what makes you human essay

What Makes Us Human?

• Philosophical Theories & Ideas
• Major Philosophers

There are multiple theories about what makes us human—several that are related or interconnected. The topic of human existence has been pondered for thousands of years. Ancient Greek philosophers Socrates , Plato , and Aristotle all theorized about the nature of human existence as have countless philosophers since. With the discovery of fossils and scientific evidence, scientists have developed theories as well. While there may be no single conclusion, there is no doubt that humans are, indeed, unique. In fact, the very act of contemplating what makes us human is unique among animal species. 

Most species that have existed on planet Earth are extinct, including a number of early human species. Evolutionary biology and scientific evidence tell us that all humans evolved from apelike ancestors more than 6 million years ago in Africa. Information obtained from early-human fossils and archaeological remains suggests that there were 15 to 20 different species of early humans several million years ago. These species, called hominins , migrated into Asia around 2 million years ago, then into Europe and the rest of the world much later. Although different branches of humans died out, the branch leading to the modern human, Homo sapiens , continued to evolve.

Humans have much in common with other mammals on Earth in terms of physiology but are most like two other living primate species in terms of genetics and morphology: the chimpanzee and bonobo, with whom we spent the most time on the phylogenetic tree. However, as much like the chimpanzee and bonobo as we are, the differences are vast.

Apart from our obvious intellectual capabilities that distinguish us as a species, humans have several unique physical, social, biological, and emotional traits. Although we can't know precisely what is in the minds of other animals, scientists can make inferences through studies of animal behavior that inform our understanding.

Thomas Suddendorf, professor of psychology at the University of Queensland, Australia, and author of " The Gap: The Science of What Separates Us From Other Animals ," says that "by establishing the presence and absence of mental traits in various animals, we can create a better understanding of the evolution of mind. The distribution of a trait across related species can shed light on when and on what branch or branches of the family tree the trait is most likely to have evolved." 

As close as humans are to other primates, theories from different fields of study, including biology, psychology, and paleoanthropology, postulate that certain traits are uniquely human. It is particularly challenging to name all of the distinctly human traits or reach an absolute definition of "what makes us human" for a species as complex as ours.

The Larynx (Voice Box)

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Dr. Philip Lieberman of Brown University explained on NPR's "The Human Edge" that after humans diverged from an early-ape ancestor more than 100,000 years ago, the shape of the mouth and vocal tract changed, with the tongue and larynx, or voice box, moving further down the tract.

The tongue became more flexible and independent and was able to be controlled more precisely. The tongue is attached to the hyoid bone, which is not attached to any other bones in the body. Meanwhile, the human neck grew longer to accommodate the tongue and larynx, and the human mouth grew smaller.

The larynx is lower in the throats of humans than it is in chimpanzees, which, along with the increased flexibility of the mouth, tongue, and lips, is what enables humans to speak as well as to change pitch and sing. The ability to speak and develop language was an enormous advantage for humans. The disadvantage of this evolutionary development is that this flexibility comes with an increased risk of food going down the wrong tract and causing choking. 

The Shoulder

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Human shoulders have evolved in such a way that, according to David Green, an anthropologist at George Washington University, "the whole joint angles out horizontally from the neck, like a coat hanger." This is in contrast to the ape shoulder, which is pointed more vertically. The ape shoulder is better suited for hanging from trees, whereas the human shoulder is better for throwing and hunting, giving humans invaluable survival skills. The human shoulder joint has a wide range of motion and is very mobile, affording the potential for great leverage and accuracy in throwing.

The Hand and Opposable Thumbs

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Although other primates also have opposable thumbs, meaning they can be moved around to touch the other fingers, imparting the ability to grasp, the human thumb differs from that of other primates in terms of exact location and size. According to the Center for Academic Research & Training in Anthropogeny, humans have "a relatively longer and more distally placed thumb " and "larger thumb muscles." The human hand has also evolved to be smaller and the fingers straighter. This has given us better fine motor skills and the ability to engage in detailed precision work such as writing with a pencil. 

Naked, Hairless Skin

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Although there are other mammals that are hairless—the whale, elephant, and rhinoceros, to name a few—humans are the only primates to have mostly naked skin . Humans evolved that way because changes in the climate 200,000 years ago that demanded that they travel long distances for food and water. Humans also have an abundance of sweat glands, called eccrine glands. To make these glands more efficient, human bodies had to lose their hair to better dissipate heat. This enabled them to obtain the food they needed to nourish their bodies and brains, while keeping them at the right temperature and allowing them to grow.

Standing Upright and Bipedalism

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One of the most significant traits that make humans unique preceded and possibly led to the development of other notable characteristics: bipedalism —that is, using only two legs for walking. This trait emerged in humans millions of years ago, early in human evolutionary development and gave humans the advantage of being able to hold, carry, pick up, throw, touch, and see from a higher vantage point, with vision as the dominant sense. As human legs evolved to become longer about 1.6 million years ago and humans became more upright, they were able to travel great distances as well, expending relatively little energy in the process.

