Sure we are, that doesn't lessen our species or it's accomplishments in any way either. Not a big deal in my mind.
Well, if you're only interested in pedantry, I should remind you that I said "transfer" and not "transmit". This should be obviously because you quoted me, substituted a different word and then made you're ridiculously stupid statement based on the word you decided to add.loc978 said:Nope, that would be language. Ideas are not "consciousness", and your definition is inaccurate. Language cannot transmit thoughts, nor does it transmit ideas directly. It transmits through a medium, be that paper, LCD, or vibrating air.Salad Is Murder said:Was the bullshit you're referring to this:
Salad Is Murder said:...thousands of years ago we created a system by which one human can transfer complex thoughts, ideas, tactics and whatever else directly into the mind of another human.
Well...it IS a fact. Not really anything to debate about it. And no, there's not "more to the question".Caramel Frappe said:.. Half of the first page .. people are fighting over the topic, as if no one can ever ask such a question.
.. *sigh* Even if you feel the topic is simple, there is always more to the question then one may think. For example, even if everyone on Earth agrees about humans being animals and it's a fact... it still can be discussed on even deeper levels.
All of which boil down to a survival instinct. The parameters have changed but in the end all of that is still methods, motives, and goals for survival.OT: Interesting topic overall because humans are animals... but aren't the usual animal.
We're not focused on survival like most animals. We do not mate once just to get kids popping out in case we die the next day. We do not even worry about most issues that animals face like being dominated by the alpha male, or that when going to sleep- you're going to die by a sudden assault. Now, certain people in the world do face such fears because of where they live, but in society.... it's very likely that your biggest concern is scoring those A's in school or keeping your job.
There are vast scores of other species that stay with a single mate for their entire lives. This isn't something that's exclusive to humans.Scientists have seen the way our brain works. We have emotions that can overpower logic, or to the degree that we are driven by emotion. When we're in love, people stay with that partner most of the time rather then sleeping around just to pop out kids (though, cheating and having multiple wives exist... but I am talking about the norm here.)
Just because we've invented what we would consider "advanced" technology does not mean we are "more evolved" than the rest of the animal kingdom.To me, humans are unique because we shouldn't have these luxuries. What made it possible for humans to be the smartest things alive? What made it where we can dominate the world and not worry about other animals becoming like those apes in Planet of the Apes? Sure, no animal can surpass us but have you ever wondered why we... as a species, got fortunate and gained the skills/IQ/ability to be more then just an animal living on primary instinct? It's crazy really... we even have developed technologies that don't have anything to do with survival, but to just entertain ourselves aka TV, video games, movies, reading books, ect. When was the last time you saw an animal reading the classic Dracula book? Humans are just extraordinary that it baffles my mind.
Asking "Why us" or thinking your innate abilities were "gifted" is assuming there was some intelligent force behind our advancement. It assumes there was some supernatural "thing" that steered us in a specific direction.I know what you're thinking, "Natural selection and human genetics are what made humans, human. Duh." But again, why us? Why not any other specie back then or now? Just thinking about it- heck just typing makes me wonder how I was gifted to be human, you know?
Not sure I buy the burying and flowers story. That sounds a bit farfetched to me. (Though I'm open to being proven wrong on it, so please point me to the story. It sounds inspiring if true.)Then again, animals are kind of like people too. There are elephants who've buried their dead and have placed flowers on the grave... only to chase off anyone who gets to close. Why would an animal care or go out of their way in doing that? Why does a dog stay loyal to their master even to go up against a bear rather then fleeing? Why do dolphins take drugs under the sea and troll people? (true story).
I agree with most of this. Many creatures are far more intelligent than most humans give them credit for. And, most humans are far less intelligent, rational, and "advanced" than we think we are.Animals seem to be much smarter then the credit we give them... it's just, we cannot understand them and therefore, classify them as lesser creatures. I remember back then, before I was born... people who were handicapped, homosexual, or even by their race were considered less then because of minor differences. It's wrong of all things, but it happened in history. So why does the animal get the same treatment? No, I am not saying save them and let all the cows go before being killed- but what I mean is, why do we see animals less then us? Man's best friend is given the title to dogs for a certain reason. Horses are extremely devoted to people even when we use them to ride around the country... yet, they're treated as less.
We stand on top only in the presence of our own environments; and even then we don't always have control nor the advantage. Outside our "home-turf", we're often very low on the "power ladder".... See now I got myself thinking WAY deeper then I possibly thought I would XD.
Overall, living things are all unique in their own right. Humans may be superior, but we cannot see in the dark like bats do. We cannot smell even close to the levels that dogs can. We do not bear the strength of a bull nor have the lungs that whales do. We lack features that makes other animals stand out, but in power along with intelligence... we stand on top and it gives us the biggest edge. This topic may of been simple, but I got really into it. You can do that to any topic if you put your mind to it.
