Collectively, at least, people have always been fascinated by this idea of humanity, and the ideals it encompasses, but ten different people will have a differe

Collectively, at least, people have always been fascinated by this idea of humanity, and the ideals it encompasses, but ten different people will have a different definition of what it means to be human. That’s fine, actually, because it demonstrates that people perhaps have ideas beyond biological impulses, and aspire to be more than feed-fuck-fight agents. It’s understandable that we developed these traits (rather ironically) because at some point in the distant past the most important and pressing thing we did was band together to fight and kill megafauna, and that required all kinds of hard and soft skills. Being able to throw projectiles with precision, communicate intent and purpose of moves during an attack, intuitively understand the danger a fellow group member might encounter (empathy), or caring for the wounded. All of this was done in the service of food, which helped our brains become what they are today. I am skipping a lot of steps in between, but humans are set apart from the rest of the animal kingdom and whatever else today we call life on earth by our brain, and what it accomplishes, not just for us but others, including non-humans. The most interesting thing our brains have thus far enabled is the capability to prod ponderables about the human condition, namely why do we live and die. Why is there something and not nothing. Nothing that asks these sorts of questions is bounded only by primal desires. But I think the sad part is that we’re often disappointed by the answers the universe provides. Nothing is more telling of this than the stories we like to tell about ourselves, as many creation myths from different societies say all kinds of things about the origins of humanity, its purpose, or its final destination. Humanity has all kinds of ideas about itself, and I hope it gets to live up to some of them.