Blushing Response

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In his book "The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals," Charles Darwin said that " blushing is the most peculiar and the most human of all expressions." It is part of the "fight or flight response" of the sympathetic nervous system that causes the capillaries in human cheeks to dilate involuntarily in response to feeling embarrassment. No other mammal has this trait, and psychologists theorize that it has social benefits as well. Given that it is involuntary, blushing is considered to be an authentic expression of emotion.

The Human Brain

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The human feature that is most extraordinary is the brain. The relative size, scale, and capacity of the human brain are greater than those of any other species. The size of the human brain relative to the total weight of the average human is 1-to-50. Most other mammals have a ratio of only 1-to-180. 

The human brain is three times the size of a gorilla brain. Although it is the same size as a chimpanzee brain at birth, the human brain grows more during the lifespan of a human to become three times the size of the chimpanzee brain. In particular, the prefrontal cortex grows to encompass 33 percent of the human brain compared to 17 percent of the chimpanzee brain. The adult human brain has about 86 billion neurons, of which the cerebral cortex comprises 16 billion. In comparison, the chimpanzee cerebral cortex has 6.2 billion neurons.

It is theorized that childhood is much longer for humans, with offspring remaining with their parents for a longer period of time because it takes longer for the larger, more complex human brain to fully develop. Studies suggest that the brain is not fully developed until the ages of 25 to 30.

The Mind: Imagination, Creativity, and Forethought

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The human brain and the activity of its countless neurons and synaptic possibilities contribute to the human mind. The human mind is different from the brain: The brain is the tangible, visible part of the physical body whereas the mind consists of the intangible realm of thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and consciousness.

In his book "The Gap: The Science of What Separates Us From Other Animals," Thomas Suddendorf suggests:

"Mind is a tricky concept. I think I know what a mind is because I have one—or because I am one. You might feel the same. But the minds of others are not directly observable. We assume that others have minds somewhat like ours—filled with beliefs and desires—but we can only infer those mental states. We cannot see, feel, or touch them. We largely rely on language to inform each other about what is on our minds." (p. 39)

As far as we know, humans have the unique power of forethought: the ability to imagine the future in many possible iterations and then to actually create the future we imagine. Forethought also allows humans generative and creative abilities unlike those of any other species.

Religion and Awareness of Death

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One of the things that forethought also gives humans is the awareness of mortality. Unitarian Universalist minister Forrest Church (1948-2009) explained his understanding of religion as "our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die. Knowing we are going to die not only places an acknowledged limit upon our lives, it also gives a special intensity and poignancy to the time we are given to live and love."

Regardless of one's religious beliefs and thoughts about what happens after death, the truth is that, unlike other species who live blissfully unaware of their impending demise, most humans are conscious of the fact that someday they will die. Although some species react when one of their own has died, it is unlikely that they actually think about death—that of others or their own. 

The knowledge of mortality also spurs humans on to great achievements, to making the most out of the lives they have. Some social psychologists maintain that without the knowledge of death, the birth of civilization and the accomplishments it has spawned might never have occurred. 

Storytelling Animals

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Humans also have a unique type of memory, which Suddendorf calls "episodic memory." He says, "Episodic memory is probably closest to what we typically mean when we use the word 'remember' rather than 'know.'" Memory allows human beings to make sense of their existence and to prepare for the future, increasing their chances of survival, not only individually but also as a species.  

Memories are passed on through human communication in the form of storytelling, which is also how knowledge is passed from generation to generation, allowing human culture to evolve. Because human beings are highly social animals, they strive to understand one another and to contribute their individual knowledge to a joint pool, which promotes more rapid cultural evolution. In this way, unlike other animals, each human generation is more culturally developed than preceding generations.

Drawing on research in neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology, in his book, "The Storytelling Animal," Jonathon Gottschall delves into what it means to be an animal that relies so uniquely on storytelling. He explains what makes stories so important: They help us to explore and simulate the future and test different outcomes without having to take real physical risks; they help to impart knowledge in a way that is personal and relatable to another person; and they encourage pro-social behavior, since "the urge to produce and consume moralistic stories is hard-wired into us."

Suddendorf writes this about stories: 

"Even our young offspring are driven to understand others' minds, and we are compelled to pass on what we have learned to the next generation. As an infant starts on the journey of life, almost everything is a first. Young children have a ravenous appetite for the stories of their elders, and in play they reenact scenarios and repeat them until they have them down pat. Stories, whether real or fantastical, teach not only specific situations but also the general ways in which narrative works. How parents talk to their children about past and future events influences children's memory and reasoning about the future: the more parents elaborate, the more their children do."

