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What differentiates humans from other species ?

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posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:02 AM
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Here is an affirmation :
What differentiates humans from other species inside the animal realm and life in general is the possibility to transmit information through lapses of time of the millennia magnitude. That is what permits us to build civilizations, to continue the work of our predecessors without the need for each generation to reinvent the wheel. Humans start where their predecessors have stopped while other animals start where their predecessors have started.

Other species have, just like us :
- consciousness
- language
- culture
But they don't have the capacity to transmit information through centuries and millennia.

You disagree ? Discuss !



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:08 AM
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originally posted by: gosseyn


Other species have, just like us :
- consciousness
- language
- culture
But they don't have the capacity to transmit information through centuries and millennia.

You disagree ? Discuss !


Is it truly instinct at work when a certain breed of bird performs the same calls and courting dance that every member of its species does, no matter where on earth they are?

As for what differentiates us from other animals; nothing.

We're just animals.

We make complex nests and use tools.
edit on RAmerica/ChicagoamThursday0923America/Chicago11 by Unrealised because: (no reason given)



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:10 AM
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a reply to: gosseyn

Some animals have culture the ability to pass on information to the next generation. Chimps do this plus many other animals.
Remember we are just Bright Apes.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:14 AM
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a reply to: gosseyn

Most animals are not self aware. Like in a mirror. Dolphins, monkeys, an some otheres are self aware, but most are not.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:17 AM
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originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: gosseyn

Some animals have culture the ability to pass on information to the next generation. Chimps do this plus many other animals.
Remember we are just Bright Apes.


Monkeys can be very smart and they do have culture but they cannot transmit information through centuries and millennia like we do. And birds can't either.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:18 AM
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a reply to: gosseyn

They can they just teach the next generation and have done for century's If you mean they can not write it down....well yeah.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:21 AM
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originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: gosseyn

They can they just teach the next generation and have done for century's If you mean they can not write it down....well yeah.


Exactly, they cannot write it down, so they are limited to contemporary exchanges, thus they don't have this capacity that we have, otherwise there would be monkey surgeons, astronauts, poetry, there would be monkey civilization.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:23 AM
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a reply to: gosseyn

The octopus has demonstrated what appears to be genetic memory.

If we establish that it actually is, it is just a matter of time (maybe a long time) before humans could mimic (no pun intended) the technique.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:23 AM
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a reply to: gosseyn

There will be there will be ........




posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:25 AM
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a reply to: gosseyn

How do you know Monkeys, Apes and other animals don't recite poetry?
They could have complex stories for all we know.

For all we know, they know how evil Humans can be, so they just keep their mouths shut when we are around.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:28 AM
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There is one very definite difference between us and other animals. Most of the traits we believe are human are shared by other species, like love or self-awareness or communication, among others, except that is, for faith. Other animals do not worship a creator.

I believe, if it were possible to ask, they would have no idea what we were talking about if we were to suggest such a thing. They would probably believe we had a screw loose, and they would probably be correct.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:30 AM
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a reply to: Unrealised

We can teach some Apes to communicate with us but we still can't communicate with any animal using their communication method.
Dispite myself attempting to learn Chimp.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:30 AM
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originally posted by: 321Go
Other animals do not worship a creator.


We do not know this.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:33 AM
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a reply to: boymonkey74

It just goes to show that if a whole bunch of animals can grasp some of what we say, but we can't understand a word of their languages, we must speak a very basic language.

The content of our language may be complex, but the delivery system is very basic.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:34 AM
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a reply to: gosseyn

I would say human "culture" differs greatly from other species in the animal kingdom because we are disconnected from nature and are very destructive in so many different ways.

Also, we wear clothes



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:36 AM
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personally it boils down to creating art, in all it's forms.
the moment dolphins can come up with something like the Sistine chapel, i will reconsider!



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:37 AM
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originally posted by: 321Go
There is one very definite difference between us and other animals. Most of the traits we believe are human are shared by other species, like love or self-awareness or communication, among others, except that is, for faith. Other animals do not worship a creator.

I believe, if it were possible to ask, they would have no idea what we were talking about if we were to suggest such a thing. They would probably believe we had a screw loose, and they would probably be correct.


That's a good point. But I think it is less a dedicated function and more of an incomprehension. I mean our minds have to give some answer to questions that we cannot answer yet, questions to which we will maybe never be able to give a satisfactory answer.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:42 AM
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originally posted by: Unrealised
a reply to: gosseyn

How do you know Monkeys, Apes and other animals don't recite poetry?
They could have complex stories for all we know.

For all we know, they know how evil Humans can be, so they just keep their mouths shut when we are around.



The problem is, if they had this capacity to recite poetry and had complex stories, the same function that's used to recite poetry and complex stories would be used in another myriad situations, but we don't see that. You see what I mean ?



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:51 AM
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Humans are different because they know that in time they will die. They can imagine themselves in other places and times. The concept of you in time is what makes you try to secure yourself by any means possible.
To an animal life is happening - to a human life is happening to them.



posted on Jun, 11 2015 @ 10:51 AM
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originally posted by: IShotMyLastMuse
personally it boils down to creating art, in all it's forms.
the moment dolphins can come up with something like the Sistine chapel, i will reconsider!

Animals do create art – or at least artistic creations. Have a look at a Bower Bird nest.

As animals do not possess faith, in my opinion and many others, they would not build a chapel of any type. However, they do build some amazing structures – termites, beavers, bees, etc. They even adopt structures, like Hermit Crabs.



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