Being Human
Sometimes, I refer to myself as a member of the species Ursidae as opposed to Hominidae. To me, it doesn’t make much difference. As much as we want to see our existence on this planet as unique, we are still the products of the evolution process. Primatologist Frans de Waal refers to humans (Homo sapiens) as the bipolar ape. We are capable of the worst aggression against our own kind and others and at the same time, capable of great compassion and empathy for them. Compared to our simian cousins, we tend to think that Humanity is superior. Superiority based on our perceived advantages in terms of cognitive ability inflated our egocentric Homo sapiens culture.
Are we truly superior?
In my humble opinion, we are not superior, just luckier as compared to other primates in terms of our cognitive ability in relation to our duality. Sitting on the bipolar continuum of aggression and compassion, we have the opportunity to consciously make a choice on our position during situations when our innate tendencies swing towards negativity.
Life is all about making choices.
And being human, I think, is about going beyond our inherent, evolutionary archaic tendencies in response to situational stimulus. The realization of the human potential is about being aware of our innate tendencies when they manifest as action-inducing thoughts and emotions, making conscious choices when our induced innate responses are perceived to be on the wrong side of the continuum. Distinctions between right and wrong, positive and negative seem to be necessary to deal with the equivocations of life.
Everyone is perceived to be unique and distinctive, even among humans.
