As of now, I'm going based on Onyemobi's observations, so I'm mulling theories over and learning just like you. What I will offer you is my own common sense theory. I don't believe we were as saintly as all that because, though I respect Onyemobi's idea, I tend to diverge a bit in that I don't believe civilizations are destined to fall unless they are going in a corrupt direction. Too much infighting was going on, and this will make the 'family' unit vulnerable to outside attack. Further, if you look at it from a spiritual standpoint, and we are constantly going in up and down cycles, then what true next-level growth can ever occur that way? All we'd ever be doing is going in constant circles...what greater purpose does that serve? If people truly believed that, under all circumstances, the cycles of growth and destruction are a given occurrence, then they would never complain about the injustices and atrocities that accompany them because they'd know it was simply part of the package. I'm sure some will disagree, but that's just me.