Being a human is the most complicated thing on the face of this planet. There are countless explanations and opinions on what it actually means to be human, but who gets the final say? What's the textbook definition of a human being? In my opinion these questions are unanswerable. They are open to interpretation. Sure, there is the medical aspect, the fact that all of us are a jumbled up mess of internal organs, bones, blood, and 70% water. But that's only a small piece of the puzzle. I am fascinated by the fact that all of us are so different from one another. No two person's finger prints are the same. However, we all share one thing in common: we all have emotions. Not one of us is emotionless. Yes, there are arguments in reference to people who have performed unspeakable acts, and that by doing so they must not have any emotions whatsoever. Take serial killers for example. Many have argued that since one person has killed another, they must not have any emotions, because what they have done is considered to be 'inhumane.' That one serial killer has just as many emotions as you or I, but they are just conveyed in a very different, radical way.
Guys don't freak out, I'm not a closet sociopath trying to hint at the fact that I'm going to go on a mass killing spree or anything, or glorifying serial killers in any way. I have just put a lot of thought into what emotions are and why we ALL have them, regardless of how we choose to show them, and how we're all so different, yet surprisingly similar. "Our insistence on cognitive knowing may already have robbed us of some of our capacity for being human."We are all constantly trying to out-do one another, trying to know and achieve more than the next guy. We want the answers to everything- we seldom let things go unanswered; and that is one thing I think we need to stop doing. Not everything has a solid answer, not everything can be solved like an algebraic formula. Some things are meant to go unanswered.
So, how do we fix this? We need to let things be. We need to stop trying to invent a new thing every five seconds, we need to stop asking 'what if?' We need to appreciate what we have all around us, our natural habitat- the earth itself. The natural world does so much for us, yet we are so unappreciative of it.
I have just one question. Do you mean that everyone has all the types emotions or just some, because if you mean all emotions I disagree. Take someone with anti-social disorder, they are known for their aggression, but they lack sympathy and remorse. However, I think that human emotions have a big impact on what makes us human. We need emotions to create things, and while doing that we give others the same emotion too.
ReplyDeleteWow, I really like how you explained serial killers DO have emotions. Like you said, many people accuse killers of having no emotion, which is why they would have the nerve to kill someone. But I think they have too much emotion if anything, and the inbalance of sadness or depression can make them do horrendous things. I also support how you want people to enjoy what's happening now instead of worrying what's up the road. Lately, I've been very excited to leave Keene and go to college, but I need to stop and enjoy my amazing family and friends. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI relate to this poem, sometimes ignorance is bliss. Humans rest easier knowing less about possible ways the earth will end or that a man someone knew as a father is actually not. Science gives instant proof of genealogy. This quotation demonstrates that humans shouldn't worry about knowledge. "We seldom let things go unanswered; and that is one thing I think we need to stop doing. Not everything has a solid answer, not everything can be solved like an algebraic formula. Some things are meant to go unanswered." The thought that the left brain may have overdeveloped is an interesting one. I would say after cities came into existence was when the left brain took off into humanity.
ReplyDeleteYour point about our ever-competitive nature was very insightful. As a species, we have an innate drive to one-up each other in a perpetual process. While this does have a biological explanation, it is no longer as biologically necessary as for any other species. I see it as a subconscious connection to the animal world. Although we claim to be so much more intelligent and logical, we still share many things with our animal brethren. Much of our social interactions hinge upon primitive biological functions such as pheromones, yet we claim that it is all logic. We need to realize how much we really share with animals.
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