Becoming Human
Everyone has their own definition of what it takes to make a person human. Being human is something that all people recognize as someone being like them. We all would agree that a normal functioning human has two arms, two legs, walk upright, has the ability to speak, and all of the other characteristics that “man” possesses. But the physical characteristics define what is man, not what is human.
In Frank Herbert’s novel Dune, the Bene Gesserit, a monastic female order whose goal is to breed the perfect human (and rule the universe), test the main character to determine if he is human. They place his hand in a box that induces a feeling that your hand is being incinerated. The box stimulates the nerves into the intense pain, through the burning process but do not physically affect the hand. The test is to see if you will act like an animal and pull your hand out of the box or will you reason through the process and realize that it is only a test. The price of failure is death. You have to love the drama of a great novel. They have determined that the ability to reason makes you human. I would agree that it is one key ingredient but there is more to being human than that.
I have said good morning to someone at work for three years. I have initiated the greeting every time and been give a mostly half hearted response. At no time has the greeting been initiated by this person. About two weeks ago, I stopped acknowledging this person in the morning. The level of indifference toward me has not changed. I would define this behavior as lacking humanity. There is a level of arrogance and immaturity that is stamped on this person and an inability to understand that you are responsible for you outward appearance. The face that he presents to the world is one of the little boy who hit the home run and won the big game for his team. He has lived on that triumph since then and has accomplished nothing more. I would have to define this person as not human. The retarded level of maturity for me defines what it is to be human.
My son is on that same level. It is all about him. We rented several movies this weekend and he did not want to watch one of the shows because he did not pick it out. It became all about him. There was no consideration for what anyone else wanted. It seems to be an inherent trait in children that, hopefully, ends with them gaining a level of compassion for others. I know that I was hopefully self absorbed as a youth. If it did not benefit me, it was not worth doing. I spent three years in the big green family at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Basic training teaches you very quickly that the need of the many, outweigh the needs of the few. You also learn that the needs of the one, if they are struggling and truly in need, outweigh the needs of the many. It is truly all about making sure everyone (who wants to) makes it. I guess that I how I define human; the ability to tell the difference.
Icool
Cobb
In Frank Herbert’s novel Dune, the Bene Gesserit, a monastic female order whose goal is to breed the perfect human (and rule the universe), test the main character to determine if he is human. They place his hand in a box that induces a feeling that your hand is being incinerated. The box stimulates the nerves into the intense pain, through the burning process but do not physically affect the hand. The test is to see if you will act like an animal and pull your hand out of the box or will you reason through the process and realize that it is only a test. The price of failure is death. You have to love the drama of a great novel. They have determined that the ability to reason makes you human. I would agree that it is one key ingredient but there is more to being human than that.
I have said good morning to someone at work for three years. I have initiated the greeting every time and been give a mostly half hearted response. At no time has the greeting been initiated by this person. About two weeks ago, I stopped acknowledging this person in the morning. The level of indifference toward me has not changed. I would define this behavior as lacking humanity. There is a level of arrogance and immaturity that is stamped on this person and an inability to understand that you are responsible for you outward appearance. The face that he presents to the world is one of the little boy who hit the home run and won the big game for his team. He has lived on that triumph since then and has accomplished nothing more. I would have to define this person as not human. The retarded level of maturity for me defines what it is to be human.
My son is on that same level. It is all about him. We rented several movies this weekend and he did not want to watch one of the shows because he did not pick it out. It became all about him. There was no consideration for what anyone else wanted. It seems to be an inherent trait in children that, hopefully, ends with them gaining a level of compassion for others. I know that I was hopefully self absorbed as a youth. If it did not benefit me, it was not worth doing. I spent three years in the big green family at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Basic training teaches you very quickly that the need of the many, outweigh the needs of the few. You also learn that the needs of the one, if they are struggling and truly in need, outweigh the needs of the many. It is truly all about making sure everyone (who wants to) makes it. I guess that I how I define human; the ability to tell the difference.
Icool
Cobb
posted by Cobb at
6:18 AM
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