A brief consideration of Homo sapiens
So why is it that we consider ourselves — modern human beings cleverly classified as the genus Homo — to be so very special? In reality, we can’t run nearly as fast as most quadrupedal mammals such as cheetahs, antelope, or even some sun-warmed reptiles. So we invented bicycles and automobiles. We can’t swim nearly as well as fish or marine mammals. So we invented boats. We can’t fly like birds, bats, or insects. So we invented airplanes. Even our “strongest men” don’t have the very powerful muscles like bears and great apes … or even like ants. So we invented machines. We lack any significant claws or sharp teeth like lions. So we invented knives and guns.
As a species, we are saddled with widespread congenital back problems and other musculoskeletal problems from having a vertically oriented spinal column and bipedal posture and gait. We also suffer from a large number of minor illnesses along with a plethora of debilitating and lethal diseases that modern discoveries in medicine and pharmaceuticals can hardly keep pace with.
What is it, then, that makes us so very special by way of our own thinking? Well, for one thing, our upright posture frees our forelimbs from the task of supporting our bodies. Another feature is our hand with an opposable thumb, which allows us to grasp things like tools. But even more important are our highly-developed brains, which give us the ability to think, create, and express emotions such as dispassion, compassion, love, and hatred. Is our brain really that unique and special? Perhaps not so much, as scientists have begun to realize and find that there are some other mammals who are also in the big-brain category that can use tools, figure out problems, and learn how to communicate with us. As also indicated by very numerous examples provided by the Internet and scientific research over the years, many nonhuman animals demonstrate strong feelings among themselves and also with humans.
OK, so we possess big brains, an upright posture, available arms, and hands with opposable thumbs. We also have the potential ability to do abstract thinking, create elaborate ideas and plans, and build on those ideas and plans. What have we accomplished with all this ability? We have invented and developed amazing technological devices, made spectacular medical and agricultural advances and constructed enormous and elaborate cities and are able to study and explore our solar system and the vast universe beyond our tiny home planet.
We have also maintained and even nurtured a fantastic urge and ability to fight wars and commit genocides with or without weapons of mass destruction. Heck, for thousands of years, we’ve had the ability, and have utilized it, to slaughter each other and even obliterate entire groups of other organisms that once shared our planet. This pattern of ancient destructiveness has clearly not changed right up to the present time as we seem to be in the midst of a human-caused major global extinction event. We have become much more efficient at this mayhem as our brilliant brains have developed spectacular weapons of modest to mass destruction, although so far we have barely managed to control ourselves not to employ them on any large scale. Perhaps it is a bit ironic that we worry about various pests such as roaches, ants, rodents, and the like and have formed entire industries in attempts to rid ourselves of such pests. Well, maybe the worst pests of all are actually us humans!
We seem to lack empathy for anything or anyone that is “different.” Maybe in part this is one aspect of the mental baggage left over from our ancient cave-dwelling and nomadic past. Essentially, our brains are collectively still hard-wired towards our primitive existence in small tribal groups concerned with many potential and actual threats from other small tribal groups as well as other predatory organisms. There is nothing like being a prey animal to keep the senses on high alert and the fight-or-flight response constantly ready to be tripped. We still seem to need our tribes. We form, join, and vociferously root for athletic teams, political groups, various religious denominations, and a myriad of secret and not-so-secret social clubs and organizations. As soon as we join and belong to one of these, we become aware of how “different” all the other groups are, and so we tend to maintain our ancient attitudes and may grow to distrust them and consider them to be inferior to our group.
It is apparent by our actions as a species that in general we lack respect or consideration for other creatures who share this itsy-bitsy planet with us. We also seem incapable of controlling our population growth despite the fact that it may be our undoing. We have an apparent desperate need to deny the reality of who we are and what we represent. Collectively, we grasp onto and desperately clutch ancient fairy tales and nonsensical stories and then vigorously deny various major scientific discoveries, theories, and laws that don’t seem to agree with these ancient stories. We do not seem to be using our big brains and gift of intelligence very prudently.
I am reminded of the 1994 Disney movie, “The Lion King.” A song from that movie, “The Circle of Life,” was composed by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. One sentence in that song seems to be appropriate for this discussion. It goes like this: “You should never take more than you give.” I truly think that would be a wonderful concept to become ingrained in our collective human consciousness.
An Idaho, a science teacher kept an alligator snapping turtle as a pet at school and fed it live animals, including recently (March 2018) a “sick puppy.” Because this turtle species is labeled an “invasive species” in Idaho, the turtle was confiscated and euthanized by officials of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. This example seems to me to be a complete circle indicating a perfect lack of human compassion.
The viewpoints expressed above do not necessarily reflect those of The Independent.
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