What exactly is the defining characteric of humanity? In your opinion of course :)?

Question

I personally have my own idea already. I know some will say, both religious and atheists, that humanity is kind and generous. Others will say that we are a crazy one of a kind species bent on our own destruction.

It is my view that the defining characteristic of humanity is HOPELESSNESS! There are a good deal of people that are good. Yet, even taking religion into account, it seems that humanity has always plagued itself with turmoil. Empires have been created and fallen well before Judeao-Christian religions ever sprang up.

Atheists believe that non-belief in a particular religion or entity will make us better, but they are just as foolish as holy-rollers in this view!

Humanity wants to be good but enjoys taking the easy way out and just likes doing what they want just a little more than doing what's right. Eventually we are always our own undoing, with god or without, anyone who thinks this is wrong is foolish.

Anyway, this is just my oponion, but what about yours?

Answer 1

Well, when one looks solely at the track record of humans?
Hopelessness fits.
Even if all religions were abolished, we would always have our hatreds, our bigotry, and our jealousy.
Even atheism can not rid the human race of these pronounced character defects we all have.

Answer 2

Hmmmmm, well your highness.... I really, do, not, know. I agree that unless it is serious it should be addressed by the mob rather than the palace administration. LOL! I have not been here long enough to get a handle on all this. I am concerned by what I see though. I like the old saying about agreeing to disagree. A good old fashioned joust is OK too. Yahhh, hammer it out! but don't kill each other off!!!! There are limits. I don't think it is fair play to get people axed over ideological, religious or Atheistic differences. This is why I love coming here so much, is the diversity!!!! I learn from everyone, especially people I disagree with, in some sense anyway, and I value that. Sad isn't it. Peace all!

Answer 3

You got a A+ from me for this question.

Even when our thoughts have been evolving in areas of knowledgeable sciences, and we have come to achieve a great increase in development and technology, all this has only brought us closer to a bigger disaster like WW1, WW2, or even Atomic War.

It is obvious evidence that if 90% of men are inclined to do evil, this represents only the true testimony of satan on the existence of God.

This shows that there is a force pushing the man toward destruction and evil, because in a normal psychic process of animal behavior this is not seen.

Man in his own foolishness and arrogance have come to listen to the wrong evil thoughts, for example, creating a monetary system, to make money, to pay for things could be just shared, and then having to work for the money, to buy things that could have have for free.

Creating economic classes of poor and rich, when everybody could just be rich based on the amount of earth resources and amount of labor force.

Creating a hidden racial system when all blood have the same color.

Creating and developing sciences to cure problems caused by mankind instead of just avoiding the problems.

Creating an education system were knowledge is sold even without a guaranties of content. and could also be free.

And rich and poor working 6 days a week, to buy things that are not even natural anymore. and super rich working less but having headaches dealing with problems caused by themselves. Politicians passing laws that do not make sense and are not even necessary.

Creating a liberal system of religion and then having to fight the same ones.

If you take the whole 100% of workforce to produce and work only 3 to 4 days a week you will have everything that any man needs and consciously wishes in surplus supply.

But those who are liberated we are not allowed to be in high positions of influence in this evil reign. We are not even allowed to organize because we are scattered all over the world. But we have hope, while the world is HOPELESS.

Answer 4

we are pattern-matching social mammals, descendants of the great ape line whose mental model has become complex enough to include the 'self' thus producing self-awareness. I am fairly optimistic about this evolutionary step, we are obviously adept at surviving, and our brains provide us with the means to do what no other species has ever been able to do before: anticipate and avoid otherwise fatal natural extinction events.

While you seem to see the negative side of this (our effect on the environment and frequently our fellow man) you miss the obvious positive side: there is nary a place on this planet without man living there. As survival machines go, we are spectacularly successful, at least for the time being.

While all species are temporary in geological time, I do expect to see descendants of homo sapiens well into 2 billion A.D. Of course, they will be no longer human; like apes are primitive reflections of us so will we be primitive reflections of them.

Answer 5

I think the only defining characteristic of humanity is just being in a human body. It's impossible to generalize all of the human race as being one thing. Some are tree-hugging hippies, some are criminals, etc. And that's only simple labels, not even including ethnicities and things like that.

Answer 6

defining characteristic of humanity is HOPELESSNESS!
I agree with that because we were never taught to be that. We are taught
As youngsters to be honest, polite, caring and to share.
As a teenage we rebel because our parents do not want us to do the things they did be it good/bad. The only thing that matters is an education to survive in the working world, We are taught that money is the key to feeding ourselves, money is power, money buys all the things we desire or compromise to desire . Therefore often using the company's ethics policy as our own and then later after we have children we do as we were taught and the circle continues therefore denying us humanity. Just like a fish, just try not to get caught or eaten!!

Answer 7

Hope.

Because we are always hoping for something better. Hoping for a better life, hoping for more money, hoping for good health, hoping for world peace, hoping for a clean environment, hoping for the Yankee's next big win. We may never see these things, but throughout history that's never stopped man from hoping. Sometimes humans become confused or misguided and they "hope" for the wrong things (Hilter, Bush, Paris Hilton). We get scared and act out when our hope-- our dreams-- are threatened. For example, some people hope that their religion is better the other's, and once they develop doubts, they become so frightened that they'll fly airplanes into skyscrapers. On the flip side, sometimes they'll invade a distant country and torture its citizens.

Deep down in our heart of hearts, we're all secretly hoping the day when Humanity will treat itself and the world around it with love and compassion... for other human lives, for the Earth, for all living things. Time is running out for us to make the right choices and if we don't succeed, as humans we will destroy ourselves.

Answer 8

Charity

Answer 9

The difference between an optimist and a pessimist.
The optomist thinks that this could be the best of all possible worlds.
The pessimist is certain that it is.

Answer 10

Perpetuating civilizations which are continually changing, for better or worse, but that sets humankind apart from animals who operate on instinct .