Are humans animals?

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Must be one of your neighbors lol.

"We're not thinking machines. We're feeling machines that happen to think."
- Peter Watts, Blindsight

The above quote summarises it really. Humans have the same needs as any other animals, and the same desires. We also have the ability to think very well at an abstract and hypothetical, an imaginative, level. This has allowed us to create great complexity, which did not have to be evolved but was consciously created, by life taking initiative. However, humans often, if not most of the time, ignore thinking and make decisions by emotion and instinct. So yes, humans are animals, but animals which happen to think.

We're animals. Many humans think us better than the other species because of 'intelligence,' but the fact is, the way we measure intelligence is based on our own type of intelligence. Who's to say birds don't find us stupid because we're unable to fly without the aid of machine? Or (non-mammalian) sea creatures because we can't breathe underwater? We can't use echolocation, we can't lift however many times our weight that an ant can, etc. We're just that pest that the rest of the animal kingdom can't get rid of because there are so many of us.

Basically, it's impossible to say if we are 'superior' to other animals or not, as concept of superiority depends on perspective - and because we don't share a common language with the 'animals,' we can't guage things properly. Assuming other animals are stupid and inferior just because they have a different way of life and we can't communicate with them is like thinking, say, a Chinese person is stupid because they have a different way of life and we can't communicate with them because of the language barrier. (Obviously this example is for an English-speaking person in America or Britain or somewhere.)

The one thing that distinguishes humans from other animals is the "human condition" - the ability to ponder such philosophical questions as the meaning of life and the inescapability of death. I doubt cats and dogs are plagued with such existential torment. I truly envy them.

In all other respects, we are very similar.

I found this incredibly hilarious and sad at the same time.

The jerk in this van deliberately ran over papa goose,geese mate for life,he was guarding the hen on a nest nearby.If this is being human,no thanks.I guess it makes me an animal because I want to jerk the SOB out of the van and beat them to a pulp.
http://www.ky3.com/news/local/raw-video ... 8_25627708

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khs_PofcsbQ[/youtube]

Go out in some woods or desolate location and try to live for a month then you will know what it is like to be an animal. Or just scavenge from human sources like dumpsters and trash cans. You would eat things you could not imagine eating as a human. You will drink water that's unclean. You will experience life in such a way it would probably leave your traumatized and wailing.
Humans are far removed from the animal world, at least most are.
The ones who aren't live in primitive societies across the world.

I believe that abandoned pets feel much the same as what you described.

YES it's this conscience that is chiefly human! It causes humans a lot of agony.
Here's an example from my real life. I experienced an ef 5 tornado last year, went just north of my house which was in the debris field.
I wasn't home at the time but my pets were and I was soooo worried about them, I walked miles to my house just to check on them. The National Guard set up quite an extensive perimeter where no cars were allowed but people could bicycle or walk in. A few had ATVs. I had to park and walk a couple miles to check on my home. On the way I saw traumatized people lost in a world of shock. I tried talking to a few, they could only answer in mumbles and jibberish. They had far away looks in their eyes. Finally I realized it was shock so I just trudged on in silence.
When I got to my house I was relieved it was alright, no broken windows, and my pets were all happy when they saw me! It was like nothing had happened! They were oblivious to it all the complete OPPOSITE of all the humans I encountered. BIG difference!

A couple of things . .. your pets may not have been aware of the gravity of the situation. This would be beyond their scope. All they knew was that their environment was okay - so they would be content.
Also, I have seen documentation of animals showing concern for others. Particularly mothers who are separated from their young. I could go and get some evidence for this, but I'm too precarious emotionally to go there. And of course there's the cases of animals staying with their owners in situations of illness (eg. dogs.)

Heres a video of a mother caimen watching over several babies most not even hers and she is protective over them, sometimes caimens make better mothers than humans do.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x73HOe7JcMY[/youtube]

I am not saying animals are below humans. They are lucky in many ways, especially if they manage to avoid humans...and their own predators.
To live as an animal is much less artificial and they are much more in tune with their environment through the process of acclimation.

I think the thing that seems to distinguish us from animals is our almost constant communication with each other combined with our group organizational abilities. 'course, other creatures do this, like ants. We seem to be better at "thinking outside the box" though.