What does being a human mean? I believe the answer to that question is as unique as each individual. There isn't one way to interpret that question.What being human means to me maybe different than it is to you or someone else. Personally I believe humans are given a conscious, opposable thumbs, and the high cognitive abilities to serve the world around us. I believe it is my duty as a human being on this earth to help people less fortunate than I am. That is the answer from a more emotional standpoint.
From a scientific standpoint what seperates humans from animals is our cognitive thinking. We have an ability to process information and act based on stimuli from the world around us. Animals have that an ability too, but they are unable to express that through language. Dolphins have a wide variety of sounds they use to communicate with other dolphins in their pod, but they cannot express that in a written way. That's language seperates us from animals as well as our ability to evolve.
Humans are the smartest creatures on this earth there is no question about that, but along with that intelligence came a curse. We are never satisfied with our lives. We are constantly seeking the newest phone, or the best car. We have evolved faster than any other species. While the new technologies are great, the constant need to upgrade our lives, has held us back from really enjoying life. When I see dolphins (I have an obssession...sorry!) in the wild they are always happy, and playful. They lead relatively simple lives, but you never see a dolphin with depression over lack of an ipod.
After going to Belize and seeing the poverty there I came to realize something; the people there had far less than I do, they had no ipods or cell phones or even running water, but they were far happier. The lack of technology, as well as the lack of societal pressure to "go, go, go" , allowed the Belizian people to enjoy their day to day life, and form stronger communal ties. Without our incessant drive for cognitive knowledge, we may be able to sit back and really enjoy the beautiful world around us.
Satisfaction has more to do with cultural differences rather that humanity as a whole. Materialism seems different from cognitive knowledge and is the disappointment that comes from materialism not human? Are we setting ourselves up for disappointment from looking for happiness in cold, unfeeling technology. Also who says life was meant to be only enjoyed? it is also meant to be experienced which means taking the bad emotions along with the good. Is it technology that make us unhappy or is it the disconnect from the natural leaving us feeling empty.
ReplyDeleteWhat it means to be human *is* a complicated question. And while I agree the definition can vary from person to person, I feel compelled to question yours. The are certain personality disorders which may include a lack of conscience. As you say you believe humans are given a conscience, do you view people suffering from these disorders as not being human? You also say that human beings are unique in being able to express our cognitive thinking, because we have a written language. Do you really believe that non-written communication is less powerful, and if so, does that mean that in the thousands of years before written language was developed, homo sapiens were not truly human? I do not mean to discount your opinion, I merely feel it leaves a great deal of human history out of "being human."
ReplyDeleteIn your third paragraph, you state definitively that humans are the smartest creatures on earth. This leads into what I personally believe is part of "being human." I feel as if it is a solely human trait to believe that just because the way we act and perceive our own thoughts is unique, we are more intelligent than other species. Additionally we believe we have evolved faster than other creatures. Because you spoke of dolphins in your post, I shall use this Douglas Adams quotation, from "The Hitchhiker's Gude to the Galaxy," to help illustrate the point I am trying to make. "On the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons." I believe it is good, and part of being human, for us to question whether all our so-call achievements really places us high than other creature.