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What Does It Mean to Be Human?
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- čas přidán 8. 06. 2015
- In which John contemplates what it means to be human, and how we define personhood, while also talking a bit about the stuff he's been trying to write the last few years.
The video was inspired by a contest Bill Gates and Big History have organized over at bh-p.co/1Jze4sM If you make a video for the Big History contest before July 8th, you could win $5,000 and a contract to make more videos. Entry form, rules, and contest details can be found at: bh-p.co/1Jze4sM
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on what it means to be a person, because this is clearly something I'm still puzzling through.
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Hank's twitter - / hankgreen
Hank's tumblr - / edwardspoonhands
To be human is to care;
Unless you don't.
To be human is to share;
Unless you won't.
To be human is to love;
Until you stop.
To be human is to live,
But dead you'll drop.
To be human is to think,
But what about?
To be human is to utilize,
But that doesn't stand out.
To be human is to create,
And to destroy,
To have, to want,
To need, to employ.
To be human is to long
To define what you are.
Assume the answer awaits,
But that it's simply afar.
To be human is to learn
That we can't be bound
To any definition,
Action, emotion, or sound.
It's to search for an answer
And to find nothing.
Know in your heart that
You're still wanting,
But come to terms with the fact
There's no answer to see;
To be human is to know
That you're what you choose to be.
I've been working on my poetry recently, in particular about love. This is sort of an experiment to see how I do on an even *more* abstract subject. Basically, in my opinion, the way to define being human is simple: you can't.
It's really nice👌
+
Oh boy I teared up with a smile while reading it
It's amazing
thanks for this. it's helping me with my english assignment !!
John, your thoughts on denying humanity to those who can't read or perform some other accepted expression of humanity makes me think of a Mark Twain quote: "But who prays for Satan? Who in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most"
***** Um Satan was never a human. He, and other angels, were tested differently than people, and judged in a different way. He's already chosen his path.
But I think I understand the general idea of praying for enemies.
Kelleen BRX Of course satan was never a human. Nor the other angels. Since they never existed in the first place -.-
Kelleen BRX The general idea you put there of praying for our enemies is there, certainly, but - I think that there is also the factor of overcoming some almost in-built deterrent to pray for/wish good things to/(...) Satan, or even people we detest. (Because, as humans, there are those people we still do, kinda hate, or at least really, really, dislike). Because, let's be honest, praying for Satan, or terrorists or Hitler whatever you feel embodies pure evil (Which is just ridiculous, as bad as someone is, they can never be completely bad. Satan, after all - if you go by the testaments/Qur'an - used to be an angel. ), FEELS wrong in every way but - maybe we should do it? In some way? Just, try to imagine that even the most vile people cannot be wholly evil and that maybe they also deserve compassion? I have no idea. :P
Ado Spike Also, I should say - then again, maybe not? Because, the very fact that we think someone is bad or evil, might be, sometimes, supported by something. So - yeah... I have no idea, still. EGHK! xD
Kelleen BRX He's never had a body, but he was the same "thing" that we have become. Whatever you want to call it.
Being human is spending 45 minutes searching the house for your keys when they've been in your pocket the whole time.
And that moment of panic when you don't feel your phone in your pocket... because it's in your hand...
Hello stranger from 8 years passed.
:>.
@@BenjaminRetr0 relatable 😂
Humans are humans because of their ability to ask the question, "What does it mean to be human."
I believe that the fact that humans can think higher thoughts enough to even question why we are thinking them, why we exist, why we are human defines us.
thanks! :)
*****
other species on earth certainly cannot. even though we do not understand the language of certain animals, we can tell, by brain scanning, their level of thought. and none of their languages have complex words or the range of expression that characterizes all human language.
PandaKittenhybrid
But what about humans that can't answer that question?
@@avery-quinnmaddox5985 Then they know they are human
I'm always so impressed when people can come up with answers to these big questions and express them articulately. When someone asks me what it means to be human or something similarly expansive, my only answer ends up being "uhhh, um... well... you see..." and eventually I just quit and link to a vlogbrothers video.
Inorganic Vegan exactly what I was thinking.
Inorganic Vegan But apparently Corporations are also People.
Inorganic Vegan thats an answer to the question "What is a human?" but i think its not a good answer to "What does it mean to be human?"
MeisterHaar I agree. Much harder.
***** That's actually a good one. Haven't read the post you're replying to - your sentence is just nice by itself and I don't want to ruin it by reading something stupid ^^ Good on ya mate ;)
You're so good at talking. Really enjoyed it
Kyuurix agreed i love his voice and he just nailed it actually.
Kyuurix Agreed. Btw i'm subscribed to you! ;)
Kyuurix "Here's what I really believe Hank. I believe that, we can infer personhood on each other; through empathy and compassion, and trust."
"I believe that when we acknowledge each others consciousness and complexity, we lead better lives, and feel less alone in our grief and in our joy."
"And in that sense, I guess being human is both something that we are, and something that we must always aspire to be."
~Favourite Qoutes~
Kyuurix He's been practicing since he was one and a half (probably).
Kyuurix hey an talking... really.. isnt he awesome at novels ???
It's true John I'm totally a robot
***** I've had this same thought process before. When I was a really little kid I actually felt that this is what the world was, although I didn't perceive it so much as me being the only person, but that the "real me" was floating out there somewhere and controlling and experiencing my body remotely. It sounds really weird when I put it into words...
Also, as for the English, the only thing that gave it away for me was your use of commas ;) (I'm a native English speaker who also speaks fluent German.)
***** I would read this book
Meagan Ernst You should check out the zombie brains criticism on the Chinese Room thought experiment.
I commented this as a joke and started an intelligent conversation
Ooh, and responsive, too!
To be human... This reminds me of a lecture I heard from Ze Frank's short lecture in TED, Are you Human? The talk itself isn't quite inspiring for myself but it had its honest moments that actually made me feel that the points he said does make us human.
As for myself, I believe that being human is having the ability, strength, and knowledge on knowing what you have control over yourself. By yourself, I mean every action, thought, and unconsciousness. Of course mandating every thought, action, and unconsciousness is absolutely impossible, males will get an uncomfortable boner if a hot chic entered the bar wearing tight jeans and tank tops no matter how hard they try to get it off their minds. Somethings are uncontrollable and some aren't.To know that is the art of being human. John, you said that being human is the act of congregating to find mutual trust, sympathy, and love which are all medicine to the suffering that prevails the world. That is absolutely true, yet you cannot simply control your feelings no matter how good you are at lying at yourself. There will be people you hate, people who will betray you, people who hate you, and people who will take advantage of you. The world is full of different people that sometimes people will get hurt, inadvertently or not because we cannot control these emotions. I do believe that there are at least a handful of people who we can personally trust and love out of the differing others, but that doesn't mean that they themselves aren't human. They have their own little world, just like us, just different population with different rules.