Thanks to their unique memory and ability to acquire language skills and write, humans around the world, from the very young to the very old, have been communicating and transmitting their ideas through stories for thousands of years, and storytelling remains integral to being human and to human culture.

Biochemical Factors

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Defining what makes humans human can be tricky as more is learned about the behavior of other animals and fossils are uncovered that revise the evolutionary timeline, but scientists have discovered certain biochemical markers that are specific to humans. 

One factor that may account for human language acquisition and rapid cultural development is a gene mutation that only humans have on the  FOXP2 gene , a gene we share with Neanderthals and chimpanzees, that is critical for the development of normal speech and language. 

A study by Dr. Ajit Varki of the University of California, San Diego, found another mutation unique to humans in the polysaccharide covering of the human cell surface. Dr. Varki found that the addition of just one oxygen molecule in the polysaccharide that covers the cell surface differentiates humans from all other animals. 

The Future of the Species

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Humans are both unique and paradoxical. While they are the most advanced species intellectually, technologically, and emotionally—extending human lifespans, creating artificial intelligence, traveling to outer space, showing great acts of heroism, altruism and compassion—they also have the capacity to engage in primitive, violent, cruel, and self-destructive behavior. 

• Arain, Mariam, et al. “Maturation of the Adolescent Brain.” Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, Dove Medical Press, 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3621648/.

• “Brains.” The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program, 16 Jan. 2019, humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics/brains.

• Gottschall, Jonathan. The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. Mariner Books, 2013.

• Gray, Richard. “Earth - The Real Reasons Why We Walk on Two Legs, and Not Four.” BBC, BBC, 12 Dec. 2016, www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161209-the-real-reasons-why-we-walk-on-two-legs-and-not-four.

• “Introduction to Human Evolution.” The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program, 16 Jan. 2019, humanorigins.si.edu/education/introduction-human-evolution.

• Laberge, Maxine. “Chimps, Humans and Monkeys: What's the Difference?” Jane Goodall's Good for All News, 11 Sept. 2018, news.janegoodall.org/2018/06/27/chimps-humans-monkeys-whats-difference/.

• Masterson, Kathleen. “From Grunting to Gabbing: Why Humans Can Talk.” NPR, NPR, 11 Aug. 2010, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129083762.

• “Mead Project Source Page, A.” Charles Darwin: The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals: Chapter 13, brocku.ca/MeadProject/Darwin/Darwin_1872_13.html.

• “Naked Truth, The.” Scientific American, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-naked-truth/.

• Suddendorf, Thomas. "The Gap: The Science of What Separates Us from Other Animals." Basic Books, 2013.

• “Thumb Opposability.” Thumb Opposability | Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), carta.anthropogeny.org/moca/topics/thumb-opposability.

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• The Slave Boy Experiment in Plato's 'Meno'
• Hypostatization Fallacy: Ascribing Reality to Abstractions
• An Introduction to Virtue Ethics
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• Summary and Analysis of Meno by Plato
• Summary and Analysis of Plato's 'Euthyphro'
• What Is Liberalism in Politics?
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An Essay: What Makes us Human

I wrote this essay for a class I took about Gandhi in 2012. I graduated as a Humanities major at San Francisco State University in 2013 and still reflect on the the discussions we had in this class. I am proud to say that I got an A on this paper and as a ~reward~ I also got to read it aloud to my class mates ( insert sarcasm font ). I am terrified of public speaking, so this was actually a very bittersweet situation. Anyway, I thought that it was a fun read and makes you think a little. Enjoy!

What Makes Us Human

Humans, Homo sapiens , people; there are many names that describe us as a species. We are the top of the food chain, intelligent, capable of speech and complex communication, and so much more. The question of what it means to be a human has innumerable answers. Each person has their own unique set of beliefs and opinions on the way that life should be lived. Our emotions, abilities, and reactions are qualities that generally are unique to humans. As a member of the mammal class, we are the most intellectually developed animals. Humans have grown and developed into prosperous societies and communities throughout history at an ever changing and remarkable speed. The characteristics of each individual person on this planet are unique and diverse. It is the notion that each person has the capability to live their lives in any way they want, go anywhere, and make choices that makes life and humanity what it is. The meaning of being human is the characteristics that drive us. The will to live, thrive, love, and hope makes us a species that is like no other on this planet.