Yes we are animals. I understand your question, but we are animals.omega 616 said:My immediate reaction to my own question is "of course, fuck knuckle" but I can't decide when I think about it.
We have removed ourselves from the food chain, since we have weapons we can fuck up anything that looks at us funny. It's actually really easy for us to just genocide every species. (of course in a one on one fight, loads of things would fuck us up!)
We don't really hunt, we can but it's more for sport than need to survive.
We have extended our lives far beyond what I think we were meant to. If a wild animal lost a leg, it's dead but humans can have prosthetic. Serious diseases can be managed etc.
We have claimed just about every piece of land worth a fuck and live on it.
We have all kinds of crazy tech that we just take for granted.
On the other hand, we came from animals, we breathe, eat, mate etc.
Just kind of can't make up my mind on the issue and I thought it would be a nice topic to discuss, as I haven't seen it here before and I never want to tread on old ground.
Captcha: "I mustache you why" ... best, most sentient captcha ever!
Edit: I should add, if you think we are still animals, what would make us not animals?
That is very presumptuous. It depends on where you live as to what is hunting you. Dingos hunt human children in Australia. Cheetahs hunt humans in Africa and South America. Mountain Lions hunt people in North America. Ect. Ect. Ect.omega 616 said:What I meant is, nothing hunts us ... we might go on safari and be eaten but it's not like we always have to be on alert for anything, like a rabbit.
Apologies, i meant for neccessity. Ie. Us humans hunt for sport and sometimes food, but only if we feel like it.ClockworkUniverse said:Most of them do.sweetylnumb said:House cats don't hunt
Why can't we coin a new a classification of being, human?Belaam said:Well, we sure aren't vegetable or mineral.
But more sincerely:
an·i·mal
ˈanəməl/Submit
noun
1.
a living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli.
So, um, yes. Undoubtedly. As to what would make us not animals... um I guess downloading our conciousness into computers, robots, etc. Though I'm not completely sold on that ever actually being possible - I'm not sure our minds can exist without the biological elements.
Why would we? It's not even a good vanity project as ultimately it revolves around denial more than anything else. You might as well be asking why we aren't descended from wolves rather than australopiths on the grounds that it's 'cooler to think that'[footnote]And yes, I actually have heard somebody use that exact line[/footnote].omega 616 said:Why can't we coin a new a classification of being, human?
You also don't see children on the council. Would you also like to posit the same about how they separate themselves from children and thus hold no relation to them?Is it such a radical idea to create a new class of being? Think of it like mass effect, star treck, star wars etc ... loads of different races from humans, asari, klingon etc but it's not like slugs, dogs, rancors are all sat in a council in there respective series.
There are races which have a higher level of intellect and separate themselves from animals. Get what I mean?
Except, well, it's not. Animals as a generalization, just instinct based, they eat when they are hungry, mate when it's the season, sometimes play and sleep when they are tired.Asita said:snip
So YOU'RE the reptilian humanoid race secretly running the world, I knew it!FalloutJack said:Humans only get called animals in the proverbial sense. Strictly speaking, we're advanced mammals, but the term 'animal' is reserved for something a bit more primal, namely ruled by instinct over intellect.
Except for me, because I am a humanoid reptile.
First of all I feel obliged to point out that all those traits you just described for animals equally apply to humans. And while I could go into various traits we've observed in various species (such as grief, altruism, tool usage and the like), I really think the root issue is that you're insisting on seeing a classification of 'animal' as a pejorative. It's not. No more so than being classified as chordates or multi-cellular life. These are all things that we fit the criteria for and thus we are. We are also hominids, great apes, primates, mammals, eukaryotes and one of the many species of which life on this planet is comprised. We fit the definition of each and every one of these and to say so is neither cynicism nor self-loathing. It's not meant to make a value statement on human life, nor is it meant to diminish human accomplishment, nor forgive human fault. We're eukaryotes, we're heterotrophic, we lack rigid cell walls, we lack chlorophyll in our cells, and we're capable of spontaneous movement. Anything that possesses these traits is by definition an animal. That's how categorization works. Nothing more, nothing less. We don't cease to fit these criteria because we're particularly clever, and suggesting that we change the definition just to disassociate ourselves with 'lesser' creatures is simple arrogance insisting on treating a categorization system as a vanity project.omega 616 said:Except, well, it's not. Animals as a generalization, just instinct based, they eat when they are hungry, mate when it's the season, sometimes play and sleep when they are tired.Asita said:snip
Humans work, we make choices based off more than just instinct (shall I go on holiday, what car shall I buy, where do I want to live etc).
And you're saying that that same logic doesn't apply to animals' exclusion from these councils, are you?You don't see children on the councils 'cos they aren't mature enough, they can't see the big picture or anything that would be of any value ...