Knowing what you can control and can't control is the act of being human because there is two things that humans are innately great at; clinging on and letting go. We cling on to love and affection because we believe that it will cure us from our loneliness and mend our hearts. Yet there are also people that choose to let go because they believe that clinging on will only bring more pain because in the end, everything ends no matter how powerful that relationship is. If you know the capacity of what you can control or cannot, you can find perfect solutions that is best for yourself and for whoever is related to you, you know what to hold on to or what to let go, simultaneously avoiding unnecessary pain and experiencing joy. On the other hand, if you have no idea what you are capable of, you will blindly hurt people, hurt yourself, and when you try to open your eyes, regret will come rushing in. As humans, we will try the best of our might to avoid suffering, which is why I believe that knowing what you can control or can't is being human.
John, thank you for your perspective on this matter so that we can read everyone's thoughts about what it means to be human. I have great confidence your novel will turn out great, because I trust your judgement and words.
Still blows my mind that I get to watch this on CZcams for free and every week and I'm just super excited every time about having the chance to consume interesting, challenging content like this. Having a hard time saying what I meant to say but yeah... Thanks for making me think about big things.
Also: Puff levels are high I think...
i agree!
Perhaps we're simply over thinking things. Perhaps being human is simply the biological fact of one's birth. Being born a human, makes you a human, just as being born a flower, would make you a flower. Sounds a little obvious, but do we really need more justification than that? It's sort of like the meaning of life: The meaning of life (in the general sense - as in what is the purpose of any given organism, complex or simple) is to live. Sure, the question of what is the meaning of _my_ life, or _your_ life, or _anyone else's_ life is far more complex and up to the individual to decide, but therein lies the beauty. As long as you are a homo sapien, you're a human, regardless of what qualities you have or lack.
It is perhaps also not necessarily what makes you human that counts but instead what you do with that humanity. Do you use the compassion you have to help others, do you use the opposable thumbs you have to paint beautiful art, do you use your brain to explore the universe, your human voice to inspire and your heart to love. In many ways we are constantly expanding what it means to be human and with the right courage, creativity and intellectual bravery this may expand further. To be human today is far different than it was at man's conception. It is the possibility of humanity that excites me not its rigid definition.
What if the fact that we over think it to begin with is what it means to be human??
MrKlonkie /thread
Actually the current human species is apparently termed Homo sapiens sapiens, also btw this is what Wikipedia says about us: "The ingenuity and adaptability of Homo sapiens has led to its becoming, arguably, the most influential species on the planet; it is for this reason that it is currently deemed of least concern on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
MrKlonkie If he'd said that though I feel like his chances of winning the Bill Gates contest thing would most likely be smaller.
Not related, but when I scroll to the comments and see all of you wonderful people talking, sharing, and not being scared to show how amazing you are, I feel so glad. Glad for the life I live, glad for living in a place and time that gives me so many opportunities everyday, glad to know that I am not the only who has thought " why? Why can't we do it this way?", and glad to not be judged by my age or gender, but by who I am, by my innermost self
"Aspire to be human"- John Green
Nothing has ever been so beautifully and eloquently put!
Being human means sunburn and mosquito bites, it means eating ice cream and getting brain freeze, it means feeling incredibly happy and then soul crushingly sad, it means lazy sundays and panic over deadlines, it means knowing what you want to do for the rest of your life but not knowing what you want to wear to school that day. It's conflict and confusion and resolution and peace, thinking you know it all and still needing someone to tell you what it's really about. Being human means making mistakes, and learning from them, realising that everyone is just trying to make it through the best they can, and that nobody has the answers...not even your parents. Being human means being wrong, and learning how to deal with that, and also being right and learning how to deal with that. Being human is the best and worst thing a person can be.
thank you :) feeling all 'in awe of the world' today
Correct me if i'm wrong, but what you're saying is that being human is a.) feeling deep emotions connected to important events, b.) general imperfections, or being subjected to our own biology, and c.) learning from our mistakes?
This was eloquent btw, but I don't think you finished your thought in the last sentence.
That was amazing.
I think asking what it means to be human is one of the things that separates us from animals. Like, we have this need to work out what our purpose is, what our meaning is on this planet, and everything else just keeps going. Although, maybe animals question what it means to be them as well. Are there dogs having existential crises over what it means to be a dog? "I am a dog because I fetch the ball... but the humans fetch the ball too..." What it means to be human sounds so poetic when John talks about it but I've become sidetracked by the possibility of philosophical canines barely a minute after considering the point, so I think I'll leave this to someone else. DFTBA!
BlueGreenandGrey this sounds like something I would say, haha. John has a way of articulating what I am thinking so that others can actually comprehend the argument I am trying to make.
BlueGreenandGrey well just like johns arguments with story telling and reading, someone who doesn't care about purpose or meaning is still a human. on the other hand i don't know if people who say they don't care and never think about that really nerver think about that.
Good view into the study of anthropology and derailment/rerailment discussions in social science of medicine
I think what's important to recognize here is that John is implicitly giving anthropology the recognition it deserves. As he questions what it is to be human, he holds it in powerful regard, as something that matters. And these questions DO matter. Because as the definition of the human changes so does all the other aspects of our society. If what is is to be human becomes something different than what we feel it is now, then medical practice, social structures, understanding of selfhood etc will change accordingly.
In short: anthropology is devoted to studying and answering this particular question regarding what it is to be human, and it is an immensely important topic of discussion.
The very definition of the human holds more power than you think it does. It has the ability to change everything.
- Mcgill university anthropology undergraduate
It looks like there is a third face in your paper towns poster...
I see it
I think the difference between "human" and "person" is important here. To me, "human" is a species, and personhood is the compassion and the empathy and the culture and the choice to (or not to) see others as people.
Mara K I'm sure there are several corporations that are thrilled to hear you are accepting of an idea that a person need not be human.
avoisin Oh we can get around that. Make person a subset of being human (though a very large one). That way dolphins or apes or corporations are not persons.
Unless you want animals to be persons, in which case make it a subset of "living".
Adam Bierstedt What if you want robots to be persons? How do you allow artificial intelligence (which could include hive minds, so can't say "people are individuals") but disallow corporations?
I honestly don't know. I wouldn't consider even the most advanced AI at this stage to be a person, so that's not something my personal definition needs to deal with yet. Do you have some idea?
How about sentience? "A person is any provably sentient entity." You can't set Bank of America or Kraft Foods down in front of a mirror to see how they react to their reflections, or run a Turing test on their charters. Empathy might be another criterion: "A person is any provably sentient entity that displays empathy for other sentient entities." That would rule out corporations, except for maybe those owned by Bill Gates and Elon Musk; but it would also rule out sociopaths, and I'm not sure I want to go down that road.
I think we have to be careful with saying things like 'being human is about being able to feel empathy' bc, you know, there are people who can't, or don't to the same extent as neurotypicals. It's so easy to accidentally imply that disabled people are less human than neurotypicals/able-bodied people, I see it all the time. But it's so, so important that we don't.
Meg Birch This is what I've been thinking, reading many of these comments.
