What one characteristic is unique to humans?

Question

Let me get you started...Only humans lie, cheat, torture and kill for sport or pleasure...

Only humans lie, mallign, gossip, cheat, maim, torture and kill others of their own species for sport or pleasure...

Only humans can destroy the planet...

And come on, there's so many more characteristics unique to humans that prove we are the crowning creation, that show how superior we are to all the dumb animals....(not)

Answer 1

altruism

Answer 2

Hello 'Cat Lady'

I think that you have mentioned several 'characteristics' but i feel as though i should answer dispositionally optimistic in order to maintain an equilibrium.

I believe that although this may not be 'characteristic' trait of humans, it should be mentioned.

Literature: Through literature humans have been able to

     a) develop technological advances and explorations into the world though the compounding of current knowledge that is not being lost from generation to generation.

     b) develop bigger and more effective ways of gossiping, cheating, maiming, torturing, and killing through advances not being lost through the generations.

I say this to illustrate that literature or perhaps better phrased 'preservation' could be an integral trait to human kind.

Answer 3

we are not the only animals that get high off certain and different plants and liquids. oh and also.. animals do have to kill to live. But we have good food so be thankful.

Answer 4

Wrong! Cheating is a population trait of many social animals. Minx and bobcats have been known to kill for no apparent reason. Lying is just a result of talking. All animals destroy and fully exploit their territory.

The difference between humans and apes is only in magnitude not in type.

Answer 5

There are so many total differences between humans and every other creature on this planet, that sets us so far apart from them, it is visual and logical evidence that we could NOT have evolved from them. (Nor were we 'created' by an omnipotent master of the universe, btw)

As well as wearing clothes, as *peternal* points out, we also:

Speak

Look to the sky (etc, etc) and 'wonder about it'

We have religions

We use knives and forks

We operate on each other

The list, of which all the items have many etc's, is endless.

We humans are still very immature, even primitive. And, until we 'grow up', all the bad traits (lying, etc) that are evident now, and are, sort of, modern day primitive survival tactics, will continue as 'human nature'.

So, let's hope the 'growing up' process will improve quick enough to save the planet!

Answer 6

1) We wear clothing...

2) We control fire...

3) Written language...

Answer 7

The defining characteristic of the race is the ability to use logic to draw valid conclusions from evidence.  Note that I say "ability", not "performance".

Answer 8

I beg to differ.  Dogs attack sheep without eating the meat.  Cats play with mice before killing and eating them.  I agree that only humans right now can destroy all life on this planet though.  I also agree that from the point of view of any other species we're a plague and a pain in the ****.

Answer 9

Whilst I'd agree that humans are just about the lowest scummiest least deserving inhabitants of this planet, none of what you said is true all sorts of animals lie (all sorts especially birds deceive each other), cheat (presumably we're not talking monopoly here - again, virtually no other spcies is monogamous), torture and kill for sport or pleasure (killer whales, chimps are just as bad as humans).. don't you watch nature documentaries ?  Humans cannot destroy the planet either, all the nukes in the world could not destroy this planet.  It would make a large area radioactive and kill lots of creatures, but animals and plants would still live and it would eventually become safe with or without humans other life would evolve or existing life benefit from the new conditions and balance would be established again.  I can't think of any innate characteristics that seperate us from other creatures.  What about love ?

Answer 10

who says animals dont? .. we evolved from monkeys who evolved from water creatures..

any animal can destroy the planet.. its just we currently have the knowledge/power to do so. If a cow had the knowledge and will/reason to destroy the planet, that cow would try to. Because of evolution and the way things are, our knowledge and communications skills give us the edge to pretty much everything on the planet.

Their is NO unique characteristic.. because we are all animals.. you can always live your life and not worry about them "dumb" animals and what you can do to be superior.

Try to make yourself unique from another individual instead of trying to differentiate an entire species.

Answer 11

???

You ask for ONE, and give about a dozen.

You picked bad ones. I guess you've never considered any of the others.

It's not true that no one else has cheated, or the rest of the list.

I'm not saying we're the "crowning creation" as that's a bogus and silly concept.

Many critters routinely commit what we consider horrors, with no conscience about it.

And by a LONG shot, not all of us human commit horrors. (I've never maimed, tortured, or killed any of my species, for any reason.) The reasons horrors are committed for all sorts of reasons, generally involving gain.

But you leave out other things.

Others don't create art.

And other critters don't learn about one of their kind, across the world, suffering, and do something about it (which is something we do more routinely than maim).

Much of what we both have mentioned as unique are due to our language (unlike that of any other critter -- vastly so), and capacity for abstract thought.

Other critters haven't connected the entire world in the way we have.

In short, we're more powerful; as to appeal, we're mixed.

Answer 12

We have feelings a concience

Answer 13

s*x...for the fun of it. All other species are driven to perpetuate themselves.

Answer 14

Your wrong there, several animals will kill the young males born of a different male. Some animals kill for fun but you are right about us kill our planet.

Answer 15

We are the only species that will work a 16 hour day and love their job.

Incidently, I am Cat Lady also, tell me about yourself.

Answer 16

We're the only animal that wipes it's a*se with paper.

Answer 17

huh?

Answer 18

Your 'assumptions' are false.  Many animals (e.g. grizzly bears) will kill, maim, torture, etc. their own species.  House cats will "play" with their prey (torture and maim) before eventually killing them.  Killer whales have been recorded "playing" with the poor seals they have injured, before they eventually eat them.  So....... check your assumptions!

Answer 19

The ability to ask what it is that separates us from other animals is pretty unique.

Answer 20

lie, cheat, torture and kill for sport or pleasure...?

You should look into Jane Goodalls research (she spent decades of her life living with chimpanzees)

Chimpanzees have been proven to do all those things.

Answer 21

How about honor, gratitude, sense of justice, mercy, guilt, vengeance and hate ?