The Human Animal

Like it or not, humans act like animals. Perhaps that, despite what theists and others will say, is because we are essentially just animals ourselves. We eat, we sleep, and we die. We just like to think of ourselves as somehow a cut above everything else. Perhaps we are destined to be more, but just saying we aren't animals doesn't hold any water.

Sure, we know how to use fire. And create it. And we know how to use other tools. Yet when it comes to our social practices, it seems we are backwards. The most dangerous practice that humans share with animals is the tendency to form groups.

Forming groups is important for the survival of any animal species. If all the animals of a certain species were to band together and work as a single unit, they would eventually run out of resources. This is especially true of predatory animals. Think of wolves, for example. If all the wolves within a certain biosphere were to band together, they would be cooperating to capture food. When they compete, they kill off members of each others' groups, thus reducing the number as a whole. But if they cooperate, they will only grow in number, thus overwhelming the supply of prey, and leading to the eventual starvation of the wolves in the area. Thus, groupings within animals is important.

Humans, however, have developed tools. In current times, these tools include weapons that could easily devastate whole cities. Yet we have kept our tendency to form groups. These groups are better known by other names. We call them races, nationalities, religions, social classes, and genders. We separate ourselves, instead of working together. We do this in a time in which we no longer need to worry about gathering enough to eat. Instead, populations starve as others stuff their bellies and their store houses next door. We bomb each other instead of make peace. We hate instead of cooperate. And we oppress instead of discovering the what mutual respect could bring. With the aforementioned weapons, we run the risk of annihilating ourselves.

It is in this, that I believe most of our problems lay. Ideas, such as racism, should have been dropped into the void of the past long ago, yet it is still a very current and powerful issue. Humans are still very willing to hate. We still identify mainly by our nationalities, thinking of the people from other countries as potential enemies, instead of part of the human race as a whole. Religionous bigotry is a mere biproduct of a need to segregate ourselves. Those with money still horde it, instead of sharing it, and potentially improving their own lot as well, as many of those who could not afford education might have brought advances that would have improved life. And we still see a need to force people into regimented and rigid gender classes, that serve to hurt every person, as people's ability to give voice to speech is stiffled.

So, instead of something more, we seem to still be animals. As time goes on, we ebb between progress and regress, always on the cusp of discovering a new existence. But for now, we stand still with the wilderness, with our eagerness to destroy ourselves.