Meg Birch also animals show signs of empathy too
A3roboy That really is the point of being human though. To realize that even though we are of the same race, we vary wildly, and have the ability to either accept or reject those minuscule differences. To work together or to fight each other, humans have the greatest potential of any species. The point of being a human is to realize our potential and work past our differences to achieve that greatness. You don't see sheep building cities, or going to the moon.
Was my initial comment removed?
A3roboy I think that's the point of the discussion though, when people don't have or struggle with what you called "key human traits" does that mean they are no longer human? No it doesn't and so you can't leave some things out because it's not about avoiding offending someone or leaving them out, it's crucial that we include every single person and their individual differences or we will always be invalidating someones humanity.
I took a class in college called What It Means to be Human (or rather was forced to take) and I can tell you that studying what it means to be human did not in any way tell me what, in fact, it actually means to be human. I have found that experience has shown me a great deal more than the class itself did. And this morning, after watching this video, I was trying to come up with what I think it means to be human and every time I thought of something like, "to be able to express oneself," I would think, well not everyone is able to do that and like you said, it doesn't make someone less human because of something they can't do. So the thing that I concluded that all humans share, is that we are all flawed creatures, incapable of reaching perfection. And in some weird way, I find that beautiful because it eliminates the stress of trying to be perfect. It allows you to let go and live life, not trying to be perfect, but doing the best you can and knowing that that is enough.
Erich From, an important psychoanalyst, said that the difference between a human and any other animal, is our ability to reason. It can lead us to our absolut best (bodily and emotionally).
Perhaps what makes us human is the ability to ask ourselves what it means to be human.
Jake Pillsbury Yes. I've always thought what makes us human and what makes us able to be so much more successful than other species is the ability to view the world outside of ourselves and think complexly and objectively in a way that isn't possible for other species.
Jake Pillsbury That excludes those not capable of forming the question. :)
R3Testa But that's the thing- no one needs language to understand or form thoughts or to know or ask...
You don't have realizations in your head as words, you just know. You don't narrate all of your thoughts, do you? We can express our thoughts and questions with language, but language and speech is a completely unnecessary factor in thought. Both the physically and mentally disabled people have ability to ask themselves who they are and why
Yes, I said "form" just like you did, not "speak."
There are those without the awareness to form that thought.
R3Testa not necesaarily, my sister was bor wittnh cerebral paralysis. techinically she is not able to answer or ask questions, not to the rest for the world at least, but thereis no way of proving she cant ask thinks to herself.... r after being with her for 7 years i've started to believe she can..maybe in a different way that most of us can but stil... off course, this is an assumption and i might be very wrong but it's also an assumption when we say she cant have such complex thoughts. :)
"We are human because we believe in each other's humanness" Should definitely go on a poster. That sums up everything so perfectly. I constantly admire your vocabulary choices. I think you defined being human perfectly and nothing I could comment otherwise would be adequate to this.
Chloe Louise yes I want that poster!!!!
Why would you not?! :)
Chloe Louise If you do not disagree, plunder the depths of your agreement for your own perspective. "I have found nothing with which to disagree" does not imply "I have nothing to comment" or even "I have found something with which I agree."
17inchcorkscrew I agree with you, except I didn't say that so I'm a little confused by what you're saying. Sorry!
Apledore that's a good point.
I honestly started to tear up at the end of this video, because quite frankly, I've never heard anyone say something more accurate to the thoughts in my own head before. This video made me feel 1000 times less alone in the world. Thank you John! Thank you so SO much.
-Theresa
To me being human is to have emotions and understand others.Not everyone can relate to each other but it's good to understand and help others when we can.
This video! This video is the perfect example of why I love this channel. You guys are not afraid to propose difficult question to your young audience. It's very pleasing to know that there are people out there who won't patronise the youth. ♥
I think personhood/humanity is much like the meaning of life, in that we will always try to define it and indeed regard the quest for that definition as uniquely human. Also in essence there may or may not be some general observation to be made, but ultimately it lies with each individual to define what it is for him/her to be a person or to give meaning to their life. That account on the individual level is far more interesting than any generalization applicable to all of mankind.
theIcyToad I really like this answer a lot, but...
*made
thanks, for some reason I struggle with that word.
As a few people have said, I agree: being human should include something about our genetics, who we are when all of the chemical, molecular, and elemental structures boil down to make us. Yet, I also feel that what makes us human is our ability to be wrong, and then act upon that.
For most animals and creatures, the act of doing something wrong, very often leads to their death. But for humans, it's the decision and reactions to these mistakes that define us. We make moral, decision-based, ethical, and physical mistakes that rapidly affect not only us, but our surrounding environment including the Earth and all of our family and friends. From those mistakes, we either decide to make more of them or change them and everything around us, and in that respect, I feel like we are truly unique and defined as human.
Thank you for another great video: always great to draw out the philosophical and intuitive side of people.
The world needs more of this!
I think a big part of being human is the ability to hope. Even in the most dire circumstances, there is something in humanity that still aspires to hope for a better future.
As with most philosophical questions, the only reason this one is difficult to answer is that we use the same word to talk about multiple things. The answer to "what does it mean to be human?" is "We invented those words. We have no reason to think the question even makes sense. Stop wasting my time."
As for people with intellectual disabilities not being able to share stories, that isn't completely true. I work with those people, the ones with the most physical need. I have learned their stories in part from files and others who have worked with them longer, but also from them, their eyes and smiles, their nonverbal language. I have become part of their story and they mine. I consider some to be my best friends and they are as much that as the best friend I have known for over 20yrs. We all share our stories, we just don't all know how to read them
Laura Harvey I think is my favorite comment that I've seen on the video.
fossilfighters101 Thank you. That does mean a lot to me. I am currently look at changing jobs, but I only feel comfortable doing so because I know the ladies I currently work with will remain part of my life because of connections I have made that enable me to still be present, all though not as much, in their lives. They have cemented my love of working with people with disabilities. I hope this step I am about to take helps me get on the road to graduate school so I can go even farther in my journey to becoming a BCBA (applied behavior analysis professional). Who knows, maybe someday, someone will see as being as much of an inspiration as I have seen my clients to be, as well as people like Temple Grand in and every parent who has raised a child with an intellectual/developmental disability. Right now I'm just the weird chick in the void, explaining my ideas to the dog and trying to train my pet chickens
Okay, John. The end of that video where you talked about being trapped in your own conscience, it is exactly what I've always thought about. It's hard to imagine other people complexly when you're trapped inside your own mind and can never see inside theirs. Great video!
Reading some of the comments on this video has helped me to remember there are other nerds out there that care about the same things I do. Being home and surrounded by people who don’t like science or reading has been really isolating. Thank you nerdfighter family for reminding me it’s okay to love learning and it’s okay to have deep discussion!
Just want to thank the amazing people that make the transcripts of every video on the wiki, I'm quoting John in a paper about stereotypes and race and you are making my life so much better
"I've also been writing a lot about tortoises but that's less directly relevant here"
Is it? Is it really? I think not Mr. "Turtles all the Way Down"
Also you were writing about turtles, not tortoises
This video is extremely well timed. Earlier today I read an article that made me disgusted to be a part of the human race, a feeling with which I unfortunately am well acquainted. I started to think about humanity and what it is and, more precisely, what it is not. Overall it was a very unpleasant train of thought but after watching this video it got me thinking again with the bitterness from earlier fading. And as I reconsidered humanity I thought of this.
