What Separates Us from the Animals
copyright © 2016 by Robert L. Blau

It is clear that humankind is of a different order than the beasts.  Precisely what it is that separates human from nonhuman has been a matter of scientific and philosophical debate since the beginnings of science and philosophy.

Several theories have been advanced.  Here, in no particular order, are some of the more popular ones.

1.  Intelligence.  But high intelligence has been verified in dolphins, apes, dogs, and birds, to name a few.  (And see tool use, below.)
2.  Tool use.  But this has also been observed in chimpanzees, octopuses, birds, and otters, among others.
3.  Self-awareness or self-consciousness.  But this also occurs among apes, dolphins, elephants, and birds.
4.  Imagination.  This one seems to have particularly strong legs among humans.  Yet it has been observed among gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees, at least.  Perhaps humans imagine that only humans can imagine.

At last, however, we have the answer.  There is one incontrovertible characteristic that separates Homo sapiens from the lesser beasts, and here it is:

Humans are assholes!

They're the only known asshole species in the history of the planet.  The only one to use its intelligence to kill itself.  They only species to apply tool use to self-slaughter.  The only species to use its self-consciousness to eliminate consciousness from others of its kind.  The only species to  imagine that it has the right -- nay, duty! -- to torture and slaughter, not only other species, but others of its own species because ... well, just because.

Glad that's cleared up.