Visit the Ironworks Gaming Website Email the Webmaster Graphics Library Rules and Regulations Help Support Ironworks Forum with a Donation to Keep us Online - We rely totally on Donations from members Donation goal Meter

Ironworks Gaming Radio

Ironworks Gaming Forum

Go Back   Ironworks Gaming Forum > Ironworks Gaming Forums > General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 09-03-2001, 07:44 AM   #1
Gabriel
Emerald Dragon
 

Join Date: March 4, 2001
Location: England
Age: 41
Posts: 920
Okay title I think. The question is:
What do you think makes humanity the dominant life on the planet, what caused us to be different from the other animals on Earth? In short why are we, us?


------------------
Gabriel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2001, 07:55 AM   #2
250
Horus - Egyptian Sky God
 

Join Date: March 4, 2001
Location: either CA or MO
Age: 42
Posts: 2,674
I dont know, some people dont give a crap about humanity and they are the most generous I've ever seen. and some people talk about humanity all the time, and they do things that humbles a tannari, well, is this what your question about?

or you meant the importance of humanity that everyone of us owns?

I believe humanity is not a thing that exists by itself. it is made up of many "how do yous"

how do you treat a stranger? how do you love others? how do you treat your friends? how do you... and therefore, the power of humanity lies in choice. each individual is free to decide his course of action, wether it is motivated by emotion or based on accurate judgement. and mind is the ultimate determining factor of your choices, so what makes us human is mind.
250 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2001, 08:18 AM   #3
Fljotsdale
Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom
 

Join Date: March 12, 2001
Location: Birmingham, West Mid\'s, England
Age: 87
Posts: 2,859
Quote:
Originally posted by Gabriel:
Okay title I think. The question is:
What do you think makes humanity the dominant life on the planet, what caused us to be different from the other animals on Earth? In short why are we, us?
Intelligence? Toolmaking? Social Structure? Creativity? Compassion?

All higher animals have a degree of intelligence, some have tool-making and using skills. Even ants and bees have a social structure. Some animals even show caring behaviour towards the injured and sick of their own kind. Dolphins have been known to help swimmers in trouble. Some will nurture the young of another in their group, or even of another species (though usually only if they are in a human environment).

So. It had to be Creativity, I think.

No other animal species, so far as I am aware, has a genuine ability to think and act creatively.



------------------


Fljotsdale is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2001, 08:48 AM   #4
250
Horus - Egyptian Sky God
 

Join Date: March 4, 2001
Location: either CA or MO
Age: 42
Posts: 2,674
actually, come to think of it, we always call animals and human like they are two different things.

most of human behaviors are actually their animal counterparts work at a much complex way. for example, in the wolf pack, the leader always gets to pick the food first (this might not be true, but I am sure something similar happens) and none of us would jump on top of an opposite sex in the public simply because there is some social codes exist in both the wolf pack and our society. and if we go against it, we risk our survival...

that said, I think there are some qualities that seperate us from animals

with the ability to learn:
we avoid our mistakes, and become the better of ourselves

with the ability to understand:
we come to know more of us, our limits and strength, fear and courage, greed and generousity, so that we can struggle against odds and grow

with the ability to love:
we create harmonious, peace, happiness around us, so that life does not seem so harsh

with the ability to create:
we create tools to solve problem, so that we become more efficient

with the ability to grieve (sp?):
we value our love, creations, so that life has a purpose
250 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2001, 01:41 AM   #5
SSJ4Sephiroth
Beholder
 

Join Date: May 4, 2001
Location: The Outside Looking In
Age: 36
Posts: 4,361
this is an easy one for me: the ability to speak words instead of sounds, the knowledge to understand that (and just general knowledge) and THUMBS! yes, you heard me right, thumbs are one of our great claims to fame because it allows us to use tools, and other things. without them we'd have become extinct LONG ago!

------------------
It's simple. Once the Planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury...What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered! Ha, ha, ha. And at the center of that injury, wil be me. All that boundless energy will be mine. By merging with the energy of the Planet, I will be come a new life form, a new existence. Melding with the Planet, I will cease to exist as I am now. Only to be reborn as a 'God' to rule over every living soul.


