1 thing that seperates man from beasts?

[Times Roman]

I read a book one time long ago called "The Naked Ape" referring of course, to man. The book looks at us as mammals and from a zoological perspective, examines this thing we call humans.

So what makes us so different from the rest of the animals?

Some animals have bigger brains

Some have opposable thumbs

so what is it that makes us stand out so from the rest?

[Hoggage_54]

Thongs:

[davidtheman100]

Nerves. We are able to control how hard or how soft we grasp something. We can activate certain muscles simultaneously to open things like doors etc. which animals like monkeys can't do, Despite how close our DNA is to them.

I think of it like this, we have the "best" qualities of each animal. Parrots can talk, so can we. Fish swim, so can we. In fact, we have webbing in between our fingers and our toes that was actually bigger on our ancestors. We've adapted to have smaller ones because we don't need them as much anymore.

[marcus300]

We are able to put on a full latex suit and air pipe mask without a moments hesitation

[clarky.]

We are able to put on a full latex suit and air pipe mask without a moments hesitation

mad man

[Iceberg]

Our open-ended ability to imagine and reflect on different situations, and our deep-seated drive to link our scenario-building minds together. It seems to be primarily these two attributes that carried our ancestors across the gap, turning animal communication into open-ended human language, memory into mental time travel, social cognition into theory of mind, problem solving into abstract reasoning, social traditions into cumulative culture, and empathy into morality.

(Copy and paste)

[Times Roman]

Our open-ended ability to imagine and reflect on different situations, and our deep-seated drive to link our scenario-building minds together. It seems to be primarily these two attributes that carried our ancestors across the gap, turning animal communication into open-ended human language, memory into mental time travel, social cognition into theory of mind, problem solving into abstract reasoning, social traditions into cumulative culture, and empathy into morality.

(Copy and paste)

yes. copy and paste. that must be it. beasts are unable to copy and paste.

and for a second, I thought that was you there having an original thought.

Bummer. well I'm not going to debate what's going on at other websites.

anyone can be a google ninja...........!

[lovbyts]

I read a book one time long ago called "The Naked Ape" referring of course, to man. The book looks at us as mammals and from a zoological perspective, examines this thing we call humans.

So what makes us so different from the rest of the animals?

Some animals have bigger brains

Some have opposable thumbs

so what is it that makes us stand out so from the rest?

Guns.

[Times Roman]

Guns.

isn't it our ability to accumulate knowledge over time, from one generation to the next?

[lovbyts]

isn't it our ability to accumulate knowledge over time, from one generation to the next?

Nope, it's guns for sure. A lot of species pass knowledge down to their young. It's only us who are capable of doing it in written or in this day and age, digital form. I think we are also the only species who uses the barter system.

[zempey]

Greed, humans are fueled by greed. Greed for money, possessions, power, etc... We we will kill our own just to get what they have, lie and manipulate to get as much as we can. You don't see animals starting wars for personal gains, humans are, IMHO, driven by greed. There are other things that separate us, but this I feel is something you don't see in other species.

[Times Roman]

Nope, it's guns for sure. A lot of species pass knowledge down to their young. It's only us who are capable of doing it in written or in this day and age, digital form. I think we are also the only species who uses the barter system.

not sure what you mean by "knowledge". There is the stuff that can be learned in a single lifespan in the animal kingdom, but generation 2 doesn't take that complete body of knowledge and add to it. It's the same shit being learned over and over.

Ever read that book the "hundredth monkey"?

it took a hundred monkeys to figure out washing the potato in the water is better than not washing the potato. and monkeys are pretty smart.

at a very basic level, animals possess

language
ability to manipulate their environment with tools
and yes, even a barter system. smaller/younger lions will give up their place at the table in exchange for their inclusion in the den. it's a trade. or what about that penguin commercial where a male penguin will give a female penguin a pebble in exchange for her affections.

But a momma cheetah may teach her young cub to stay away from lions, and then that cub grows up and does the same with it's young cub. But it's the SAME shit over and over. it doesn't really accumulate! There is no additional learning beyond first generational knowledge.

There is no Einstein in the Cheetah universe that Cheetah's are still learning from and trying to figure out long past the death of Einstein Cheetah.

And if you are only as smart as first generational knowledge, then no guns, no written language, no Harleys and chics in miniskirts and tube tops

[Times Roman]

Greed, humans are fueled by greed. Greed for money, possessions, power, etc... We we will kill our own just to get what they have, lie and manipulate to get as much as we can. You don't see animals starting wars for personal gains, humans are, IMHO, driven by greed. There are other things that separate us, but this I feel is something you don't see in other species.

Greed is not inherently human. it is a universal trait. It is simply putting one's self before others.

Greed can be observed in mating patterns. It would suffice for the preservation of the DNA code if one male were to simply successfully mate with a female and produce sufficient viable offspring to continue the code. But that's not how it works, is it? Males are driven. At the exclusion of other males. Kill them if they must. This is just one version of greed; greedy with sex and producing as much DNA code as you can.

Greed can also be observed in dogs. one dog may be apathetic towards a bone lying nearby, until another dog shows interest. So the fight is not so much about a desire for the bone, but instead in a desire of keeping the other from having the bone. in other words, to simply want it for the sake of having it.

[Iceberg]

Capability to reason.

[lovbyts]

OK I'm going back and sticking with Guns... Weapons of mass destruction.

