What could be more human thank hope?
Anynymous said:
- Adultery
- Backstabbing
- Jealousy
- Irrationality
- Wasting Money on Valentines Day
- Substance Abuse (show me one bonobo or iguana that does it?)
- Emotional manipulation (the preserve of the average Indian parent)
- Evil (this is purely a human thing, born entirely out of ignorance)
- Obsession with stupid games in which grown men fool around with spherical objects
- Belief in a grand narrative known as life (when it is just a series of digressions)
Indeed many, if not all of the above are all too commonplace. But the question is, do they constitute what may be described as "human"? I for one do not think so. Quite to the contrary, they constitute a failure to be "human". It is my opinion that belonging to the species Homo sapiens sapiens alone does not qualify one as a human being. To me, humanity is an ideal one strives for every moment of one's existence. Humanity is no congenitally conferred label, it is a state of mind achieved through long and rigorous learning (and I'm not talking about reading Chicken Soup for the Soul). For a more detailed discussion of my views on the subject, see "Human Life".
P.S. With regard to Anonymous' list of things human, I find it rather odd that obsession with sports or enriching the coffers of Hallmark should be placed right alongside jealousy, backstabbing and ignorance.