Human isn't something that we are, its in what we aspire to be, in something we seek. For each person, the qualities that represent humanity are different (that's why the question begs asking). They come from what you see in yourself, the people around you, and the world abroad. There is a mess of good and bad, and we try to sort through it and come up with a neat little package with a simple little label for something too complex to grasp. I believe our humanity comes from our ability to search for it, in ourselves and in others. Jon put is nicely saying, "...We are human because we believe in each others humanness..." As far as we are aware, we are the only species concerned with defining what makes us who we are. It's rather a point of evolutionary privilege for us with our giant brains and our position on the pecking order.
This is one of my favorite vlogbrothers videos in a long time. Such a fascinating topic, which John spoke about so eloquently, and looking through the comments it seems to have stirred up some fantastic discussions. I don't even know what my own thoughts are about this, but it's so interesting to read other people's thoughts.
Hi John! I just wanted to let you know that I've watched this video every couple of months since you posted it. I am always deeply affected by your message here, and it's a constant reminder to be good to other people, and to remember that every other person is just like me -- they live every moment of their lives thinking and feeling in the same way that I do. Thank you for this. Have a wonderful day! DFTBA
"I've also been writing about tortoises." Hmm. Well, the current vlogbrothers videos have been about John's new book with turtles in the title, so I guess this video is the first hint of that book's creation.
Hey John, great video. 2 comments... 1. I work at a place with developmentally disabled adults who make art. Surround yourself with people who, in some cases, can't even feed themselves, and you will begin to see the beauty of being human. You will see that you aren't so much better than them. You are one of them. and 2. 8 years ago I had a left brain stroke which left me without language and some paralysis. My language improved, thanks to the place I work at (The Nina) and my paralysis is somewhat gone. In the six months I took off of work to get better (and yes, I'm Canadian so I have to say that the doctors, nurses, therapists are great and free) I began to realize that we (I really mean first world we) were going about an hundred miles an hour when we were healthy. Strokes seem to s-l-o-w down time. You realize that we are all humans, just that some humans have no clue about reality, because they are obsessed with TV, money, being someone. They don't grasp the full meaning of life (which I discovered is to have babies - congrats John!). And some humans; the old, the wise, the people who have to take time slowly, are very real. Very human.
Dear Mr Green,
we often happen to think that a story ends on the last page of a book or that it only exists within its lines.
This is not what happens with your stories: as a matter of fact, they continue beyond the pages and go on living within the mind and heart of the reader.
This is what is taking place in me and what I wish to thank you here for… for being something important which is significantly changing my life.
I’ve just finished reading “Paper towns” and it seems to me as if the novel (I mean the text) is only the beginning of something more complex which comes afterwards.
The book tells a wonderful story, full of emotions… fear, joy, suspense, all mixed within the lives of two adolescents different from each other. It is a book which can profoundly change your life and which I really enjoyed so much.
By the way, I would be really grateful to you il you could answer some questions. First of all: What exactly are “Paper towns” for you? Then: Do you think it is better to live in them or to escape from them? And lastly: How can a 17 year old boy, like me, without a fictionalized life, face these “paper towns”?
Looking forward to having a kind reply from you and thanking you for your beautiful stories, my special regards.
Angelo Piazza💚
"Is it solipsistic in here or is it just me?" So much for other human consciousnesses..
Also I think that there is a hint of irony in your argument John. Trying to expand a certain trait or ability to every human shatters your philosophy on imagining people complexly. The things that make us human are infinite, subjective, and cannot be narrowed down to specifics. The only thing we definitely share is the same species even though it is comforting to believe there is more. This is my take.
I appreciate your analysis but I disagree.
John imagines humanity as a complex network of strings; While it's hard to imagine how to verify that the same string does indeed run through each network that we might each disparately call "me," it's no less feasible than having the collective ability to do science--the discipline that has allowed us to "know" in any modern or historical sense of the world that we are infinite, subjective, and yet somehow individual.
This is exactly why I love shows like Star Trek. They always ask this question and it's amazing how diverse the answers are. This really hits close to home too. Excellent job, Mr. Green!
I think this is a really important discussion. I am a Christian and a nerd fighter, and lately I've been struggling with whether or not it is possible to be both. I believe that humans were created in the image and likeness of God, our Father, out of love and for love, and that that is where every human's intrinsic value lies. I have a hard time seeing how there can be a difference between humanhood and personhood. If we truly want to be inclusive of everyone, shouldn't every human, even the ones who cannot speak or think critically or have empathy because of disability or even because they are unborn, be called a person too? I feel like any other definition of personhood will still exclude some members of the human species. I rarely comment on any videos but I felt compelled to share my thoughts here, DFTBA and God bless.
I came here to say exactly this. Thank you. I definitely understand your struggle.
assistantseamstress It is very difficult for any quality to exclude anyone from being a Nerdfighter.
But in his last video Hank gave an example of what he believes is behavior that would exclude a person from being a nerdfighter. ANY community (even nerdfighters) has a list of generally valued and generally unacceptable traits/behaviors/philosophies/beliefs. I enjoy the vlogbrothers' sense of humor, their intelligence, and their desire to understand and reflect on the world around them, so I enjoy this channel. But there are times when they say things that I disagree with on a foundational level because of my faith. At those moments, I wonder if I really belong in this group. Can you really belong to a community that's built on a foundation that you don't entirely agree with?
Apledore Yes that's exactly my struggle, because while I appreciate a lot of what John and Hank do and I also appreciate how they strive to help others and make a better world, I have a hard time feeling like I can fit in to this group that believes in and affirms things that go completely against all the core truths that direct my life. And nerdfighteria is all about everyone having a voice and a place to express themselves but I had a hard time clicking the button to post my first comment because part of me feels like that me expressing my beliefs would not be as welcomed as others. So 17inchcorkscrew I know that I'm not excluded, I just don't know if I feel like I belong anymore.
assistantseamstress I'm curious, what parts of what John and Hank say conflict your faith? After all, there is really nothing directly inconsistent with being a Christian and a scientist.I think Neil DeGrasse Tyson said something of the sort. Might be worth checking out.
Anyway, here on I'll be trying to respond with specific points. Sorry if I ever come off as a little blunt here, it's just that it's 1:45 am.
So first, it seems that the answer to you question in the original post, for both John and for myself, is a qualified "yes". The reason I say qualified is that the phrase "or even because they are unborn" has to question whether a human being exists before birth, or even before conception. It is such a difficult and sensitive question, and really relies on a lot of faith to decide if the soul 1) exists prior to the body, 2) can exist separate to the body during life, and 3) when the soul enters the body. Looking at my knowledge of medieval theology (because I'm a medievalist), the traditional answers are 1) yes, both prior and after the life, 2) yes in special instances, such as visions or other miracles, and 3) first at birth, and then again at baptism. However, even in visions, human souls do not communicate, it is a human and an angel (look at the vision in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for an example). because of that, while the soul exists, it is not something that we have empathy for, but might have empathy for us.
