is to the planet earth they live upon. That is, neither has a clue, nor any tools whatsoever, to effect meaningful changes, though it certainly appears otherwise, both to the individual, and to humanity in general.

Some obvious examples.

Hurricanes. They do, and threaten to do, tens of billions of dollars of damage every year, yet humankind - and of course we're talking about, scientists - have no, even foreseeable possibility of controlling them; they can't keep them from forming, can't keep them from growing, can't alter their course once the engine is up and running, and can't protect themselves once they make landfall (except, like the little cowards they are, to run away.)

Need we mention, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, epidemics, plagues, floods, etc., etc?

Same with oneself.

Bad moods. They do, and threaten to do, considerable damage to one's life - if not physically, though they do affect one's physiology, as they are generally due to one's physiology - and one's relationships, since they are most often expressed in angers, tempers, outrages, outbreaks, hostilities, and other sorts of "hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and afterwards (in many cases) floods (streaming from the eyes in faux or real "sorrow for what I've done").

Get the picture?

People are funny.
They think they can start or follow some religion, some teaching, some guru, some psychological or philosophical system, and effect real and lasting changes within themselves, but it's a joke, and nobody realizes it. Their "inner scientist" (the one following the religion, teaching, system - the one, "in the know") is virtually at a total loss, as regards changing anything about themselves - and that includes physiologically as well as psychologically, and especially (the really Big One), their consciousness.

Oh sure, medical doctors "seem" to have gained a handle on certain illnesses, and people DO live much longer than they did 200 years ago, but they still can't cure a cold, and also can't cure your bad temper, and also can't cure your constant, continual (day-in and day-out, whether standing, sitting, reclining or sleeping), dreaming (daydreaming, and nightdreaming.)

The changes doctors have made have been, almost at best, simply cosmetic, "of the body". But as to any changes, "of the mind", people are today exactly the same as they were 5000 years ago: that is, they are asking the SAME QUESTIONS today, as they were asking 5000 years ago!!

Yup.
"People are funny." (Art Linkletter, 1954)