[Times Roman]

OK I'm going back and sticking with Guns... Weapons of mass destruction.

I just looked in the back of the book, and guns is a wrong answer. So I looked there again, and the book says "see post 9"

can't argue with the book, now can we?

[lovbyts]

I just looked in the back of the book, and guns is a wrong answer. So I looked there again, and the book says "see post 9"

can't argue with the book, now can we?

I think your pen ran out of ink and the little curl at the bottom didnt quite connect with the middle. You meant see post 8

[bass]

yes we are all animals, but what separates man from beast is the soul.

“You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body” CS Lewis

[Hazard]

yes we are all animals, but what separates man from beast is the soul.

"You do not have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body" CS Lewis

Hmmmm so my theory could be correct. You can have multiple bodies. Maybe we're just constantly recycled after death. The light you see when you die is vaginal opening of your new birth :-)

[bass]

hmmm, i'll pay attention next time. LOL

[Metalject]

The capability of reason and the ability to understand right and wrong. You can train an animal on the practice of right and wrong, i.e. he makes X decision he gets cheese and if he makes Y decision he gets a little electric shock. Eventually he will only choose X decision but that doesn't mean he has been able to comprehend the reasoning behind the right and wrong action.

And while animals may have the ability to learn, as has been pointed out in this thread, they can learn tasks and methods that help them function. But they cannot mentally learn on the basis of discussion, debate and critical thinking. Or at least in this last example I have never seen evidence of it.

Men have the ability to show remorse a true emotion. And while an animal may slouch or hide if he's done something wrong that may cause him punishment, it's merely the fear of the staff, not an act of contrition. And if the animal does something wrong yet fears no punishment, there is no cowering, no instinct that kicks in to produce guilt. He simply moves on to the next big task in his animal life.

[Zodiac82]

^^^^the ability to understand right and wrong.....yes animals are trained....but in a sense aren't we trained from the time of birth...what's expected of us...what we should do and shouldn't do...we get rewarded when something is done right and punished for somethin done wrong....

I had this debate with someone a couple weeks ago....a little different topic but same concept

I believe there is no real difference...we are all beast....just a little different from others

[Euroholic]

Capitalism!!!!!!!

[Hoggage_54]

This:

[Hoggage_54]

[RaginCajun]

Well said Hoggage

[Times Roman]

I think your pen ran out of ink and the little curl at the bottom didnt quite connect with the middle. You meant see post 8

is that what it was?

my pen ran out of ink?

damn! I think you're right.

so next time I think I mean something, i'll run it past you just to make sure it is what I mean....

.......wouldn't want the pen running out of ink again, now would we? =)

[lovbyts]

is that what it was?

my pen ran out of ink?

damn! I think you're right.

so next time I think I mean something, i'll run it past you just to make sure it is what I mean....

.......wouldn't want the pen running out of ink again, now would we? =)

Its better than your pencil running out of lead.

[HGH4Lymes]

I saw a cool video a few months ago. i'll post if i can find it.
they showed how they psychologically/socially measure the intelligence of different animals. being able to recognize yourself in a mirror was the base point. multi-tool use was next shown by crows using a short tool to reach into a long tube to grab a second longer tool...and using that long tool to get a nut out of a long tube. social compassion was a higher level. a bully could kick the shit out of a lower male but the group would still go over afterward to check on/groom/put a cold steak on the losers eye. empathy was virtually the highest level of intelligence. most animals are sad when they see a fellow member decapitated. even higher level animals will get sad when shown a photograph of a decapitated member. and the highest level (humans/chimps etc) will even get sad when they see a illustration/cartoon of a decapitated member.
imo this is all relative to the observer (us). a centipede might be the smartest thing in the universe but we'd never know b/c we don't know how to test/measure the mofo. now back to watching worldstar

[noon]

I'm still waiting for one of the beasts that I hunt to chase me out of the woods with a rock. Then I ditch the rifle and side arm and go back in with a knife. Maybe evolution will grant my wish soon.

[Times Roman]

I'm still waiting for one of the beasts that I hunt to chase me out of the woods with a rock. Then I ditch the rifle and side arm and go back in with a knife. Maybe evolution will grant my wish soon.

you'd shit your pants if a bear jumped out at you from behind a tree and knocked you to the ground. you know, now that I think of it, there are certain beasts that will come after us. I think animal planet had friggin hippos of all things as a huge concern for those in the water around them

[noon]

Ya hippos run faster under water. That's some scary shit
Also look at the relation ship between the high plains gazelle and the baboon
They travel together at times for safety
The gazelle can see far away and warn the group of danger and the baboon can hear very well and does the same. Here's the rub
From time to time the baboon has the taste for meat and will just grab a gazelle and rip it up and feast. And the gazelle just has to accept it as life.
Reminds me of some people I know.

[Times Roman]

Ya hippos run faster under water. That's some scary shit
Also look at the relation ship between the high plains gazelle and the baboon
They travel together at times for safety
The gazelle can see far away and warn the group of danger and the baboon can hear very well and does the same. Here's the rub
From time to time the baboon has the taste for meat and will just grab a gazelle and rip it up and feast. And the gazelle just has to accept it as life.
Reminds me of some people I know.

see, I'd be the smart baboon with the Weber............

[noon]

Same

[thegame1431]

the ability to control our instincts/impulses and to have a conscious/morals