The question of what it means to be human brings up the contrasts of what a human is not. One answer could be that we are not wild animals. Although we belong to the same classification as a wide range of animals, we are immensely different than them. Our capability to communicate by speech and have conscious thoughts and ideas that we can share and implement, are just a few traits that are unique to humans. I work at a veterinary hospital in the east bay as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT), or animal nurse. I share each day of my life caring for and working with many different types of animals. I am an animal lover, caregiver, and owner. The animals that I see and handle bring a unique and fascinating insight into the bonds between humans and animals. People care for their pets and love them as an equal member of their family. Our pets rely on us for their basic needs for food and shelter and are capable of giving unconditional love no matter what the circumstances are. I look to many animals in envy and for inspiration to become a person who is kind, happy, carefree, joyful, and appreciative of life in general, just like the way our pets live each day. Although we look at our beloved pets as irreplaceable parts of our families, we never look at them as equals. This line is what distinguishes the distance between humans and animals. We as animals are creatures that are ever benefiting from our intelligence and inventions. We have distanced ourselves from animals, domestic and wild, by our growing knowledge and creations that have advanced our society and changed the way we live in the world. Even though only a few genes separate us from most animals, we don’t always think of ourselves one of them. Our exceptional brain is what gives us intelligence and is the sole trait that makes us human.

The characteristics that make humans unique to every other living thing on Earth, is our strong will to live and thrive and the ability to continuously adapt, change, hope, and love. We have powerful emotions that are capable of driving people to do anything to get what they want in life. Terrifying and catastrophic incidents happen every day all over the world. People have the ability and strength to overcome the challenges that come about from such affairs. In desperate times people are capable of coming together and accomplishing great feats to overcome devastating situations. Gandhi was a great and inspiring person who’s theories and practices go beyond what most people believe they are able to achieve. There is conflict, anger, war, and violence happening all throughout the world. Whether soldiers fighting overseas or family members arguing within our own households, the challenges of living a loving and peaceful life can be a difficult act for most people. Even with all of the violence in the world, we are still able to live our lives and cope with the difficult situations that may arise. People are able to live through intense pain, suffering, and illness with the love and support of others. With the will to survive and to continue to live on and have a future, individuals can overcome impossible feats. We as humans are complicated beings that are capable of infinite amount of accomplishments. Our capacity to influence, motivate, and help each other and ourselves, is an aspect that makes us exceptional.

There are an enormous amount of qualities that give meaning to being a human. Being human means that I have a choice of what I want to do and how I want to live my life. There are many obstacles that can get in the way of the dreams and plans in each person’s life. People are capable of doing horrific and devastating things to the world, but we also are able to change the world to be a better and more positive place. Gandhi was and remains to be a model that everyone could look to in the hopes of making this world and each of our lives happy and peaceful. Humans are a species that grow and change each and every day. With the theories and practice that Gandhi has left behind, humanity still has much to learn and grow to become communities that can live in harmony and goodwill.

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What makes us human, it is time to establish what we share and what we don't share with other animals.

Posted March 10, 2014 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

The physical similarities between humans and other mammals are quite plain. We are made of the same flesh and blood; we go through the same basic life stages. Yet reminders of our shared inheritance with other animals have become the subject of cultural taboos: sex , menstruation, pregnancy , birth, feeding, defecation, urination, bleeding, illness, and dying. Messy stuff. However, even if we try to throw a veil over it, the evidence for evolutionary continuity between human and animal bodies is overwhelming. After all, we can use mammalian organs and tissues, such as a pig's heart valve, to replace our own malfunctioning body parts. A vast industry conducts research on animals to test drugs and procedures intended for humans because human and animal bodies are so profoundly alike. The physical continuity of humans and animals is incontestable. But the mind is another matter.

Our mental capacities have allowed us to tame fire and invent the wheel. We survive by our wits. Our minds have spawned civilizations and technologies that have changed the face of the Earth, while even our closest living animal relatives sit unobtrusively in their remaining forests. There appears to be a tremendous gap between human and animal minds, yet the precise nature of this gap has been notoriously difficult to establish.

People tend to have opinions about animal minds that are in stark contrast to each other. At one extreme, we imbue our pets with all manner of mental characteristics, treating them as if they were little people in furry suits. At the other, we regard animals as mindless bio-machines—consider the ways animals are sometimes treated in the food industry. Most people vacillate between these interpretations from one context to another.

Scientists too seem at times to defend contradicting views, apparently aimed at either securing human dominance or at debunking human arrogance. On the one hand, scholars boldly assert that humans are unique because of things such as language, foresight, mind-reading , intelligence , culture, or morality . On the other hand, studies regularly claim to have demonstrated animal capacities that were previously believed to be uniquely human.

The truth, you may suspect, can often be found somewhere in the middle. In THE GAP I survey what we currently know and do not know about what makes human minds different from any others and how this difference arose. It is about time that serious headway is made on these fundamental questions. Nothing less than understanding our place in nature is at stake. There are also important practical implications of establishing the nature of the gap, for instance, in terms of identifying the genetic and neurological bases of higher mental capacities. Those traits that are unique to humans are likely dependent on attributes of our brain and genome that are distinct.

