Humans- are they superior?

Homo sapiens have the privilege of bearing the weight of the most developed brain in all of evolution's story. But we keep using this perk of ours in ways that are anti-intelligent. Here's what humans have done as an effect of nurturing the myth that they are the most important things ever.

1. Environmental destruction. 

The most pressing problem today is climate change. But are we going anywhere near solving this problem? It's one of those problems whose solutions are out there in the open but we've closed our minds into believing that it's impossible to find a cure just because the cure requires us to redesign huge parts of our lifestyle.

2. Speciesism.

Not many practically are willing to accept that humans are also animals. The only time they do, they probably are in a conversation with scientific grounds. Just because humans have the most evolved brain does not mean we are less animal. With the same logic, it can be said that blue whales are the largest animals, that makes it less of an animal. Now, if you say other animals lack critical thinking or emotions, why are they used in psychological studies that have the aim of understanding humans?

3. Social hierarchies.

Hierarchies based on simple differences like gender, race, sexuality etc. to those based on human-made grounds like religion, caste etc. have brought about many inspiring movements demanding change. But it is also to understand that sometimes these movements demand a "solution" that would reverse the hierarchy ladder instead of abolishing it.

4. Insecurities. 

Humans have set an extremely crammed expectation of ideal humans, further stressed by the media and influencers. 

5. Greed > Need.

The motive behind economic development is to make sure that everyone can get what they need. But in most places, economic development has been synonymized with a powerplay of resources, making one person the richest and greatest contributor to the economy but not solving underlying problems like poverty.

6. Also, Greed = Need.

Minimalism is more than a fashion statement. In this world of resource exhaustion, it is important to know what we actually need to survive in the present world, not what we are made to think we need. A mansion is not a need for one person.

7. Fulfillment of Greeds = Development.

Skyscrapers, artificial intelligence, luxurious vehicles etc. have become symbols of "development" without specification of which field is developed. They remain symbols of "development" though they have affected society negatively. For example, artificial intelligence can increase unemployment in India. If Indians were leaders in this field it would still be considered a symbol of development. 

8. Irresponsibility.

Even though we have the solutions to many such problems affecting a large group, we collectively don't want to wake up and change our system to meet the problem. 30% of the human population have way more food than they need, 50% have uncertain sources of food and 20% are undernourished, including 1% of those who can die of starvation. If the first 30% changed their mind to help the 20%, food would be more secure. 

9. Strangers, strangers everywhere.

Do you think an ant would know everyone in its colony? No. But does it stop them from cooperating with each other? No. But we humans have made so many boundaries with no logical basis and have made strangers out of a world of friends.

10. Tradition > Facts.

Why do we follow these boundaries? Our traditions were probably trying to bring more stability to society. But times change. Why don't we live and think for the present moment instead of living according to rules made thousands of years ago?

11. Ignorance.

We are living our lives the way lives have always been lived, changing only when it benefits ourselves. Is our mind open enough to bring about drastic changes to everything we've known to reach a place promising solutions to all our problems because it surely is possible? Or will we still sleep under the comfort of ignorance and succumb to the problems when they're no longer is a solution available?

12. Detachment from surroundings.

We are too ignorant to know how much we are similar to everything around us. We are animals, no less animals than the roach under our beds, no less animals than those we protect. We are living beings, no more living than the grass we stepped on on the way home, no more living than the cyanobacteria we evolved from. We are all matter, no less matter than the air around us, no more matter than the stardust we are made of.

13. Detachment from self.

But when we get to think that we indeed are, we lose ourselves. We become puppets to what life throws at us and we wouldn't be able to make lemonade as life only gave us lemons. A cat lazily judging humans from the windowsill is more aware of oneself than we can ever be if we aren't brave enough to accept this similarity, vulnerability and rise with empathy and logic.