Humans vs Animals

[ExoByte]

I'm not going to delve too deep into paragraph writing here, as I think this picture explains the point I want to make better than I can.

[Shift]

Are wolves not 'better' at long distance running? That's what I always hear about them, have no idea how or if this has been measured but that was always my understanding.

[Photolysis]

Are wolves not 'better' at long distance running? That's what I always hear about them, have no idea how or if this has been measured but that was always my understanding. Bipedal locomotion is more efficient over long distances. It's how early humans hunted without weapons, by running after prey until they collapsed from exhaustion. It's a method still used by some bush people today in places like Africa. I'm not going to delve too deep into paragraph writing here, as I think this picture explains the point I want to make better than I can. And yes, whilst the human body is inferior in many ways to most animals, due to our far more powerful brains we could develop technology and tools to give the same benefits. A process which might start slowly, but has obviously become superior since technological progress can grow. Clearly (evolutionarily-speaking), going the human route was more successful than raw power alone.

[Denver]

Sure, singular animals surpass us in specific traits one at a time. But there is no animal that has all of the traits that make humans unique. "Unique" then, means "the unique combination of this set of traits (Set H) that only exists in humans." This image doesn't do much to support whatever idea it is positing. "What's the difference?" The difference is that you had to compare one kind of organism (humans) with an entire set of organisms (the whole animal kingdom.) Humans pwn chimps, humans pwn birds humans pwn dolphins etc. Thus, Humans pwn chimps, birds, dolphins, etc.

[Alric]

Having a brain and thumbs is the way to go. There are stuff with prehensile tails and stuff, but with hands, you got two of them. So two hands and being smart enough to use them to make tools is what you need if you want to advance.

[Odd_Nonposter]

We have imagination and can foresee the consequences of our actions.

[grasshoppa]

I didn't know humans could run longer than animals like wolves or dogs. That's impressive. However, you'd still have to be highly trained to do so.

[sloth]

Sure, singular animals surpass us in specific traits one at a time. But there is no animal that has all of the traits that make humans unique. "Unique" then, means "the unique combination of this set of traits (Set H) that only exists in humans." This image doesn't do much to support whatever idea it is positing. "What's the difference?" The difference is that you had to compare one kind of organism (humans) with an entire set of organisms (the whole animal kingdom.) Humans pwn chimps, humans pwn birds humans pwn dolphins etc. Thus, Humans pwn chimps, birds, dolphins, etc. Well aren't we special! Give us a metal! Self importance and self righteousness doesn't mean we pwn anyone. If you ask a pig who is the superior species he will say that he is. If you ask a second grader who is the best at checkers, he will say that he is. Do you see an ongoing theme here? We have imagination and can foresee the consequences of our actions. Monkeys paint objects that don't exist. And foreseeing the consequences of ones actions is shared by many species, no matter how well you deny it. What makes you guys think that superior intelligence is the ultimate in evolution? Isn't the superior species the one that survives in the end? Survival of the fittest? If this is the case, we've already lost. Cockroaches will be around long after we destroy ourselves.

[spockman]

Eh, a pig doesn't have a drive to better than anyone else, it only wants to survive. Humans and pack animals are really the only ones with this drive to be better than the next guy, except in matters of mating and territory. I'm not sure if chimps are really expressing thier ideas through painting, or just having fun making random colors and shapes. And only primates think in the way that we do, (images and concepts. When other animals make decistions and comtemplate things, it is less of a conciouss thought process... No neo-cortex.) But yeah, I agree with you no animal is the best or most evolved. We are only most evolved to our particular habitat or lifestyle. Survival of the fittest is not the fittest as in the stronget. It means the most 'fit' into any particular environment. See how long you consider yourself the pinnacle of evolution in the African Bush. Or, try living in the middle of the ocean. A 'phytoplankton' is far more evolved to that habitat than you. I find it odd that the picture says humans vs. animals, as if we aren't animals. I also think that the paper makes assumptions on what various actions imply. (Example, waiting on wounded members of the party could just be survivalistic instinct. When that wounded animal gets better, it will be an asset and be better for the party as a whole. Many birds do the same thing. And it is probably just instinct for them.) But as far as suggesting that our complexities are shared in part by other animals... Of course our traits will be just advanced forms of other traits! The whole concept of evolution is that we build on the last model. However, one thing I've noticed is that humans are the only things miscontented with themselves in that we always strive to be more than we are. We aren't happy just to survive. We want something greater. I think this came with the knowledge of good and evil. But this is more of a motivation, not really a specific emotion or type of action.

