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Tue 7 Dec, 2004 09:37 am
My husband and I have had this discussion for months.
Everytime we start this conversation we have a new idea.
Our strongest points have been these :
His .. ' The self actualization.' Meaning.. a human being knows that they have thier own thoughts, feelings and ideas and understand that they are an individual..
Mine ... The fact that we can comprehend the word WHY. We have a solid concept of cause and effect. And that concept is the drive behind our development.
Him and I have argued the points of
1) The opposable thumb. = Monkeys have the same thing. So to us, that wasnt a good basis.
2)Standing up right = When necessary, there are many other mammals that can do the same thing for extended periods of time. Another point that according to us didnt make sence either.
3)The consumption of protien = Yes, the consumption of protien led to our bigger brains.. but that seems really open ended, since we still have animals that are 99% carnivores.. and they are not an intelligent species..
So.. ? What was the defining moment that made humans the dominate species? It sure isnt our capabilities. We run slowly compared to 70% of the other animals on this planet. Our strength is on the lower end of the scale as well . Swimming? Well.. we dont do that so well either. Communication? ALL species have thier own ' language' .
All abilities we have and are capable of doing naturally, as a human, are very general and definatly do not stand out compared to other animals on this planet.
Any thoughts?
I don't think much does seperate us. We don't know for sure if dogs and squirrels have "conscious thought". They don't speak English. :wink: Perhaps they have those thoughts. I sometimes think they do. Sometimes dogs look at you with a very clear indication of what they are "feeling". We could say we are smarter but how is smart defined? The ability to do math? Or survive? I don't think there is much difference between animals and humans but that is just MHO.
Different from animals? It seems as if you're sub-categorizing...
Intelligence and capacity level, maybe?
Hmm.. diffrent from other animals. let me change that. ;-)
How about technology. Our insatiable desire to make our lives easier.
"Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to."
~Mark Twain
FreeDuck wrote:How about technology. Our insatiable desire to make our lives easier.
I think that it falls under the intelligence factor (technology). Don't you?
Almost every behavior of humans as an analog in the animal world, particulary primates. The one distinguishing quality that separates us from all other living species is that we have invented and use symbols. Several other primates can be taught the use of symbols in a limited way, but only we invented them and use them naturally. Everything in our world has a name and an attached meaning. As a result we live in a web of meanings not the natural world. This is our special environmental niche and we have been very successful in it.
So.. vocabulary.. in a nut shell?
It is more than just vocabulary. But language (the rules that create it and make it useful) are a good model for how it works.
superjuly wrote:FreeDuck wrote:How about technology. Our insatiable desire to make our lives easier.
I think that it falls under the intelligence factor (technology). Don't you?
Hmm. Maybe. I kind of saw them as different, though I do see the process of continually making things more efficient as being a sign of intelligence.
I'll have to think about that.
pockets.....with pockets we can carry currency to barter and acquire goods...which makes an economy possible, which must happen to create an infrastructure, also we need to carry a wallet so we can have a drivers license and car keys.....also house keys.... and condoms...because we have to socialize...so yeah, I'd say pockets.....
To add to what Acquiunck said, do other animals negotiate? They may compromise, get their way by size/ force/ intimidation, but can they negotiate in the sense of what humans do in order to buy a car or a house? Can they negotiate in their own language something like, "Okay, you gather the sticks and I'll stick them in the logs for a delicious termit dinner?
Sorta builds on the language / communication / intellegence comparison, but is more complex for the purpose of finding a primary difference.
We're no longer subjected to natural selection, so to speak. Even the mentally or physically impaired still live. Those with genetic disorders can be healed. Even the homeless can live on welfare. I suppose the only exception to this is abortion, HIV, and a few others, but for the most part, I think we have controlled nature to a certain extent. That might be an application of our increased intelligence.
Bi-Polar Bear wrote:pockets.....with pockets we can carry currency to barter and acquire goods...which makes an economy possible, which must happen to create an infrastructure, also we need to carry a wallet so we can have a drivers license and car keys.....also house keys.... and condoms...because we have to socialize...so yeah, I'd say pockets.....
you forgot one other thing..
With out pockets, you can not play pocket-pull....
( welcome back! ) ;-)
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