Looking at whether people different from societal norms can or should be regarded as human, medieval theologists argued that substantially regarding the cynocephali, or dog-headed men. The debate revolved first around the lack of human speech given to Cynocephali, but the debate was decided by the presence of a catholic saint who was a cynocephalus. Given that, the dog-headed men clearly were human, and worth praying for. Seems to answer that concert.
In terms of your final concern, I cannot give you a good answer. You will need to decide whether the good that the Greens do in the world outweighs the segments of nerdfighteria you disagree with. And yes, you can be part of a community you don't always agree with. Just ask any college student their opinion of the administration. I promise it usually won't be pleasant, and yet they are still part of the college community.
Hope that helped, and sorry for the wall of text and any impoliteness!
Can a person a choose to stop being human? If so, how do they achieve that?
***** If a solution is the opposite a problem, then sometimes it helps to reverse the problem.
TheJaredtheJaredlong I hear splitting your soul into seven pieces helps
TheJaredtheJaredlong Not possible. You can die, at which point you become a former human, but when you are granted personhood, you cannot decline it.
This is a really interesting question to be involved in this topic, because if there's no way to become un-human, doesn't it mean it is simply to be biologically a homo sapien? Or does it really have something to do with something else?
I like this branching off of the topic a lot
Taking an example from pop-culture, are zombies still human?
i love how you look like you just woke up so real so fresh
Can I quote Desmond Tutu? “We were made to enjoy music, to enjoy beautiful sunsets, to enjoy looking at the billows of the sea and to be thrilled with a rose that is bedecked with dew… Human beings are actually created for the transcendent, for the sublime, for the beautiful, for the truthful... and all of us are given the task of trying to make this world a little more hospitable to these beautiful things.”
Being human is experiencing those emotions that happen as a result of life. Going through the "Human Experience", the common thread of experience. Whether rich, poor, disabled, able, popular, or unpopular, experiencing pain, joy, and unconditional love binds us together. It's going though intense periods of happiness and depression and emotion. It's experiencing the world through a sort of lens, a unique perspective that only you have. It's touching other people's lives in order to hope and strive for something more.
"The cosmos is also within us, we're made of star stuff. We are the way for the cosmos to know itself."
Carl Sagan
Nuf said.
Watch or read Tokyo ghoul, it's main theme is about this subject
Shyam Patel the anime is suck but the manga is great.
It seems to be a common theme in anime, although a lot of them only look at it briefly.
Others that come to mind are: Shiki, Parasyte, Darker than Black, Suisei no Gargantia and a lot more xD it's been a while since I watched them tho so don't remember how much they talk about it xD
Shyam Patel same with bladerunner (or do androids dream of electric sheep)
Tokyo ghoul season 3 coming soon!
Shyam Patel The main theme is "Oh aren't we so original for taking a generic urban vampire plot and swapping for a type of undead that eats flesh instead of blood", also 3edgy5me angst angst angst CRAWLING IN MY SKIIIIN
Welcome to the anime fandom, enjoy your stay, except not actually because we hate fun
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/918/756/9b5.jpg
i.imgur.com/PQkOqUE.gif
This video could not come at a more comedic time in my life. If you know anything about Solipsism, you can draw the connection between what John is talking about and what that mental "illness" is. In short, it's the constant assumption that reality is nothing but an external fragmentation of your mind. Moreover, there is no full-proof way of validating or confirming someone else's existence. I've been dealing with this complication for the last year and half of my life and I can honestly say it begins to take a toll on you. However, after watching this video, I feel as if I can understand what it mean to "be human", giving me hope. This video reminded me of what it actually means to experience life through the medium of a human. Thank you John.
Calling something in depth of that sort of humanity is also something to struggle with because humanity is a undefined fluid human construct that realistically our perceptions is as differing from any others due to free will and choice that builds the foundation of us as people. What makes us human isn't much of a question; because an answer that is articulated and phrased in such a way is only sustainably correct for that person at that time. Human beings are brilliantly complex and the way we change and develop ideas means we can grow and make our own answer to this grow. My own conjecture on this idea is that what makes us human is that we aren't stagnant and simply existing because we live in a world that has both many roses and thorns. Roses representing the many positive things that any human may enjoy and the thorns representing all the things that we move through as we continue to live that aren't always welcomed but are necessary. The fact remains the same my answer is different from any others here because while we may unite under many banners we are not synonymous with any other person in full.
Hey John! I'm not sure if you are going to read this because you get a lot of comments but I just wanted to say that you do not deserve the disrespect and invasive maliciousness being sent your way on tumblr. The fact that people are being so rude and hateful makes me so upset because you've done so much to help your community and the global community. The project for awesome is an amazing charity event, vlogbrothers is an ongoing creative and thought provoking endeavor, your books explore complex themes pertinent to teenagers. You do a lot of good and you've had a very positive impact on my life. Vlogbrother's videos really brighten my day when I'm in a tough spot and the way you celebrate community and nerdiness has taught me so much. You're really freaking great John Green. You really really are.
I think being human might mean to have a desire to be human....... i know that doesn't make much sense but for some reason i think humans have this instinct to like become their own perception of what a human or person is. Like we all wish to become someone that only exists within our own minds and to have that idea of who that person is realized and actualized. I guess im saying being human might mean to be an entity that is constantly trying to become something that that individual believes to be what a human is. And i think everyones idea of what they want to be or what a person is is different...... i realize this makes no sense but does anyone know what im trying to say or what i mean? lol im kinda confusing myself and there is probably a better way to say it but there is something in my mind that im trying to figure out and that person is who im trying to become? and i guess going through that constant metamorphosis-like transformation of figuring out and becoming is what it means to be human? whether it is conscious or not?? idk does someone know what im talking about?
I think what makes us human is the fact that not only can we understand that we are not the most important thing on the earth, (that we are not the only person suffering the hardships of life,) but the fact that we can think about this very subject and drive deeper into our very meaning of existence. But notice how I said can, meaning that every human is different. Not everyone thinks about this, but they just might be too scared to think about the possibility of everyone being robots. Being a human is so much more, though, than figuring out who we are. I feel that we need to just except the fact that we are humans, and that we are technically one big community experiencing life. The answer on the question regarding on what makes us us is probably something similar to the fact that we don't know any other natural living species that is us. By the way, John, I noticed Esther on the wall behind you. I wonder what she would say on this subject...
oh, man, I just want to say that in this video, you managed to address a huge existential problem that's been haunting me for years, usually in panic attacks where I generally disassociate from reality, and where part of me tends to question the very existence of any other consciousnesses. I'm so glad I saw this video today, it means a lot to me, and I know that if this video existed a year ago, it would have meant the world. Thank you so much for your words, and keep doing what you do! :]
I have never seen a v'brothers video with
I think you need to be careful about blurring the line between conferring upon others personhood, and unraveling and realising your own personhood by empathising and listening to others. I would always want to say of the individual that he or she is at least barely capable of asserting his or her own humanity in the face of dehumanisation. And that it is when this hopefulness is lost that humanity becomes lost also. One of the most striking pieces of writing i ever came across was in this vein, T. Borowski on the holocaust: 'It is hope that breaks down family ties, makes mothers renounce their children, or wives sell their bodies for bread, or husbands kill'
But against such individualism, there is also the very profound point that was made in a piece of dialogue between brutus and cassius, that we are one another's mirrors. And the greatest philosophers of alterity and dialogue, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and Bakhtin among others, all recognised.
wearethehollowmen Which is why Dostoevsky was the greatest novelist that ever lived.
