We tend to think of ourselves as superior to other animals, so my question is: what makes us so much better? What do we do that is more advanced than other species?

Build? Termites build structures that dwarf our skyscrapers when you compare them scale-wise. They even invented air conditioning.

Emotions? I don't know if worms have emotions, but I'm certain that dogs and cats do.

Art? Watch a few documentaries about different animals' homes or mating rituals and it's obvious that we aren't the only ones with ideas about what looks nice, which dance is seductive, and what music motivates us.

The ability to think about thinking? Studies have shown that many primates have the ability to reflect on their brains' learning processes.

The ability to dominate other species? We can only do that when we are in large groups. Even a colony of ants can kill a single human.

Perhaps what makes us different is our belief in spirituality. We imagine something more because we can't, for some reason, appreciate things as they are. We keep searching for meaning to everything. We keep trying to achieve a sense of wholeness.

Do other animals believe in spirituality? Do dolphins invent gods? Do frogs wonder if they're insignificant? Do parrots daydream about heaven?

Does believing in spirituality make us better, though? Many religious individuals seem to think so, but I don't. I think we are no better than any other conscious organisms. Nature can easily wipe us out the way we hire pest control services to wipe out colonies of termites. A lion can easily choose to kill a human the way we choose to kill a cow; nothing personal, just lunch time. I don't think we're better, just fortunate for now.

Labels: Deep Thoughts and Philosophy