A clearer understanding of what we share with which other animals also can have profound consequences for animal welfare. Demonstrations of shared attributes of pain and mental distress in animals have changed many people's views on blood sports and cruelty towards animals. Establishing their mental capacities, their wants and needs can provide a better scientific basis for our decisions about how different species should be treated. It may be time to challenge the notion that mentally sophisticated creatures are legally treated as objects, no different from cars or iPhones.

Comparative research has shown that our closest animal relatives, the great apes, share some extraordinary capacities with humans, such as the ability to recognize their reflections in mirrors. Such findings have led to calls to accept great apes into our community of equals, with legally enforceable rights. But we need to take into account not only their impressive capacities but also their limits; because with rights come responsibilities—such as respecting others' rights.

Though we may be perfectly happy to extend the right to life, liberty, and freedom from torture to apes (and so would be willing to prosecute someone who kills an ape), would we be equally happy with the other side of the coin? Would we be willing to put an ape on trial for murder? In 2002, Frodo, a 27-year-old chimpanzee studied by Jane Goodall, snatched and killed a fourteen-month-old human toddler, Miasa Sadiki, in Tanzania. I do not remember calls for a trial. Moreover, should we police ape-ape rights violations? Surely there would be little point in prosecuting male orangutans for rape or a chimpanzee for infanticide. Yet, people used to think animals could be held responsible as humans can. During the European Middle Ages, animals were in fact frequently put on trial for immoral acts such as murder or theft. They were given lawyers and penalties that matched those given to humans for similar crimes. For instance, in 1386 a court in Falaise, France, tried and convicted a sow for murdering an infant. The hangman subsequently hung the pig in the public square. Her piglets had also been charged but, upon deliberation, were acquitted because of their youth.

One of the key characteristics that makes us human appears to be that we can think about alternative futures and make deliberate choices accordingly. Creatures without such a capacity cannot be bound into a social contract and take moral responsibility. Once we become aware of what we cause, however, we may feel morally obliged to change our ways. So be aware, then, that all species of apes are under threat of extinction through human activity. We are the only species on this planet with the foresight capable of deliberately plotting a path toward a desirable long-term future. Plan it for the apes; because they can't.

Copyright Thomas Suddendorf

Adapted from the book THE GAP: The Science Of What Separates Us From Other Animals

Thomas Suddendorf, Ph.D. , is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland.

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Understanding what emotional intelligence looks like and the steps needed to improve it could light a path to a more emotionally adept world.

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May 1, 2009

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What Makes Us Human?

Comparisons of the genomes of humans and chimpanzees are revealing those rare stretches of DNA that are ours alone

By Katherine S. Pollard

Six years ago I jumped at an opportunity to join the international team that was identifying the sequence of DNA bases, or “letters,” in the genome of the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). As a biostatistician with a long-standing interest in human origins, I was eager to line up the human DNA sequence next to that of our closest living relative and take stock. A humbling truth emerged: our DNA blueprints are nearly 99 percent identical to theirs. That is, of the three billion letters that make up the human genome, only 15 million of them—less than 1 percent—have changed in the six million years or so since the human and chimp lineages diverged.

Evolutionary theory holds that the vast majority of these changes had little or no effect on our biology. But somewhere among those roughly 15 million bases lay the differences that made us human. I was determined to find them. Since then, I and others have made tantalizing progress in identifying a number of DNA sequences that set us apart from chimps.

An Early Surprise Despite accounting for just a small percentage of the human genome, millions of bases are still a vast territory to search. To facilitate the hunt, I wrote a computer program that would scan the human genome for the pieces of DNA that have changed the most since humans and chimps split from a common ancestor. Because most random genetic mutations neither benefit nor harm an organism, they accumulate at a steady rate that reflects the amount of time that has passed since two living species had a common forebear (this rate of change is often spoken of as the “ticking of the molecular clock”). Acceleration in that rate of change in some part of the genome, in contrast, is a hallmark of positive selection, in which mutations that help an organism survive and reproduce are more likely to be passed on to future generations. In other words, those parts of the code that have undergone the most modification since the chimp-human split are the sequences that most likely shaped humankind.

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In November 2004, after months of debugging and optimizing my program to run on a massive computer cluster at the University of California, Santa Cruz, I finally ended up with a file that contained a ranked list of these rapidly evolving sequences. With my mentor David Haussler leaning over my shoulder, I looked at the top hit, a stretch of 118 bases that together became known as human accelerated region 1 (HAR1). Using the U.C. Santa Cruz genome browser, a visualization tool that annotates the human genome with information from public databases, I zoomed in on HAR1. The browser showed the HAR1 sequences of a human, chimp, mouse, rat and chicken—all of the vertebrate species whose genomes had been decoded by then. It also revealed that previous large-scale screening experiments had detected HAR1 activity in two samples of human brain cells, although no scientist had named or studied the sequence yet. We yelled, “Awesome!” in unison when we saw that HAR1 might be part of a gene new to science that is active in the brain.