Bakhtin:
'In Dostoevsky, consciousness never gravitates towards itself but is always found in an intense relationship with another consciousness. Every experience, every thought of a character is internally dialogic, advanced with polemic, filled with struggle, or is on the contrary open to inspiration from outside itself - but it is not in any case concentrated simply on its own object; it is accompanied by a continual sideways glance at another person.”
To be human to me means that you are there and I'm not talking about there as a place. Yes being physically in a place makes you a tangible human. When I say that to be human means that you are there, I'm saying that you congregate in some fashion and express the emotions that you have with other people. Whether that be through words, art, music, dance, or some strange form of expressing emotions through smells. Being there means that you have/ want a connection to someone that is in some way important to your state of wellness. the thing that you don't often see is people just sitting and talking to understand one another much. We are always quick to be the ones that label others without even saying hi to them. If being able to label something based on its appearance is the sole identifier in proclaiming that someone is a human then your definition of a human is your definition of what makes a human. And I'm great with that fact, having so many different aspects and opinions of subject matter over the span of the human race or any logical being is what makes life so great. We need to see all the strings that connect us to one another and strengthen them so that maybe just maybe we can understand the fault in our stars. DFTBA
This is quite possibly my favourite video of yours ever. Many thanks for making and uploading such a masterpiece :)
As far as my understanding goes, to be human is when we go beyond our own needs, wants and desires to feel compassion and take action for other living organisms. It is when we understand the value of every life and are able to perceive our own life's-worth equal with others.
Tortoises all the way down.
I'd like to pick up on what you said about thinking about some people as just sick or poor etc and flip it around a little.
I think what makes us human is how we identify. And as a chronicly ill person it can sometimes be possible to forget who "I" am. I've been ill through all of my teenage years and early twenties and I've not been able to do a lot of things to "discover" who I am. My identity can get lost to my illness from my own point of view as well as from others. It makes me feel less human because I can end up thinking of myself only in terms of being sick too.
Also, carers. As well as sick people getting this treatment, the loved ones who care for us do to. My mum isn't "just a carer". Giving up their identity can be one of the many sacrifices carers make for us. I mentioned this in my video about Carers a few days ago. It's #CarersWeek
I'm not just a ill person though. I am smart, I am brave, I am compassionate, I am creative, I am eloquent, I am passionate and reserved, I am kind, I am modest (not right now though because I'm trying to make the point that I am a complex individual and need to treat myself like one)
When my symptoms are bad you can't see all these qualities I have, particularly with brain fog, but they are still there. I am still me, not ME. Oh and I can't resist bad puns.
I might make a video extending these thoughts.
I think identity isn't a very complete answer, but I've no idea how to articulate what a soul is.
To be human is an issue of identity. I learned that identity may sometimes only be ascertained through one's predicted opinions of him or herself formed by others. How I wish it wasn't true, other people's opinions do hold a heavy weight on how we view ourselves. Humanity may truly come down to how we treat one another. If we treat others with care and love, they will inevitably feel more of a person, more human. The opposite is also true. I recommend the play "No Exit"- Jean-Paul Sartre, which contemplates how identity is dependent on other's perception.
My first thought after watching this video is that what it means to be human is to ask the question Why?
Take my dog, for example. She attends to her basic needs, and has love and compassion, and feels emotions. But she has never tried to figure out what chemicals her body is made of, and how those chemicals interact in a system to keep her alive. She has never wondered what life is, or if it exists on other planets. She has never had the need to discover what a planet even is.
Humans, more than any other animal, are capable of asking the deep questions about the way our world (and more) works and what it means for us. Only humans have thought about ethics, and psychology, and how societies work and why. I think our drive to understand and learn more is what makes us human.
The whole concept of being human is an idea really that changes from person to person. My understanding of being human is being a flawed being with a consciousness, that is capable of both great acts of passion, love, understanding and empathy, while being capable of acts of injustice, cruelty, neglect and the dehumanizing of other humans, with the ability to make and learn from mistakes. The idea of "flawed", as used above, is physical and psychological. That is my belief about what being human is.
I believe one of the most human like trait there is is passion. We can passionately love. We can passionately hate. We can pour all of our metaphorical selves into any thing/person/activity/etc. and care so much about it that it could become unhealthy. But passion can also be very beautiful. You can be passionate about helping others and make a difference in the world through donating money, through writing things that make people think and care about important issues, through volunteer work, etc. Passion can lead you down many different paths and without it I really don't think the human race would be quite as human.
I imagine that what it means to be human is the ability to relate on multiple levels with those around you, as well as feeling different emotions as you have many experiences throughout your life. It's also your ability to grow, not just physically but mentally throughout the years, your world view forever expanding the more you learn and experience.
Your video reminds of Ze Frank. I guess I kinda miss him.
Is there anywhere I can find out where he went? I haven't heard anything about him.
thebobman47 He's the President of Buzzfeed Motion Pictures, and he's been going around doing talks and whatnot. I think he's been a bit busy with that. Still, it doesn't make the lack of Ze any less sad.
bomber1452 I had that same thought!
bomber1452 Kinda? KINDA? Sorry. I just really miss him.
izacefroni He's also still on twitter from time to time
Am I the only one who is super excited by John writing about tortoises? I am a big fan of tortoises
SomeFynnDifferent No, I love tortoises!
SomeFynnDifferent My jaw dropped when he said it. Tortoises are awesome.
SomeFynnDifferent I'm more of a turtle guy myself, but I see why some people might be excited about tortoises
Lunar Trooper The turtle moves.
+SomeFynnDifferent QUICK RE-WRITE ALL OF HIS BOOKS WITH THE MAIN CHARACTERS AS TORTOISES
Looking for Aldabra
What you said made me think a lot and overnight.
I've always said it was our art and storytelling that makes us human but I can see now how that may not apply to all of us, like people who have profound learning disabilities.
The thing is, I think your definition "We confer personhood on each other through empathy, compassion, and trust" excetra ... May also falling short for some of the same people my definition did.
It's odd but every time I factor in the consciousness we perceive as a human trait with either an intellect or emotional standards... I find I'm still missing some people.
So I asked myself, what if being human is as simple as being born the species? It's the only definition so far that I can find where no one gets excluded. Not with sex, race, age, IQ, emotional status, or how much money a person has, and I'm mean the definition don't even discriminate against whether someone is considered bad or good.
