Humanity...

[Ibn-Khaldun]

What the hell is it????

I see people talk about it but still I don't understand it!

[A Very Super Market]

You mean as an exclamation? Like in the Hindenburg broadcast? Or as the scientific definition?

[Ibn-Khaldun]

No.. I mean your personal opinion.

[Beskar]

Me and you.

[Decker]

Well first off Ibn-Khaldun. What is your opinion?


In my opinion it's everything that makes us different from everything and everyone else.

[Centurion1]

Hmmm, i see humanity as that essential something that separates us from animals. Mostly our intellect but also our morals system

[Megas Methuselah]

"Our species," would be my definition.

[CountArach]

"Our species," would be my definition.

Then that makes the statement that someone can "lose their humanity" quite literally impossible. We may have to go beyond this to having a sense of morality and (I believe) self-awareness. You have to be able to conceive of yourself as an entity I guess.

No idea, just throwing stuff out there.

[Centurion1]

yes is more than our species to be sure. I think it is really as ca said our self awareness. We are aware of our superiority, we are aware of our intellect, we are aware of our conscious.....

[Hax]

our superiority,

Hahahaha, oh would you believe it.

[Viking]

Then that makes the statement that someone can "lose their humanity" quite literally impossible.

Never heard of the expression.

I go with 'specie'.

[Fisherking]

The Community of Man as we collectively try to improve.

That is why so many drop out...

[Centurion1]

Hahahaha, oh would you believe it.

perhaps not physically sure. but intellectually and because of our intellect we are able to become dominant over other animals. As god said (christian) we must be stewards for his earth and all its inhabitants

[Hax]

perhaps not physically sure. but intellectually and because of our intellect we are able to become dominant over other animals. As god said (christian) we must be stewards for his earth and all its inhabitants

Yes, and we failed. Badly.

If there's one thing that'll :flower: this planet up, it's us. You won't see animals making holes in the ozone layer.

Heh, please. "Superior". Different, but certainly not superior.

[Centurion1]

im not goign to turn this into an environmental thread but please. Cows do plenty of carbon emissions all their own. Superior, yes we are. Maybe not in the right but we are superior by virtue of our genetics.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Yes, and we failed. Badly.

If there's one thing that'll :flower: this planet up, it's us. You won't see animals making holes in the ozone layer.

Heh, please. "Superior". Different, but certainly not superior.

We are superior in terms of mental processes alone.

[CountArach]

Cows do plenty of carbon emissions all their own.

Not as many as us... oh, and who domesticated them again?

[a completely inoffensive name]

Anyone thinking that they are somehow superior over another creature, is suffering from the weakness that makes humanity no better then any other creature, arrogance. Arrogance is unique to humanity and serves to completely counter the "intelligence" that human supremacists like to flaunt by turning that intelligence from a tool for progress into a liability for the survival of the human race and the world around us. I don't see pigs almost launching a nuclear holocaust over ideology.

[Megas Methuselah]

Anyone thinking that they are somehow superior over another creature, is suffering from the weakness that makes humanity no better then any other creature, arrogance. Arrogance is unique to humanity and serves to completely counter the "intelligence" that human supremacists like to flaunt by turning that intelligence from a tool for progress into a liability for the survival of the human race and the world around us. I don't see pigs almost launching a nuclear holocaust over ideology.

I have, though, seen pigs do some pretty crazy things in my time.

[A Very Super Market]

By evolutionary standards, nothing is superior, just better adapted to the current circumstances.

[Samurai Waki]

By evolutionary standards, nothing is superior, just better adapted to the current circumstances.

well said.

Humans are weak, we're only mediocre at best with any one of our five senses, and while communication between humans can be done with relative ease, we are almost completely deaf to any other creature. However, we don't need superior speed, or any of the five senses, because our brain is a revolutionary feat that has thus far, been unmatched, it constantly evolves and adapts to world around it. It isn't perfect however, and our power of reasoning and logic may surpass other creatures, but what it lacks, that many other non-primate creatures without a sense of self awareness have, is the application to serve the community rather than the self.

[a completely inoffensive name]

well said.

Humans are weak, we're only mediocre at best with any one of our five senses, and while communication between humans can be done with relative ease, we are almost completely deaf to any other creature. However, we don't need superior speed, or any of the five senses, because our brain is a revolutionary feat that has thus far, been unmatched, it constantly evolves and adapts to world around it. It isn't perfect however, and our power of reasoning and logic may surpass other creatures, but what it lacks, that many other non-primate creatures without a sense of self awareness have, is the application to serve the community rather than the self.

We have nine senses:
1. Sight
2. Hearing
3. Taste
4. Smell
5. Touch
6. Balance
7. Temperature
8. Pain
9. Kinesthetic

[Decker]

We have nine senses:
1. Sight
2. Hearing
3. Taste
4. Smell
5. Touch
6. Balance
7. Temperature
8. Pain
9. Kinesthetic

Where did you get that?
Never heard of it...

[Hax]

There are theories that state we have actually 18/21/23 senses, but y'know, let's stick to the original ones.

[A Very Super Market]

Pain is pretty much touch....

Anyways, we aren't just flabby pink things either. We have very complex (And useful) appendages, very good day vision for a non-avian species, and advanced communication skills.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Pain is pretty much touch....

I disagree, i thought touch was specifically the recognition of having contact with another object while pain was the recognition of having damage inflicted upon you. I know nothing about the senses though, so I could just be an idiot.

[miotas]

I say humanity is our morals, when we say someone is inhumane it is because they are acting contrary to our set of morals.

There are theories that state we have actually 18/21/23 senses, but y'know, let's stick to the original ones.

Hey, lets not stop at 5, I say we cut it back to 3. Smell is identical to taste and hearing is just the sound vibrations touching your ear, so I say we cut it back to sight, taste and touch No need to complicate matters.

[Samurai Waki]

I say humanity is our morals, when we say someone is inhumane it is because they are acting contrary to our set of morals.



Hey, lets not stop at 5, I say we cut it back to 3. Smell is identical to taste and hearing is just the sound vibrations touching your ear, so I say we cut it back to sight, taste and touch No need to complicate matters.

Don't some scientists believe Humans may also carry a "6th" Sense, like foresight? I know some animals seem to be able to sense something is going to happen before it happens, earthquakes being a prime example. Why not humans?

[CountArach]

Don't some scientists believe Humans may also carry a "6th" Sense, like foresight? I know some animals seem to be able to sense something is going to happen before it happens, earthquakes being a prime example. Why not humans?

I am fairly sure you are right about the whole 6th sense thing, and I in fact have a mate who can pretty much 'see', or perhaps 'sense' anything that is thrown at him - from behind.

[miotas]

Don't some scientists believe Humans may also carry a "6th" Sense, like foresight? I know some animals seem to be able to sense something is going to happen before it happens, earthquakes being a prime example. Why not humans?

Well, that would be a 10th or a 15th or a 22nd etc depending on what you accept as a sense. The "6th sense" doesn't really have any solid evidence to support it, but while I won't say it certainly exists, I have seen and heard of some strange things, and there's those situations where you can feel someone watching you. Something else you can try is to tell someone to close their eyes, and then hold your index finger so it's pointing between their eyes, close to their skin but not touching and they will feel your finger there, so it's a possibility.

There are several theories as to why animals can detect earthquakes and storms and what not, maybe they feel the vibrations in the earth, or changes in air pressure, but again there is nothing that's been proven.

This is getting rather off topic