Let us take seriously that UFOs are real, but they do not make contact because we are too far removed from them technologically to be worth the trouble.  Scientists discuss alien intelligence in various ways one big way is using the Kardashev scale. This uses the energy utilization of a species that lives in a civilization, broadly defined, to discuss their capabilities and scientific advancement. On this scale us humans might not be worth talking to and should not expect to be.

Kardashev Scale

A 1 on this scale is a civilization that utilizes all the energy resources of its home planet.  A 2 on this scale utilizes the energy resources of its home star.  3 utilizes the energy resources of a galaxy, and a 4 utilizes the energy resources of their local galaxy cluster.  On this scale right now we humans are somewhere between 0.5 and 0.8.  For some comparison hunter gatherers would be at about a 0.1, beavers (second only to humans in how much they modify the environment) would use 0.01 and ant colonies 0.001. 

Consider what we ourselves do with cultures or creatures that are intelligent but score lower on the Kardashev scale.

Hunter gatherer societies of humans were driven to near extinction and now we either try to “civilize” them or we keep our distance so that disease do not decimate them.   This is what we do with humans who live a simpler life.

Beavers are considered a pest in a lot of situations and we used to routinely kill them for fur hats.  Though they build dams, which modify the environment to produce shelter and much of the food they eat in the resulting ponds.  

Ants get sprayed with pesticide.  Even though some species engage in a form of agriculture.  Leaf cutter ants do not eat the leaves but use them to grow a fungus which they then consume.

In fact, many of us reading about the above three groups may have scoffed at some part of the above being considered intelligent.  Clearly the “civilized” are superior to the savage.  Clearly the bevers building a dam is totally instinctual.  Clearly ant colonies are simply insects acting on basic instinct.  None of which are worthy of being thought of as a simple, low energy variety of civilization!   

What would stop aliens from thinking these same things about us? Nothing!   

We Are Not That Special.

As supreme as we think we are among the animals to evolve on Earth, the height of God’s creation.  To a late-stage level 2 civilization that travels between stars at will, likely using physics we might barely comprehend if they told us, we are as lowly as the beavers and indistinguishable from the hunter gatherers.  Indeed, to such a civilization we are just one big war from being hunter gatherers all over again.

There are good reasons to think that the unidentified flying objects, UFO’s, are terrestrial.  Much is done in secret before it is revealed to the public.   Thinking that aliens would certainly want to talk to us ever so smart human scientist is not one of them.   We are not that special and likely need to step our game up before first contact would be made.