We are human because we are bore human what we can or do do with our humanity is singular which is why hating for our differences is ironic.
I feel that the complex array of emotions is what makes humans humans. Everybody feels sad even if they actually are the happiest person in the world. It's something everyone feels however minutely.
Maybe the ability to self-actualize. To have an idea of becoming something other than what we are and then working to become that.
Any answer I come up with for what it means to be human is invalidated by the possibility of intelligent aliens existing elsewhere in the universe.
If aliens exist it is quite possible that they would also be able to reason, empathize, read, write, answer moral questions, etc.. which means that the only unique thing about being human would be that we are a member of the human species and nothing more.
I think this means that we should be asking the better question, what does it mean to be a person, for which any species may or may not qualify.
I believe that being human is more than one thing. There isn't a tidy one or two line definition that can sum up humanity because humans are so complex. Being human means making judgements and mistakes, having beliefs and hope, feeling pain and grief. Humans love and create and protect, but we also destroy and cause pain and make bad choices. Trying to define what it means to be human is like trying to define a specific culture. There's just so much to understand.
I once thought that because I could only experience my consciousness that I was the only person that I could verify as existing. I thought that because of that, that everyone else did not matter as they were just objects in my very own reality that I interacted with. However, reading Paper Towns changed my mind in that it made me realize that I should imagine others more complexly and live my life under the assumption that every single other human is living their own reality as I am living mine and that in their realities I am simply an object with which they can interact. Your book has changed my life for the better John and I hope that maybe this comment can guide you to finding your answer in some way. I'm really looking forward to your next book!!
John, I think being human has some part to do with our sense of responsibility and our ability to transform the world around us. Whether that is a positive thing or not it depends on the human. All animals have a habitat and set up a home where they alter the terrain but our habitats are massive and incorporate other animals habitats and when we destroy their homes we sometimes take responsibility for that and try to make for them a different kind of home. There are other animals that have a sense of reaponsibity to their children but we feel responsible for the whole world. Being human is incredibly complex but I think that our species sense of responsibility is something that is an integral part of our species.
I think that it's a very interesting point of vew! And you got me like, oh this isn't correct because there are people who only act with themselves in mind and their own benefit as a porpouse, and it excludes those people. But then I though: but are these people REALLY humans?
Thank you for this. I actually have an essay question on my final exam that asks this question precisely. This comment really opened my eyes to the ideas of how responsibility contributes to what it means to be human. Thank you for that.
Ana while my inner cynic laughs a little bit I think John made a good point in the video about not Diminishing the other. I know people who seem to lack all sense of responsibility but as a species responsibility is something that makes our interactions interesting. You do make a good point though, how would I classify them? I think what I was trying to say was that as humans we have a responsibility and when we ignore them we are ignoring an essential part of ourselves. They are still human they are just being bad at it. Like a gay person still in the closet, they are still gay they just are bad at it. Does that make sense?
John, I think you take a very romantic view on humanity. Your reference to inequality between races and empathy among people couldn't help but remind me of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Despite Victor being labeled a normal human based on appearances, he lacks moral judgement and the ability to love or at least sympathize with his own creation. He is portrayed as less human than the monster who makes several efforts to aquatint himself with humanity. I wish I could believe in this notion but I think it idealizes the world too much. The idea that one can envision themselves in another's shoes and then fill all the holes in their existence, cure ignorance, and achieve humanity is desirable and comforting but trivial. I wouldn't call even the most isolated and ignorant of people, even Victor Frankenstein, less than human because as much as we would all like to think as such it is untrue. Someone who is mentally ill and physically cannot connect with another person is still human. Empathy is just an ability someone may or may not possess that is neither inherent in all humans nor is it exclusive to humans. Let's be honest, some of us have a stronger connection with our pets than with our friends. So my definition of humans, as much as it might bore you, is to be a carbon based life form homo sapien. While you detest this idea I can actually find comfort in it. No matter what our physical, mental, or sexual state is we will never be more or less human than the next person. We are all essentially the same so we are all equal. We will all be born into this world and we will all die in this world and that is what makes us human. There is no single way to fix all of the problems in the world and the power may or may not be within us, but it exists whether or not it makes us human. Anyways, that's just what I think.✌️🐉
The ability to connect, not just to one another but to those things that we find important. Connection is what makes us human.
I know that ZeFrank is a huge influence on John and Hank, and this is why I say this with the utmost respect - it was uncanny how much John was channeling Ze in this video, more so than any other. The expressions, the earnestness, the message. It's the humanity in Ze, John and Hank, and the whole of nerdfighteria, that really make me so grateful to be alive. Thank you.
Brothers and sisters he is on to us being human like robots. Time to implement the omega directive.
Augh this is so deep and meaningful and should make me think critically about it, but the only thing I can think is "WHAT IS THAT LINE DRAWING UNDER THE 'AN IMPERIAL AFFLICTION' COVERS OF???"
If you are referring to the black and blue cover it says Peter van houten
Hannah T It looks like a blue print and I just- I don't understand because what are there blue prints to if so and why are they blue? Also, if they are blue prints my mind can't think of anything logical that they would be to so clearly since it is like late at night I will just assume that it is to like a spaceship or Jurassic park. Maybe it's to some secret society and we are being taunted by it. Maybe John is part of the illuminati. Maybe pizza is actually an illuminati code. I just don't know. I also don't know why being on tumblr for like 10 minutes make me think everything is related to the illuminati if you try hard enough. I can't figure out how having headaches makes everything just sound stupid or why I sound high when I have never done anything like that at all and I normally sound pretty intelligent. Most importantly though, I cannot figure out what that drawing is either.
From what I can tell, it looks like it's just a bird's eye view drawing of a desk with some books, a cd, various writing/ art implememts, and a balled up piece of paper
Being human is the ability to live and breathe and think and act and feel, but most importantly it's interacting with others, whether with words or not, in such a way that affects not only you but also them. What makes us human is our ability to affect each other's lives with our actions, decisions and communications.
This is the first vlogbrothers video I've watched, and I'm really impressed! I too often wonder questions like these, but then my head begins to hurt so I go back to tumblr, which is where I saw the link to this video. You are my favourite author John Green, and your books make me cry. A lot. They also make me laugh too, so keep doing what you're doing! Also vidcon is the best.
~ me
I always thought the thing that made us "human" or in other words, more cool then simply spin off apes
Was that we have the ability to ask questions like, what makes us human. No cat sits there and says, what makes me a cat. But we do, because that is what makes us human in a paradoxical way, at least that's what I've thought.
How do we know?
Cats have a lot of free time to think about this stuff. How do we know they don't?
but how do WE know that the cat doesn't sit there and think "what makes me a cat?"? Or is that just another example of a paradoxical question no cat would ask? and is that too?
Some badass from back in the day once said.
"I think, therefor I am."
