I don't know if a thread like this exist but i'm pretty that isn't the case, i hope i didn't make this thread unnecessarily .

So, yeah, basically what it says in the title; What are your views on Humanity? How do you feel about it? What do you think of humans and what you think/feel humanity is (and also, the "essence" of humanity)?

Humanity is A-OK. Really. We're the most remarkable species on the planet, we've achieved amazing things, we're what makes Earth cool. The planet would suck if humans did not exist. It'd be just a boring wad of oceans and crappy dumb animals and would be better off getting smashed to bits if we didn't exist.

I define humanity as the collective species of humans. None of that fancy made up "virtue" crap. Just our species. Doing what our species does. Which we're great at.

/just wanted to post before someone comes in here and says humanity is a waste and we should all die, while neglecting to actually kill themselves

We're far from perfect, but the good outweighs the bad. Good job, humans.

They are going to choose what they are going to choose helpful, harmful, neutral, emotional, logical, or any mix.
And the choice made depends on so many factors that it is essentially chaotic although it does sometimes appear to be ordered.

If we didn't exist there wouldn't be human perception to decide what is "cool", "dumb", or what would be "better off getting smashed to bits". Seriously I find other species just as amazing, especially the ones that have a form of civilation (mainly insects). They stick to their instinct and don't have to feel like they own the world, they're only goal is survival. I'm tired of humans, they're not that interesting to me. They do things with their opposable thumbs, they learn things, they accomplish things, but nothing they do is worthwhile in my opinion. If I had a button to end human existence, I'd probably push it, because I like the idea of a world ruled by the Arthropod or another type of animal. They'd use the rotting houses which our families once inhabited to craft their nests and breed. All of these great structures we build would just act as terrain and obstacles, as there would be no perception that would say that they're beautiful like we once did. I'm sure they'd all grow in size as well, creating a fascinating world of insect warfare.

I feel like humans are just animals with a different type of path.
And our instinct still rules us it just is expressed in different ways.
The money, power, education, competition, skill acquiring, material things, maneuvering, and all that is either to attract a mate or be the leader of the herd/pack/hive.
And the people following traditions and trends are akin to the drones/workers of the insect hives.
It is all relative.

I think humanity casting itself as a more valuable species is just illogical pride.

Does not make us worthless, just different.

If "Arthropods" or insects could make the 9th symphony or write The Phantom of the Opera or Don Quijote or Sandman. Then maybe i would agree with you. And i don't consider the thing much "human perception" as "intelligent species perception", if it were an empty world without humans, likely the aliens who set the monoliths in 2001 would find it not too interesting too (or maybe some of them would, and some of them would hold a similar line of though to yours of course) And also, i don't see why another animal species would be any more interesting or (if it attained intelligence) different from humans.



True... Up to a certain point. I honestly think you don't have your life guided or dominated by those things, and i think it's safe to assume that no one on here has their life governed by that either. Why wold we think we're the only people like that? hell, probably there's millions more than the number of people we think, we don't know the lives of all of society after all. And though this is off-topic, just the knowledge and certainty that there is one human that could ascend above that is enough for me.

Oh, and on-topic: True, Humanity is OK even if sometimes it might not seem like it, i think one must just always keep the light in mind and soul while looking at the dark .

Humanity is mostly boring aside from certain subcultures. I like birds of prey more than any other type of creature. Most people are in that middle area between instinct-driven existence and critical thinking where they are just smart enough to be fucking idiots. I don't think we should all be killed or anything, but I also wouldn't care if we all died either. I am indifferent to the matter. The world will keep on going regardless because we are not important.

I agree for the most part, and I don't mean to say we aren't led by instinct, and that we're not comparable to other species.




Even if the Anthropods could construct what some see as masterpieces, you wouldn't be there to express your approval. And I don't believe aliens have traveled to our planet and have no proof that they ever will travel here, so under the hypothetical scenario that another type of animal is running the planet, any "intelligent species perception" is removed and therefore anything that can be perceived intelligently is pointless.

I personally would be more entertained sitting in a room watching how the various species in their evolved state interact than I would watching how humans interact. No emotion, no morals, just work and survival. That is personal preference, I don't expect people to feel the same. Even so, what species is more interesting is moot because we don't exist in this scenario!

An evolutionary footnote at most

humans are apes on a rocky planet. we kill shit and fuck each other's brains out.
i love humanity

Humans are weird. We are illogical, corrupt, horrific beasts. We are kind, loving, beautiful creatures.

There are over 7 billion of us. We still manage a kind of uniqueness of individuals.

I have a feeling human nature is chaos. We are not made to be structured beings. Every rule of 'this is a human' seems to be a 'most humans have X' yet there are also rules in which every human has X. At least, that is what we say until there is an individual that is human and proves it wrong.

I am beginning to think human nature is chaos and order, of all things humans know.

My view: I honest to god hate it and if it were in my power to wipe out homo sapiens, I would.
And no, I have not forgotten that it would make me extinct too. I would hope though that I'd be the last to go, so i would get to see Earth free at last. It'd be a true unambivalent pleasure
I think humanity is as remarkable as feces. There is nothing good about it.

people = shit.