Super Sephiroth, slayer of the Uber Fluffy, and battle co-ordionator and defender of the HADB clan.
SSJ4Sephiroth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2001, 06:44 AM   #6
Fljotsdale
Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom
 

Join Date: March 12, 2001
Location: Birmingham, West Mid\'s, England
Age: 87
Posts: 2,859
Sephiroth - I think you meant 'opposable thumbs'.
Other creatures use tools without benefit of opposable thumbs (primates have non-opposable thumbs), so neither toolmaking nor thumbs is what defines humanity. I grant you, an opposable thumb DOES give us the edge, though!

As for speech, yes, ok, but animals of all sorts make themselves understood at the level their intelligence and environment requires.
As an interesting aside - did you know that creatures of the same sort, living in different areas, actually have their own dialects? Dolphin pods, for instance, living in northern waters have a different dialect than those in southern waters and do not always understand each other perfectly. In fact, each pod, even in the same area has its own distinctive 'call signs'. Language? Yes, I think so. Words? Yes, I think so. Complex? Yes, it has been shown to be so.
Just because the intellect is not the same and the structure of the 'speech' is not the same, does not mean it is not language. Dolphins, dogs, cat, birds, all 'chat' among themselves, exchanging information.

After all, would you expect an alien from some other part of the universe to use the same sort of language patterns humans do? Of course not. But they would still be communicating - and what is important is COMMUNICATION not language. And every species communicates.

So language is not what defines humanity. It is only a factor.
IMHO!

------------------


Fljotsdale is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2001, 06:06 PM   #7
AliCat
Drow Warrior
 

Join Date: January 7, 2001
Location: Waynesboro, VA, USA
Posts: 255
Opposable thumbs, definitely.

And poetry.
AliCat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2001, 08:30 PM   #8
Fljotsdale
Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom
 

Join Date: March 12, 2001
Location: Birmingham, West Mid\'s, England
Age: 87
Posts: 2,859
Quote:
Originally posted by AliCat:
Opposable thumbs, definitely.

And poetry.
Ah! Now, poetry, yes! It is creative! You support my point AliCat, that creativity is what defines humanity and separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Opposable thumbs are merely useful! *smug smile*

------------------


Fljotsdale is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2001, 10:03 AM   #9
Legolas the Elven Archer
Guest
 

Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally posted by Gabriel:
Okay title I think. The question is:
What do you think makes humanity the dominant life on the planet, what caused us to be different from the other animals on Earth? In short why are we, us?

The question is: what makes you think humanity is the dominant life form on the planet? What makes you think we are different from the other animals on earth?

Insects are much more succesful than humans. They too have organised societies, without criminal activities, political debates and so on. We are no more different from other animals than any animal is from another.

The thing is, we like to think we ARE better. We want to be special and place ourselves above others.

Sure, we have all manner of clever devices (or so we would like to think) that other creatures can only dream about. But in the end, other animals have simmilar things, or are way past the stage where they need such things.

While we are trying to set ourselves apart from other humans, almost every other type of animal can see it is much more efficient to work as one.

It is true that we 'enslaved' certain mammals, and use them for our own good, but the animals are not complaining. After all, we humans will make sure that their species will not dissapear from the earth for as long as we ourselves continue to exist. Furthermore, we are constantly helping these creatures by getting the best combinations of genes together to make the species even stronger.

So in fact, we humans are not that smart, dominant or crafty as we would like to believe. Or are we...

------------------
The last arrow of Legolas kindled in the air as it flew,
and plunged burning into the heart of a great wolf-chieftain.
All the others fled. -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
  Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
It's Shared Humanity, Stupid. Davros General Discussion 7 01-10-2005 05:22 PM
Oh the humanity! Jorath Calar General Conversation Archives (11/2000 - 01/2005) 15 04-26-2002 01:26 PM
A crime against humanity itself. don_carlo Baldurs Gate II Archives 8 11-21-2001 05:55 PM
Whats speical about your pets? Grand-Ranger General Conversation Archives (11/2000 - 01/2005) 14 09-26-2001 08:03 AM
Fragments of Humanity, Sanctuary II Bahamut General Conversation Archives (11/2000 - 01/2005) 220 09-13-2001 05:17 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:10 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©2024 Ironworks Gaming & ©2024 The Great Escape Studios TM - All Rights Reserved