Q. do you consider yourself some form of an ape or not?

Question

Horses seem superior in so many ways than the great apes, which we are listed with. As the poet said, "Death be not proud," i suspect keeping our "apeness" in mind should help us not be too proud. Humility is a good thing dont you think? I learned far more about love and goodness from a white arabian horse i name Penelope than any of t he great apes. How say you?

NEVER SAID A THING ABOUT INTELLIGENCE. MOST YOU WOULD DO POORLY ON STANDARDIZED TESTS (IQ) WHERE CAREFUL READING IS NECESSARY.

Answer 1

We are soul children divine and eternal ordering chaos of minds enjoying entertainment derived from bodies that live and die. In a word yes I consider myself a divine eternal soul incarnate within the body of a human; a member of the ape family, kingdom Mammalia. You sound down on people right now. Things are not as bad as these might seem. True human beings share ninety nine percent of their genetic material with Chimpanzees, our closest relatives. True Abrahamic religions are used by some to teach children to behave like racist, heterofascist, warmongers. However, we may yet find a way to pull ourselves out of our problems. Don't give up hope.

Answer 2

I think it would be a mistake to say that we are catagorically better than any animal. But we have extremely sophisticated communication. A human being by itself, who never learned a language, would hardly know more about the world than any other ape. It is in working together and in sophisticating our thought with language that we come to operate the way we do. Everything one human can do, another animal can do better. But many things humans do together no other animal can do.

As to the idea that you can learn a lot from other animals, that makes sense I think. But it is not our apeness that blocks the learning of the most fundamental truths, it is language, which I praised in the paragraph before. Language make compartments of reality and loses the big picture.

Answer 3

In the whole animal kingdom the animals closest to human beings in bodily appearance are the apes. Perhaps, then, we should not expect them to differ greatly in their genetic make-up. The apes thought to be most similar to man are the chimpanzees. Up to 98% of their DNA is said to be the same as man’s. However, this estimate relates only to the genes, i.e. the less than 1.5% of DNA (known as exons) that codes for proteins, not the remaining, much less well researched 98.5% (known as introns). Present indications are that the introns of humans and chimps are not ‘junk’ but functional, and differ to a much greater degree.

Human DNA consists of approximately 3 x 109 nucleotides (bits of information, like letters of the alphabet), so even a difference of just 2% would represent some 60 million points of difference, all supposed to have occurred by chance over 6 million years and to have been selected and incorporated into the human genome because in the great struggle for existence they conferred an advantage.

Answer 4

Yep, as a human being, I'm prepared to ackowledge my species history in apedom. I've also learned quite a lot about other species which blows me away. Did you know that fish have developed a sensory organ akin to a kind of radar? Did you know that pigeons appear to "see" magnetic fields through one eye? Have you heard of the Jewel Beetle? Mad bugger of a thing. It has developed extremely sensitive infra-red sensors, the like of which none of our technology can match. Why has it done such a thing? Because it needs to lay its eggs in trees that have been recently damaged by fire. Again, why? Because when they're living, the trees put up too much natural defence. How the hell it first worked all this out is anyone's guess, but the point of course is your own. There's nothing more humbling than the facts of life and nature. We're pretty damned clever for something so insanely closely-related to Gorillas and Orang-Utans, but we're only as good as the environmental challenges we've had to adapt to. Other creatures, in their own way and their own environment, are just as impressive.

Answer 5

We are all descended from primates. There is scientific proof of that. However much I'd rather not think that I am the offspring of apes, I accept that it is the truth, because I've seen the evidence.

However, knowing that fact does not make me in any way less happy with the fact that, here and now, I am human.

I am just a different monkey now. I have more intelligence, but my physical life has less freedom. I can free my mind to be carefree like the apes, but I cannot escape the human society, with its terminal illnesses of hate, greed, ignorance, dishonesty and closed-mindedness, among others.

Instead I choose to cure myself and teach others to join me doing the same.

EDIT:
Oh, and before you start insulting the intelligence of your answerers, I should let you in on the fact that I took the Weschler IQ test (used by most British psychologists), and my overall (there were others) score was 125, which puts me in between normal and genius, but ever so slightly closer to genius.

But intelligence alone does not specify how clever a person is, or how easy to get along with they are. It only measures cognitive ability.

Answer 6

You "learned more about love and goodness from your horse Penelope than any of the great apes"?

Just how many of the great apes did you interact with, over what period of time, in order to know this?

Answer 7

Of all the animals, ape societies resemble human ones the most. They also use tools with their hands. If the troupe of apes is threatened the male will willingly sacrifice himself for the greater good while the females and kids escape.

Answer 8

Hi!

I am sure you love horses, so do i, as i do all animals,
but have you studied chimps, or been so close to a chimp, like you have Penelope?

Take a closer look at chimps, watch some films & visit some zoos, you will fall in love with them, theyre great!!

I think 'all' mammals have that certain special 'thing', intelect, feelings, able to show love, family loyalty, bond with other species,
ie: 'us' & other animals!

I do believe that we evolved from chimps or a similar ape, you only have to look at chimps, watch them play, fight, laugh, smile, feel sorry for themselves, suckle their young, mate etc etc, to see that we are 'very' close to them!

98% genetically the same!!!

Also, look at them, look and analize them, their eyes, ears, fingers, fingernails, nose, feet, teeth, character & mannerisms etc
We are 'so' alike!!

We are animals, the only real difference between us, apart from intelect, is we have learned to hate!!!

I am an 'evolved' ape & so are you, so is anyone else reading this!! ...... lol.

Answer 9

I say you, actually never met or studied any great apes, of any sorts, if you can say your horse is more intelligent and socialized.

Other than that, yes we are part of the primate family, and will also be classified so.

Why does that bother you?

Answer 10

I have never actually befriended an ape (although my man sometimes acts like one) I have had horses, they are beautiful, intelligent and loyal..I would be proud to be a descendant of such a noble species.