09-24-2002, 09:52 PM | #1 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: May 2002
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Hamuns! AGH!
I've noticed that many humans have very opinionated opinions () on humans. One person’s sig says: “You are speaking to a human being,” indicating that being a person is something to respect. Another has a quote form Neiteichze…Nietiechze…er…NeeChee: “Human, all too human,” indicating something vaguely disappointing.
What do you, (the people, the humans, out there some where, on line…I can hear you breathing!) think? Do humans think? Is being a human a good thing? I assume that every one living and interacting with other humans must like it at least a little, but what I’m proposing is a *intellectual* () possibly *philosophical* () discussion about people. Which means to say that any thing said can be good in the big picture but doesn’t have to apply to the “real world,” (when I find it.) Random facts are welcome. Did you know that monkeys are the only other animals besides humans that masturbate?
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09-24-2002, 11:57 PM | #2 |
the Shrike
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Apes do it too. And a lot of other animals will hump animate and inanimate objects without pursuing intercourse.
Humans, eh? How would you define humanity? Would you define it as good? Is there such thing as good? How would you define good? In whose perception would this belong to? Western? Does that perception differ from others? etc, and so forth. Is that what you're after?
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"Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords |
09-25-2002, 01:59 PM | #3 |
im quite stupid
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that peice of info on the mokey will make for a good pub convo tonight.
seriously whats your point? Yes we all disagree on things. it would be a dull world if we all agreed and thought the same. i doubt there is anyone out there who is exctally the same as me (well i hope there insnt for the good of the world)
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09-25-2002, 05:21 PM | #4 |
Elven Warrior
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This could take up an entire new forum. What do you want to talk about first? The existence of God or gods? The soul? Maybe we need to define what makes something human. In that case, where did we come from? If we evolved from apes, as many believe, at what point did we stop being apes and become humans? You also need to determine the difference between good & evil.
These topics (and others) have been debated before any of us were even born, and will most likely continue long after we're dead without ever coming close to a real conclusion. That's why philosophy is so phun ! P.S. Dolphins are considered the most intelligent creatures after humans. They are also the only species known to have sex just for the fun of it. |
09-25-2002, 05:24 PM | #5 |
the Shrike
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Erm. Bonobos do as well. In fact that's basically all they do.
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09-25-2002, 07:03 PM | #6 |
Elven Warrior
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The conversation I hoped to inspire is exactly the one we're having.
Go me! I think that humans are nice in small protions. But most of the institutions (sp?!) they made are...er...well...flawed. What's a Bonobos? I also heard that about dolphins. I also heard that Bottle nosed (sea) dolphins sometinmes mate with river dolphins. They make these infertile hybred-dolphinms; like mules, only under the sea.
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09-25-2002, 07:13 PM | #7 |
Halfwitted Queen of Lothlorien
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This reminds me of a discussion we had in Science today...
We're studying about the planets, and our teacher told us that it is entirely possible for there to be a planet on the other side of the sun that we of course can't see, that has a climate very similar to ours with oxygen and water and stuff, and....intelligent life! Sooo, if there is this unknown planet out there with life on it, are there humans? Are they as developed as us? Do they have similar languages? And so forth. Just something to consider...
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09-25-2002, 07:38 PM | #8 |
The Rogue Elf
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Doubtfully there are humans. I don't think humans, apes, and all that could envolve in many different places, but maybe they could. There are probably creatures similiar to ours, or very different. I don't think there would be too many - if any - creatures exactly like the ones we have here.
I think humans just are. Now, either I will allow myself to believe every single creature is special, or none are - either way, however, none of them are any better than another, if you see where I'm coming from. Last edited by Rána Eressëa : 09-25-2002 at 07:40 PM. |
09-25-2002, 07:45 PM | #9 |
'Sober' Mullet Frosh
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The reasons institutions are flawed are because humans are flawed. Wait three monts and you can help me with my political studies exams.
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09-25-2002, 08:34 PM | #10 | |
the Shrike
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09-25-2002, 10:35 PM | #11 | |
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09-25-2002, 10:38 PM | #12 |
Elven Lady of Speed-posting
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I think...you just mentioned my sig...so I think I'll use up a valuable 4 minutes and post .
Of course humans' institutions are flawed...nothing here on earth is perfect. Even in animal life, moms abandon their young and even eat them. Maybe there is some planet way up somewhere, and in that planet they're more advanced than we are. But not perfect. I don't think it's possible for an entire race to be perfect.
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09-26-2002, 09:19 AM | #13 |
im quite stupid
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How does a dolpin masterbate?
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Yeah god hes ok but i would rather be judged by a sheep than that idiot |
09-26-2002, 10:38 AM | #14 | |||
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09-26-2002, 01:18 PM | #15 |
Elven Warrior
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I believe that if there is life on another planet, it is probably nothing at all like the life we have here. There is a potentially infinite amount of ways for life to form, so the chances are unimaginably small that another planet will produce life exactly like Earth's.
This exact reason is why I have so much trouble swallowing the story of Superman. He's from a planet who knows how many light-years away, yet the dominant species were exactly like Earth-humans in every way. The only difference is that the yellow sun somehow gave him superpowers, which doesn't make any sense to me and no one has been able to explain it to me. At least Batman is slightly believable to a certain extent. P.S. It is impossible for a human to lick their own elbow. Last edited by Treebeard's apprentice : 09-26-2002 at 01:19 PM. |
09-26-2002, 03:04 PM | #16 |
'Sober' Mullet Frosh
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It depends on the nature of life. Maybe there isn't an infinite number of ways for life, especially sentient life to form. If so lifebearing planets would be very, perhaps uncannily earthlike.
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09-26-2002, 04:26 PM | #17 |
Elven Warrior
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I don't know if there is an infinite number of ways for life to form but on our own planet recent discovery of life that survives on the sulphur from undersea volcanoes has forced the scientific commuity to re-think "what is vital for life". Certainly it has changed how we think alien life would/could evolve.
As for life on other planets.......I see no reason why not. Space is infinite, and thus there are infinite possibilities. Will we find life that is not terrestrial in origin? Who knows . Two big obstacles are in our way. Space (obviously) we do not have the techonology to travel or observe very far into space (relatively speaking). Even if we did have such technology where would we go? To explore every star with planets would take hundreds (if not more) of years. The second obstacle is time. We (as a species) have been here only a minute amount of time. It also looks like, if we're not careful, that this planet will be unihabitable (poution, irradiation, depletion of resources etc etc) relatively quickly. Now, the light from some stars has travelled for longer than the earth has held life, and we're only seeing it now! If we did discover intelligent life on another planet by the time we came into contact with each other we (or they) could have evolved into something completely different, if not died out entirely. (I'm not trying to be over pessimistic but species become extinct on this planet every day as new ones evolve) The odds of finding a new alien species as it occupies its "time frame" are, to be blunt, infinite. As a certain Mr Lucas said....................... "A Long Time Ago.....in a Galaxy Far Far Away" Last edited by osszie : 09-26-2002 at 04:33 PM. |
09-26-2002, 04:56 PM | #18 |
The Insufferable
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We think humans are special because we are humans- we have a unique perspective. We are the only species that we have the inside take on.
And love us or hate us, humans are what we are.
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09-26-2002, 05:00 PM | #19 |
The Insufferable
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Although, personally, I think I'm pretty special because I know how to spell 'human'. ]: )
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09-26-2002, 05:03 PM | #20 | |
Elven Warrior
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Quote:
(not a stranger to typos myself) Last edited by osszie : 09-26-2002 at 05:15 PM. |
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