Andrew Ratelle It was the mathematician and philospher Rene Descartes. Of course, the translation I read really seemed to say "I doubt, therefore I am"
This was the subject of my high school senior year midterms for our core subjects. We had to a presentation that defined what it meant to be human in terms of math, science, history, and English. Given that that was more than half a life time ago, my answer to this question has changed, but not as much as one might thing it would. My definition then had to do with our capacity to both love and hate, although I no longer think love is a uniquely human attribute, I do think hate remains so. Currently, I think in large part the human species is defined by our ability to ask the very question "what does it mean to be human?" That is, we have the capacity to move beyond the struggle for mere existence and survival to seek to find and/or creating meaning in our lives.
I personally think that to be human is to acknowledge your own existence, and your own agency, and your own will. You are human when you understand that your trip to the DMV is going to suck. You are human when you think about your future. You convey humanity to someone else when you empathize with someone else about their experiences, and you take it away from someone when you don't feel they are capable of meaningful thoughts or feelings.
Not to be rude, but your audio is not quite... up there. Could you get a better microphone please?
Acquavallo Watch this channel's oldest videos. Once your standards are readjusted, you'll wonder at the technological marvel that is today's youtube.
Acquavallo audio quality is fine, at least in my opinion. This video is just way too quiet. Probably just a bad setting, or he messed up in editing.
Acquavallo I think as long as you can increase the volume you should be fine
I think being human means to have the ability to think at all. That doesn't mean not respecting the intelligence of animals..we don't actually know how they think (is it in words or something else because they can't talk) but I think in order to think philosophically requires being a human. Also the desire to know what it is to be a human is very human, we have the ability to question how we came to be. Therefore I guess that means that if you are in touch with philosophical concepts then you are getting in touch with your own humanness because you need to be human to do that at all. I can't even understand what I just said but yeah...
You should check out some of the studies done on animals. Scientists have found that dogs do not feel guilt, but do have emotions, including a sense of fairness. Animals such as dolphins are also self-aware. Many animals, such as gorillas, have complex social hierarchies and interaction. I think it's unreasonable to assume that other animals are not capable of higher thought, simply because we can't understand them. After all, people are not special. We are just a giant coincidence that evolution happened to produce. I think what differentiates humans and has allowed us to build vast civilizations and alter our environment so much is the combination of our traits. I don't think any one thing is significant, because there are other animals that share each one of our traits. Anyway, for all we know, we could one day find out that another animal has colonized the deep sea, and is far more intelligent than us.
All of the time I feel like I am so important and become so immersed in my own struggles I can't even begin to think of anyone else. That makes sense to a point, to go through your own issues and figure out how to solve them but imagining someone else having the same amount of depth and emotion is so incredibly difficult that often I fail and see my struggles as the only struggles. In light of these realizations I'd like to think I believe the same of humans that we choose to humanize one another and trying your hardest to humanize one another should be a constant goal. Thanks for continuing to push me to think past the surface, to things that truly matter.
Admiringly,
Meg
I think there is big difference between humanity and personhood. Every human born human is human. That is fact. Like a plant is a plant and a dog is a dog. But personhood is not exclusive to humans.
There is a part in the last book of the His Dark Materials trilogy where human character Mary Malone meets a group of creatures that are definitely not human, but they have traditions and language and skills and stories and they worry about the future and think about the past and she looks at them and here is the quote that pretty much changed the way I think about personhood:
" So they had language, and they had fire, and they had society. And about then she found an adjustment being made in her mind, as the word 'creatures' became the word 'people'. These beings weren't 'human', but they were people, she told herself; it's not them, they're us."
To be human is to have morals and then proceed to do the wrong thing even though you know it is wrong. We are the only beings that will ever do that. Ever.
Fun game for Nerdfighters; put peanut butter on your face while learning about the world and listening to John talk.
What you said about thinking of others as less complex as ourselves is something I'm guilty of. I once caught myself thinking of women as more complex as males, and I know that's sexism, but it was so automatic, it's just a mental barrier to truth, and I think it's something a lot of people (especially bigots of various issues) are prone to. It reminds of how recently in university (college), we were learning about Orientalism, and I mentioned that it's a concept that seems to still exist in our society. The tricky that about it, though, is figuring out how to get beyond that. Because everyone has an "us" and "them" mentality about something. Everyone's an insider to one thing and an outsider to another. We don't live in a vacuum. The point is, bias exists; the problem is where that bias leads.
John Green always manages to make me feel like the world around us is there. Sometimes I get too wrapped up in my personal life that I don't remember that other people also have personal lives, and I think that John nailed it. The thing that makes us human is other people recognizing that we are human. John, thank you for this amazing video that made me want to be nicer to people, and to help them. Once you've imagined people complexly, you start to feel like you need to tie into their complexity, and be a part of it. You made me feel like I should go and do something nice for someone. For this I thank you.
Being human is all about emotions. No other creature experiences emotion on the same profound level we do. Emotions are the basis of souls, and humans have souls. Emotions are attractive to us because we are human. We have emotions because we are human. Humans are a superior species to, say, cats because we have a higher level of intellect and the capacity for emotion. Emotion drives us. Any form of art, such as dance or literature, are expressions for emotions and intellect. Art appeals to us because it portrays the various aspects have human-ness (emotion). There are two truths of the world: logic and emotion. Well, I guess I just gave a definition of human-ness. I'm not sure if that's whatever you're looking for.
You're writing another book!!! 😃
So, I just wanted to quickly give a very sincere (and incredibly cheesy) thanks to John. I haven't read a book since the final Harry Potter was released, partly because I never particularly enjoyed reading, and partly because I never found another book that captivated me enough to get me through the first 10 pages. For my 25th birthday this past Tuesday, my boyfriend was kind enough to buy me your box set. I pretended to be more excited than I actually was as to not make him feel bad, but not having read an actual book since I was a teenager and then receiving a set of actual books as a gift was not the most exciting thing ever. (Although I am very grateful and appreciate the sentiment). Well, I got bored yesterday and said, "what the hell", and started reading Looking For Alaska. In less than 24 hours, I've finished it. I feel renewed. I have found a new respect and love for disconnecting from the real world for hours at a time and becoming a part of a story I didn't even know existed. I feel like I've discovered an entirely new dimension. So I'd like to say thank you to John, no matter how cheesy this all may sound, for you have helped me rediscover a part of myself that I had forgotten. Thanks for writing a story that is ACTUALLY GOOD. I can't wait to read the others.
I never comment on CZcams videos. This is obviously a big deal, guys.
Alex Teague what are these bonds you speak of? Is there a link you can share where I can check them out?
I don't know about bond links. But I bet if you go to Amazon and type in Looking for Alaska you will get your answer.
As I read the comments I found my definition of humanity. The contrasting of ideas. Other species have one plan like salmon swimming up stream to lay their eggs. But we as people have millions of opinions in our species. Some of them overlap but many contradict each other, but none of us are wrong with opinions. We have the power to have millions of correct answers. I'm not saying no one is judged on opinions, we all know people are, but no matter what anyone says we are right to an extent. That's our humanity I think, our ability to be different but perfectly right in being so.