We had hit the jackpot. The human brain is well known to differ considerably from the chimpanzee brain in terms of size, organization and complexity, among other traits. Yet the developmental and evolutionary mechanisms underlying the characteristics that set the human brain apart are poorly understood. HAR1 had the potential to illuminate this most mysterious aspect of human biology.

We spent the next year finding out all we could about the evolutionary history of HAR1 by comparing this region of the genome in various species, including 12 more vertebrates that were sequenced during that time. It turns out that until humans came along, HAR1 evolved extremely slowly. In chickens and chimps—whose lineages diverged some 300 million years ago—only two of the 118 bases differ, compared with 18 differences between humans and chimps, whose lineages diverged far more recently. The fact that HAR1 was essentially frozen in time through hundreds of millions of years indicates that it does something very important; that it then underwent abrupt revision in humans suggests that this function was significantly modified in our lineage.

A critical clue to the function of HAR1 in the brain emerged in 2005, after my collaborator Pierre Vanderhaeghen of the Free University of Brussels obtained a vial of HAR1 copies from our laboratory during a visit to Santa Cruz. He used these DNA sequences to design a fluorescent molecular tag that would light up when HAR1 was activated in living cells—that is, copied from DNA into RNA. When typical genes are switched on in a cell, the cell first makes a mobile messenger RNA copy and then uses the RNA as a template for synthesizing some needed protein. The labeling revealed that HAR1 is active in a type of neuron that plays a key role in the pattern and layout of the developing cerebral cortex, the wrinkled outermost brain layer. When things go wrong in these neurons, the result may be a severe, often deadly, congenital disorder known as lissencephaly (“smooth brain”), in which the cortex lacks its characteristic folds and exhibits a markedly reduced surface area. Malfunctions in these same neurons are also linked to the onset of schizophrenia in adulthood.

HAR1 is thus active at the right time and place to be instrumental in the formation of a healthy cortex. (Other evidence suggests that it may additionally play a role in sperm production.) But exactly how this piece of the genetic code affects cortex development is a mystery my colleagues and I are still trying to solve. We are eager to do so: HAR1’s recent burst of substitutions may have altered our brains significantly.

Beyond having a remarkable evolutionary history, HAR1 is special because it does not encode a protein. For decades, molecular biology research focused almost exclusively on genes that specify proteins, the basic building blocks of cells. But thanks to the Human Genome Project, which sequenced our own genome, scientists now know that protein-coding genes make up just 1.5 percent of our DNA. The other 98.5 percent—sometimes referred to as junk DNA—contains regulatory sequences that tell other genes when to turn on and off and genes encoding RNA that does not get translated into a protein, as well as a lot of DNA having purposes scientists are only beginning to understand.

Based on patterns in the HAR1 sequence, we predicted that HAR1 encodes RNA—a hunch that Sofie Salama, Haller Igel and Manuel Ares, all at U.C. Santa Cruz, subsequently confirmed in 2006 through lab experiments. In fact, it turns out that human HAR1 resides in two overlapping genes. The shared HAR1 sequence gives rise to an entirely new type of RNA structure, adding to the six known classes of RNA genes. These six major groups encompass more than 1,000 different families of RNA genes, each one distinguished by the structure and function of the encoded RNA in the cell. HAR1 is also the first documented example of an RNA-encoding sequence that appears to have undergone positive selection.

It might seem surprising that no one paid attention to these amazing 118 bases of the human genome earlier. But in the absence of technology for readily comparing whole genomes, researchers had no way of knowing that HAR1 was more than just another piece of junk DNA.

Language Clues Whole-genome comparisons in other species have also provided another crucial insight into why humans and chimps can be so different despite being much alike in their genomes. In recent years the genomes of thousands of species (mostly microbes) have been sequenced. It turns out that where DNA substitutions occur in the genome—rather than how many changes arise overall—can matter a great deal. In other words, you do not need to change very much of the genome to make a new species. The way to evolve a human from a chimp-human ancestor is not to speed the ticking of the molecular clock as a whole. Rather the secret is to have rapid change occur in sites where those changes make an important difference in an organism’s functioning.

HAR1 is certainly such a place. So, too, is the FOXP2 gene, which contains another of the fast-changing sequences I identified and is known to be involved in speech. Its role in speech was discovered by researchers at the University of Oxford in England, who reported in 2001 that people with mutations in the gene are unable to make certain subtle, high-speed facial movements needed for normal human speech, even though they possess the cognitive ability to process language. The typical human sequence displays several differences from the chimp’s: two base substitutions that altered its protein product and many other substitutions that may have led to shifts affecting how, when and where the protein is used in the human body.

