After some thinking, I post this:
Criticism is basically the center of the universe, in a way.
Criticism is the only reason we all conform to each other.
Criticism is the only thing the universe could really "expect" from us.
Criticism is how we subconsciously judge all our actions, and it is what keeps me from adding the name of a random fruit into my self-published book.
Criticism is all we really want from other people, in relationships and in general.
If it were not for criticism, life would be so radically diverse in humans that we would probably effectively wipe ourself out. In that train of thought, does that make us along the lines of a hive mind?
In that train of thought, what if every idea put forth by man deemed credible has only been for what we have experienced in our own culture. That is to say, if we meet aliens, they would be so different that we realize the term "hive mind" is such a huge flop in terms of defining how an entire species thinks, and is based purely off the fact that the aliens are communal, have minds, decide to link them and did this all separately from humanity.
In that light, without comparing humans to another intelligent species, we can really never find out how special and unique we are, nor can we find out our potential.
Likewise, we will never unite as a race until we meet another, because of our competitive nature.
(Inserted comment) That is why I believe the first species we come in contact with will result in a war.
Back to publishing books, nobody would write a book that nobody would read, and I mean nobody would read, including you. We would never develop relationships with something that was apathetic, and you truly knew it to be so. We apply human aspects to pet rocks to make us love them, but really, they are just a rock, and though you would feel bad if someone ripped up a little girl's teddy bear, it's just a collection of fibers.
So, what do we live for if not for each other?
