The defining characteristic of Humanity

I hope this is the right place to post this question.

I was wondering what you think, in one word, is the defining characteristic of humanity.

I'm gonna say HOPE.

Discuss..

It takes seven words:

Pride
Envy
Wrath
Sloth
Greed
Gluttony
Lust

Six of those cover how I feel about most of the flashlights I own. I can't say that I feel much sloth for any lights of mine.

What humanity is or what it should be?

What it should be is love. "Love covers a multitude of sins."

What it is now? Pick up the front page of any newspaper....

Stupidity
:nana:

Yes, my first choice was HYPOCRISY but then I realised that I have never been a hypocrite. Everyone else is, but I'm not.

Laughter.

I think the rest of the list have been attributed to animals. They steal, they lust, etc.

But only mankind seems to have a sense of humor.

Daniel

greenLED said:

Stupidity

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I was going to say that but you beat me to it! :laughing: My grandfather said it best: "God must have loved the stupid man because he created so many of them."

parasitic.

Yeah, I'm a glass is half empty kinda guy.

Perseverance

gadget_lover said:

Laughter.

I think the rest of the list have been attributed to animals. They steal, they lust, etc.

But only mankind seems to have a sense of humor.

Daniel

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Dolphins have a sense of humor, as do some chimps.....

Still my vote is for Ignorance.

Intelligence

The question is if its enough for survival in the grand scheme of things (Universe)

If you mean Humanity as in Homo sapiens, then I would go with "Thought." If you mean Humanity as in People (which to me would include,for example, a store clerk who takes the time to help you and the dog who wags himself into a frenzy when he sees you, but not humans who strive to make the world a bleaker place for all but themselves), then I too would have to say "Love." People have an infinite capacity for that, while humans are pretty good at thinking. Yes, I know, some humans seem like they haven't used their brain in years, but trust me, it's there.

Not really a religious person but, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Bible, New Testament, John, 15:13. That sets humanity apart from other animals for me. This is maybe not so much about a belief in God, but about the ability of humanity to make sacirifices that other animals do not.

The ability, willingness, and creativity to rise above whatever comes along also defines the best about humanity for me. While other critters wallow in the mud, humanity has been able to make adobe, bricks, and mortar, then even build a house. The house can sometimes even become a home and offer warmth and shelter to humans and animals alike.

But no, not all humans are humane, not by a long shot.

greenLED said:

Stupidity
:nana:

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I'm with Greenled on this one...

I'll say Charity.

Geoff

Wow.

I've got to say that the level of cynicism and reductionism here in this thread suprises me. "Stupidity"? "Ignorance"? "Parasitic"?

Holy crap. The one-word defining characteristic of humanity?

It can't really be any of the moral or intellectual virtues or vices. These are really only indicative of powers or faculties that are used (or not used) for better or for worse. I mean, if we ask what the essential defining characteristic of an automobile is, would you answer "going off course" or "staying on course" or "safe" or "accident prone"? I don't think so. I think we all might answer something like "able to move about under its own power and be guided and controlled by a driver".

Similarly, the fact that humans can be loving or hateful, intelligent and wise or ingorant and stupid, giving and caring or greedy and violent--I think these things indicate that the defining characteristic of humanity is soul. We have souls.

I don't mean this necessarily in a Christian religious context, so much as in the way the ancient Greeks comprehended soul, i.e. psyche. We have thoughts and emotions and are able to feel and think and reason and imagine. We are self-conscious. We can think about our thoughts and the thoughts of others. We can feel what others have felt and imagine what others have imagined. We are social. We have souls. And with that comes all of the things, good and bad, that have been mentioned so far.

cchurchi said:

Yes, my first choice was HYPOCRISY but then I realised that I have never been a hypocrite. Everyone else is, but I'm not.

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That probably makes you a liar instead. Does that then make you a hypocrite?

Catch-22's are great. :lolsign:

Inquisition.

Lost, but not without hope.