A recent finding has shed some light on when the speech-enabling version of FOXP2 appeared in hominids: in 2007 scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, sequenced FOXP2 extracted from a Neandertal fossil and found that these extinct humans had the modern human version of the gene, perhaps permitting them to enunciate as we do. Current estimates for when the Neandertal and modern human lineages split suggest that the new form of FOXP2 must have emerged at least half a million years ago. Most of what distinguishes human language from vocal communication in other species, however, comes not from physical means but cognitive ability, which is often correlated with brain size. Primates generally have a larger brain than would be expected from their body size. But human brain volume has more than tripled since the chimp-human ancestor—a growth spurt that genetics researchers have only begun to unravel.

One of the best-studied examples of a gene linked to brain size in humans and other animals is ASPM. Genetic studies of people with a condition known as microcephaly, in which the brain is reduced by up to 70 percent, uncovered the role of ASPM and three other genes—MCPH1, CDK5RAP2 and CENPJ—in controlling brain size. More recently, researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor have shown that ASPM experienced several bursts of change over the course of primate evolution, a pattern indicative of positive selection. At least one of these bursts occurred in the human lineage since it diverged from that of chimps and thus was potentially instrumental in the evolution of our large brains.

Other parts of the genome may have influenced the metamorphosis of the human brain less directly. The computer scan that identified HAR1 also found 201 other human accelerated regions, most of which do not encode proteins or even RNA. (A related study conducted at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, England, detected many of the same HARs.) Instead they appear to be regulatory sequences that tell nearby genes when to turn on and off. Amazingly, more than half of the genes located near HARs are involved in brain development and function. And, as is true of FOXP2, the products of many of these genes go on to regulate other genes. Thus, even though HARs make up a minute portion of the genome, changes in these regions could have profoundly altered the human brain by influencing the activity of whole networks of genes.

Beyond the Brain Although much genetic research has focused on elucidating the evolution of our sophisticated brain, investigators have also been piecing together how other unique aspects of the human body came to be. HAR2, a gene regulatory region and the second most accelerated site on my list, is a case in point. In 2008 researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory showed that specific base differences in the human version of HAR2 (also known as HACNS1), relative to the version in nonhuman primates, allow this DNA sequence to drive gene activity in the wrist and thumb during fetal development, whereas the ancestral version in other primates cannot. This finding is particularly provocative because it could underpin morphological changes in the human hand that permitted the dexterity needed to manufacture and use complex tools.

Aside from undergoing changes in form, our ancestors also underwent behavioral and physiological shifts that helped them adapt to altered circumstances and migrate into new environments. For example, the conquest of fire more than a million years ago and the agricultural revolution about 10,000 years ago made foods high in starch more accessible. But cultural shifts alone were not sufficient to exploit these calorie-rich comestibles. Our predecessors had to adapt genetically to them.

Changes in the gene AMY1, which encodes salivary amylase, an enzyme involved in digesting starch, constitute one well-known adaptation of this kind. The mammalian genome contains multiple copies of this gene, with the number of copies varying between species and even between individual humans. But overall, compared with other primates, humans have an especially large number of AMY1 copies. In 2007 geneticists at Arizona State University showed that individuals carrying more copies of AMY1 have more amylase in their saliva, thereby allowing them to digest more starch. The evolution of AMY1 thus appears to involve both the number of copies of the gene and the specific changes in its DNA sequence.

Another famous example of dietary adaptation involves the gene for lactase (LCT), an enzyme that allows mammals to digest the carbohydrate lactose, also known as milk sugar. In most species, only nursing infants can process lactose. But around 9,000 years ago—very recently, in evolutionary terms—changes in the human genome produced versions of LCT that allowed adults to digest lactose. Modified LCT evolved independently in European and African populations, enabling carriers to digest milk from domesticated animals. Today adult descendants of these ancient herders are much more likely to tolerate lactose in their diets than are adults from other parts of the world, including Asia and Latin America, many of whom are lactose-intolerant as a result of having the ancestral primate version of the gene.

LCT is not the only gene known to be evolving in humans right now. The chimp genome project identified 15 others in the process of shifting away from a version that was perfectly normal in our ape ancestors and that works fine in other mammals but, in that old form, is associated with diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer in modern humans. Several of these disorders afflict humans alone or occur at higher rates in humans than in other primates. Scientists are currently researching the functions of the genes involved and are attempting to establish why the ancestral versions of these genes became maladaptive in us. These studies could help medical practitioners identify those patients who have a higher chance of getting one of these life-threatening diseases, in hopes of helping them stave off illness. The studies may also help researchers identify and develop new treatments.

