Kevin's Watch

Inspired by the do Animals have Souls thread, what do you all think makes humans specifically different from animals, so much so that we've developed these giant hives that span miles and miles and miles, and built both up and down, have a wierd 'vehicle' system, and also go on and on for hours and hours about the nature of our reality?
Side notes: What makes us demand explanations? Where do our emotions fit in to all this?

A lot of things make us different from animals, not least the fact that we realise there is a difference.

As to what drives us to be the way we are? I'm not sure. The simple answer is development. Our increasing brain size allowed us to question our environment, to seek ways to improve our lot.

Essentially, thats not so different from what animals do. We were driven, at first, to simply propagate the species in the most efficient way that we could.

That soon ceased to suffice. We became so good at it that we rapidly outstripped all other species, and we've never looked back. what makes it possible? Adaptability perhaps? Humans are without doubt the most adaptable species on earth. We flourish in environments that should be completely inimical to life.

1500 years ago, there were less than 50 million people on earth. Now we're well into the billions, and increasing every year.

Perhaps that rapid expansion has left us wondering just what the hell is going on. Perhaps it is an inferiority complex, that makes us believe that we alone are just not that good. That there must be some reason other than blind chance, or nature, for the journey we have made.

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JemCheeta wrote:what do you all think makes humans specifically different from animals?

Opposable (sp?) thumbs. And we can pat ourselves on the head with one hand whilst rubbing our tummies with the other.

What's Central Air?

Monkeys and apes have opposable thumbs too you know

And I guess that Central Air is air conditioning.

Humans can download mass quantities of porn on the Internet, thus making us better than even God, perhaps. Then again, monkeys can climb trees like there's no tomorrow, which is pretty cool, but doesn't involve disproportionately hot women.

Hehehe...
yeah, they have opposable thumbs, and also make tools. I read a study where they taught one of the great apes to use a sort of bug fishing rod, and then introduced it to a population. It taught the others of its kind how to use the tool. Then the scientists transported various members of THAT population into other populations..the knowledge spread.

Ladies and gentlemen...monkey culture.

Well, considering that they estimate a mere 1-2% difference between the DNA of a human and a chimpanzee, it's not such an unrealistic comparison.

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That 1-2% difference seems to make all the difference, doesn't it? I think i am predisposed to think humans "have it good" except for the trappings of our economic world, rife with taxes, insurance, education costs and credit cards to name just a few. It's like Marx's communist model, if only it weren't for human nature, things might be that much better.

Yeah, I think the human advantage lies in its options... long term communication... the appreciation of patterns is really good too.
All the various quests we can go on in our lives both internal and external... we can travel anywhere on the globe....

Ok, Iguess all of you grew up in relatively houses so you wouldn't have central air. Central air is where you don't have any heating or A.C. vents in your house. There is a heater in the middle of the house (usually in the floor) and it just pumps out hot air and it is supposed to circulate throughout the house. But I don't think either of us has it better. Monkies have to deal with pesky humans, and then we have really omplicated lives. It's atoss up.

You know, looking back on this, I'm thinking humans are animals, and its pretty silly to draw lines between them.

Agreed, in a sense, because humans are certainly animals in a biological sense. However, it's obvious that there is a big difference between us and other species.

--A

I think this is going to get back into determinism, especially if you think that main reason is free will

Not sure if the main reason is free will. My instinct is to say that the main reason for the difference is humour.



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Humm.. that would explain why my slapstick never impressed my dog. My, the looks he would give me after I hit him in the face with a banana cream pie.

Sure, there was gratitude there. But humour? Not at all.



On a serious note, I remember reading Stranger in a Strange Land, and at the end of it the main character understood humour based on how awful everything is...that we have to laugh, or else.

JemCheeta wrote:...that we have to laugh, or else.

Thats it. Laugh or cry. And Joy is in the ears that hear.

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