[juroara]

I am the most superior of all!!! But superior is a matter of opinion. Not an objective truth. We see distinct differences between ourselves and animals, and I agree, there is something distinctively different about us. But I would argue one of the biggest differences in mankind, is the fact that we can see ourselves 'outside' of this thing we call nature. 'Man and Nature'. The two and separate. Are we actually separate from nature, or is it all in our heads? Regardless, it seems so human to create these mental divisions. But this natural ability to separate and divide doesn't end there. We take it one step further. We can separate our self..........from our self. This creates not just self awareness, which all animals I believe have, but awareness of self awareness. And I would argue this is unique to man (and possibly the other human species). Why? Anyone who becomes aware of his own consciousness, separates himself from his own actions, emotions and thoughts. And eventually, his own identity of who and what he is. If you were a dog, you would no longer be a dog, but simply consciousness experiencing itself as a dog. And you the dog, would no longer see yourself as a dog. But this consciousness in a dog's body. If you can do this (which we all can, but not everyone does) you can change the self from within. Not because of outside factors - like a trainer rewarding you if you behave a certain way. No, this change is outside of outside factors. If the rest of the animal kingdom was aware of their self awareness, they could rapidly change their outlook on life! And maybe the lioness would think... that lionesses shouldn't hunt!! Maybe the lioness should be the one to lounge around and have her man do all the hard work. Maybe the male lion would question....why do we have to fight over the women? Maybe they should be the ones to fight over us! But the fact that animals in the wild never seem to question why they do the things they do, *since they keep doing the things that they do* I think shows they have never changed from within. They only seem to change their behaviors if we force them to change their behaviors. *by damaging their environment for one* This awareness of self awareness is the heart of why mankind is the way mankind is. It's the spark that transforms evolution from survival of the fittest, to self evolution of self growth and change. It's why we have morality. It's why we have art. It's why we have religion, philosophy, and why we ask why. It's why our evolution has seemed to exponentially explode in the blink of an eye. But this is a mental evolution, not a physical one. And it's because our evolution has become mental, that we feel outside of this thing we call nature. It is impossible for other self aware animals to become aware of self awareness? No. But it's a spark that changes the individual where they can't return to the way they were before. Forbidden fruit. Prometheus fire. Pandora's Box. That animal wouldn't even see them self as the animal anymore.

[Denver]

Well aren't we special! Give us a metal! Self importance and self righteousness doesn't mean we pwn anyone. If you ask a pig who is the superior species he will say that he is. If you ask a second grader who is the best at checkers, he will say that he is. Do you see an ongoing theme here? Yes, but the article/image is proposing an argument that goes something like: "Humans are not as unique, because everything humans have we were able to find somewhere in Mother Nature," which isn't the same. Maybe I was misunderstood, but I was more expressing disagreement with the statement "humans aren't unique." These researchers had to compare Individual population A (Set A)with every other population of life (Set B) in order to prove that Set B is equal to Set A. (or, at least, that Set A isn't so unique.) My usage of "Humans pwn chimps, humans pwn birds humans pwn dolphins etc. Thus, Humans pwn chimps, birds, dolphins, etc." Was a (so I thought) humorous way to describe my position that "compared one at a time to any animal, humans will possess a larger: set of skills, abilities, capacity to analyze, etc." In this way, I think humans pwn animals.

[Kromoh]

There are many things I'd add up to that list. wolves' society many animals (mammals) playing dolphins protecting weaker animals (including humans) from sharks primitive language with apes, whales, etc Also, humans can't run more than animals. That is a complete misinterpretation. There is a huge difference between a record made by someone who dedicated his life to running, and what the average human being can do. --- juroara.. awareness over self-awareness is very arguable. I'd say human beings have awareness over their culture, over their supremacy, etc etc. --- The basic difference between humans and other advanced mammals? The use of fire. It's what allowed primitive humans to cook food, and therefore live with a weaker jaw and allowing for a bigger cranium. Bigger cranium, bigger brain, more intelligence. All the rest is a consequence of that: tools, agriculture, sedentarism, civilization, culture, sport, myth, written language, religion, philosophy, art (including music), natural science, education, slavery, politics, state of right, laws of ethics, commerce, currency, astronomy, oppression, war, technology, medicine, advanced science, industry, media, automation, supremacy. It's related to chaos theory: one little difference tends to produce a greater difference over time.

[DeathCell]

Blame the magic mushrooms our ancestors ate.