Intresting Discussion

[The Fallen Angel]

In one of my classes today we had a pretty intresting discussion, and i wanted to get the take on it from people on here.

We as humans see ourselves as the top of the food chain and the most intelligent beings on Earth, but are we the stupidest animal on Earth?

We are the only animal that will purposly do harm to itself ala smoking,drinking,drugs. We are the only animal that purposly does harm to our enviorment. So we as humans do more to hinder and harm our species than we do to help, we are quicker to turn the other cheek than to help another person in distress, we are the only animal that kills for fun instead of need. So not only are we possibly the stupidest animal but we may in fact also be the most cold hearted.

So whats your take on this, do you agree or disagree and why?

 

[Carsomyr]

We are the only animal that will purposly do harm to itself ala smoking,drinking,drugs.

If you gave my cat unlimited access to food he would eat himself to death. Oh and our horse likes beer. 😀

we are quicker to turn the other cheek than to help another person in distress,

Good luck finding an animal that helps a fellow flock member in need - possibly with an exception for dogs because they are inbred and stupid. If you are injured that means you are a target for predators. In other words: "Well, it was nice knowing you, mate, but once that wolf/lion/whatever shows up I am going to run like hell and leave you to your fate!" XD

we are the only animal that kills for fun instead of need.

My other cat does that too. He kills everything he sees, be it birds, mice, even bugs... He plays with them till they die, then he leaves them to be devoured by my more gluttonish cat. (If he's around)

Seriously though, I know what you mean, but the reason animals act the way they do is mostly - if not entirely - because of instincts. Animals most likely can't handle the concepts that we do, such as the knowledge that we are one day going to die. They cannot plan for the future, etc. Evolution has made us turn our backs on instincts, and while that can backfire in some cases when we don't use our brain instead like we're supposed to, it certainly doesn't make us stupid.

 

[The Fallen Angel]

Seriously though, I know what you mean, but the reason animals act the way they do is mostly - if not entirely - because of instincts. Animals most likely can't handle the concepts that we do, such as the knowledge that we are one day going to die. They cannot plan for the future, etc. Evolution has made us turn our backs on instincts, and while that can backfire in some cases when we don't use our brain instead like we're supposed to, it certainly doesn't make us stupid.

you made good points but these werent my words, just things that came up during the discussion, but doesnt the fact that we have the brain power we do only make the things we do worse?

 

[Sanhael]

So we as humans do more to hinder and harm our species than we do to help, we are quicker to turn the other cheek than to help another person in distress...

We also aid those who would, in "animal kingdom" as it were, almost certainly be doomed to an early death due to their lack of ability to fend for themselves and their inability to contribute to the survival of the family or social group.

Those who are disabled, for instance... by birth, or having acquired a disability at some point during their life... are typically very well-cared-for. Disabled students often have several times the amount of money spent on each of them compared to that which is spent on a student who will, if all works as intended, become a productive, contributing, and independently functional member of society.

This is an act of compassion, a conscious decision to try and help those who need help to attain whatever level of happiness or contentment they are capable of attaining, but in the dispassionate "survival of the fittest" sense it is, at a basic level, harmful to the species (while the seriously disabled rarely pass on their genes, the resources which are spent on them cannot be spent on those who would actually be able to utilize them productively).

Just another thought to throw into the discussion; I am by no means advocating that we do not care for those who are disabled. It does occur to me, however, that people who are not permanently disabled -- who become temporarily incapacitated due to an injury or condition, or who are simply in a rough spot in terms of money or employment -- are generally regarded with much less sympathy, and are considered to be far less worthy of assistance (despite their potential to once again become a contributing part of society), than those who are permanently and extremely disabled.

 

[Carsomyr]

you made good points but these werent my words, just things that came up during the discussion, but doesnt the fact that we have the brain power we do only make the things we do worse?

Certainly it makes it worse. We have one hell of a responsibility in this world. Unfortunately some people choose not to use their brain, and that's when bad stuff happens.

 

[subtle_feather]

We are the only creature on Earth with the requisite intelligence to contemplate morality.

A bear, for example, can not be cold-hearted because a bear can not conceive good or evil.

I mention this because whoever started this discussion in your class seems to have conflated intelligence and morality to a certain degree.

Human intelligence is superior to that of anything else on Earth. Despite the tendency of some individual humans to use that intelligence for questionable purposes, as a species, we are the most evolutionarily successful creatures in the known history of this planet.

Surely, we are not perfect, but luckily our intelligence gives us tools like morality to improve upon ourselves.

This conversation reminds me of an idea that a teacher once shared with me. People often say that human beings defy nature, but we ourselves are creatures of the natural world. Does it not logically follow that all of our actions are thus natural by definition?

 

[kis123]

We are the only species who exercise free will and that's why we experience so many atrocities. The animal kingdom is run by natural instincts; the human kingdom not necessarily so.

An animal does run on the "survival of the fittest" concept; we don't have to even though so many do. Some of the most richest and poweful people in the world are sheer sociopaths; but even then it's by their own free will.

That's the only thing that separates us and makes us the so-called dominant species. Generally speaking, we can choose our outcome; and the jungle can not.