*signed*

I'll grant you that the people here and similar do not work according to the normal 'herd' instinct.
Still the basic survival ones do still apply.
And I daresay that some of the people who have social anxiety or similar conditions that make them uncomfortable in certain situations would be driven by the instinct in my previous post if they overcame their anxiety.

Just in my opinion humans are just animals and all the things outside basic survival that we do seems to be a way to gain a false sense of elevation as compared to the others. Look at all the various examples that some have attempted to use for generalized superiority instead of just differentiation. (age, sex , ethnic group, socioeconomic status, religion, social ability, etc.)

Just the luck of the evolutionary draw that we ended up at the top of the food chain and thereby end up being our own predators.

The apes might not be too happy about that comparison.
Some of them being kept in zoos as exhibits and all.

Well, we are living creatures with a functional body we have to take care of, i don't understand what you mean, unless, i think you're meaning that a person would not sacrifice their existence or well-being, ever, if there was absolutely nothing in benefit to them, right? like, a selfish instinct, or that they would betray other people if that would remove a burden from their lives (like, say, a heavy debt, torture or getting bitten by rats, i think you get what i'm saying so that's why i'm exaggerating with the examples), if that's the case, in the "nothing for them" part i must say that i feel you are wrong, and i think i can be confident in giving evidence to backup that. in the part of not being hurt, some time ago i would said the same thing i said previously, but after reading 1984 and room 101, i can't say i'm so defined, it left me in a mixed position.

I like humanity, I like humans. the difference in our species is wonderful for me - everyone are different words inside.

I disagree.
This is but a gruesome generalization, not all people are shit.

There is a Buddhist saying that even animals live like most humans do: they just avoid pain and seek pleasure like most of us do. Humanity has so much potential, but our societal rules encourage only greed, gluttony, self-centerdness and dismiss community, altruism and stewardship. We have the opportunity to seek enlightenment, but instead we choose to have the morality of creatures that only deserve to return to the mud.

If you get to know most people, after one week, you can know what they doing for years afterward(till they phase change to another life phase). If you look at what matters to most people, they just go to work and focus on the invented make believe of the capitalist paradigm. Since their work life is monotonous they focus on escapisms like movies, video games, where they can live vicariously. Or they indulge in vices like chain smoking, drugs and alcohol. Recently I got into an argument with my mom because she bought some new non-stick cooking trays. I told her that they have Teflon coating which will be imparted to any food, and that it is a carcinogen and endocrine disruptor. She didn't care or want to understand. But she desperately lavishes attention on the make-believe world of television, but bringing to her attention what negative effects the products of pretend convenience bring to her and her family did not interest her, except to annoy her.

Our economic system is built on liquidating social bonds and the environment to convert into increased economic activity and money. The more we destroy human community and our surroundings the richer our false capitalist world of make believe tells us we are. But as Paul R. Ehrlich notes, the economy comes from the ecology, not the other way as modern economics pretends. When we destroy the ecology we destroy the real wealth, the economy is just a fake human constructed system, that can have any value system we could invent. Modern humanity acts exactly like a virus. We had potential, but choose only to valuate a negative potentiality in our lifestyle and worldview, emphasizing infinite greed. Hopefully we can manage our return to the mud without destroying the rest of the beauty on the planet.

From the more-or-less objective point of view it is imo not much more than tool-using bi-ped, with tools everything and nothing without it, shaping it's surroundings with them for the sake of it's survival.
Some may call it destruction, but looking at this progress while trying not to apply any kind of judgement, humanity could maybe as well be seen as a chance, maybe the biggest since long time, for evolution. Maybe not it's own, but nature itself will likely remain either way, once they are gone. From this perspective I feel only indifference.

I think, humanity's greatest gift and also curse, perhaps one of it's most basic traits, is the system of value/s and therefore following judgements, which allows the rich variety of differing specimen.
A rich source for hate, discrimination and suffering, what on the other hand might not be solely bad, since from my perspective, out of this some of the highest aspirations seem to grow.
Were not quite some of what mankind calls it's greatest inventions and ideas born out of the minds of people secluded from the main-herd and/or out of suffering of whatever kind? This is at least my impression so far. Simply put:
Like the person above me already said, they avoid pain and seek pleasure.
Personally, I'd say it's still rather sad that such a large percentage of it's species has to be already satisfied with quick application of a personal value-system, passing easy judgement, causing and receiving in the end suffering, to allow a few individuals to be inspired, while even fewer are given the means of expression and execution into something of actual matter.
In the end, with each "new time", the same questions appear to be asked and also answered, clothed in the colors of it's time. From my perspective, humanity is still the same like from thousands of years ago, just the forms and methods changed and became more detailed over time. An always surprising process to watch, what kind of mask they try to apply "this time".
I can't love, nor can I really hate them. All is just another piece, completing the puzzle.

fraktale - can I copy your text to my signature?
I can't love, nor can I really hate them. All is just another piece, completing the puzzle.
I agree with it.

Please feel free to use whatever you want, in whatever fashion you see fit.

A few people's comments here reminded me of the poem "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Sara Teasdale.


Personally, I think humans are simply animals who are too smart for their own good, but not smart enough (yet). I can't say that I love or hate humanity; it just is.

Oh, and rezu's comment made me laugh. We are mostly a bunch of pessimists, aren't we?