With the Good Comes the Bad Battling disease so we can pass our genes along to future generations has been a constant refrain in the evolution of humans, as in all species. Nowhere is this struggle more evident than in the immune system. When researchers examine the human genome for evidence of positive selection, the top candidates are frequently involved in immunity. It is not surprising that evolution tinkers so much with these genes: in the absence of antibiotics and vaccines, the most likely obstacle to individuals passing along their genes would probably be a life-threatening infection that strikes before the end of their childbearing years. Further accelerating the evolution of the immune system is the constant adaptation of pathogens to our defenses, leading to an evolutionary arms race between microbes and hosts.

Records of these struggles are left in our DNA. This is particularly true for retroviruses, such as HIV, that survive and propagate by inserting their genetic material into our genomes. Human DNA is littered with copies of these short retroviral genomes, many from viruses that caused diseases millions of years ago and that may no longer circulate. Over time the retroviral sequences accumulate random mutations just as any other sequence does, so that the different copies are similar but not identical. By examining the amount of divergence among these copies, researchers can use molecular clock techniques to date the original retroviral infection. The scars of these ancient infections are also visible in the host immune system genes that constantly adapt to fight the ever evolving retroviruses.

PtERV1 is one such relic virus. In modern humans, a protein called TRIM5α works to prevent PtERV1 and related retroviruses from replicating. Genetic evidence suggests that a PtERV1 epidemic plagued ancient chimpanzees, gorillas and humans living in Africa about four million years ago. To figure out how different primates responded to PtERV1, in 2007 researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle used the many randomly mutated copies of PtERV1 in the chimpanzee genome to reconstruct the original PtERV1 sequence and re-create this ancient retrovirus. They then performed experiments to see how well the human and great ape versions of the TRIM5α gene could restrict the activity of the resurrected PtERV1 virus. Their results indicate that a single change in human TRIM5α most likely enabled our ancestors to fight PtERV1 infection more effectively than our primate cousins could. (Additional changes in human TRIM5α may have evolved in response to a related retrovirus.) Other primates have their own sets of changes in TRIM5α, probably reflecting retroviral battles that their predecessors won.

Defeating one type of retrovirus does not necessarily guarantee continued success against others, however. Although changes in human TRIM5α may have helped us survive PtERV1, these same shifts make it much harder for us to fight HIV. This finding is helping researchers to understand why HIV infection leads to AIDS in humans but not in nonhuman primates. Clearly, evolution can take one step forward and two steps back. Sometimes scientific research feels the same way. We have identified many exciting candidates for explaining the genetic basis of distinctive human traits. In most cases, though, we know only the basics about the function of these genome sequences. The gaps in our knowledge are especially large for regions such as HAR1 and HAR2 that do not encode proteins.

These rapidly evolving, uniquely human sequences do point to a way forward. The story of what made us human is probably not going to focus on changes in our protein building blocks but rather on how evolution assembled these blocks in new ways by changing when and where in the body different genes turn on and off. Experimental and computational studies now under way in thousands of labs around the world promise to elucidate what is going on in the 98.5 percent of our genome that does not code for proteins. It is looking less and less like junk every day.

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Essay: What really makes us human?

By Michael Corballis

29 August 2007

WHAT is it that makes humans so dominant on Planet Earth? Clearly, the answer does not lie in our physical attributes, for other species are stronger, faster or capable of such superhuman feats as flight or long-distance travel under water. The answer surely lies in our mental capacities.

According to evolutionary psychologists, we acquired our mental superiority during the Pleistocene, that period from around 1.8 million years ago when our forebears were forced to adapt to a perilous hunter-gatherer existence on the African savannah. Rather than compete directly with the killer cats that roamed the plains, the Pleistocene hominins adapted…

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Evolution: What Makes us Human?

TED Studies, created in collaboration with Wiley, are curated video collections — supplemented by rich educational materials — for students, educators and self-guided learners. in What Makes Us Human?, TED speakers tackle humanity’s oldest and deepest questions by playing with primates, excavating ancient remains, and DNA-mapping family trees. Explore how the next chapters of our own evolutionary story will be written thanks to new technologies that trace our origin. Relevant areas of interest, study and coursework include: Evolutionary Anthropology, Primatology, Ethology, Genomics, Population Genetics, Phylogenetics, Genetic Engineering, Nanotechnology, Bioinformatics and Bioethics.

Learning outcomes

TEDs' What Makes Us Human? will enable learners to:

• Explore behaviors once thought to be 'uniquely human' that we now see in primates and other mammals
• Understand the shared characteristics of extinct and modern hominin species
• Explore the tools and techniques used by paleoanthropologists
• Understand how molecular anthropologists investigate the evolution of human diversity by using genetic markers
• Explore the roles of genetic variants and the environment in producing physical variation among humans
• Research the debate between multiregionalism and the theory of recent African origin
• Explore anthropological perspectives about race
• Investigate how modern technologies may alter the course of human evolution.

Relevant Talks

Zeresenay Alemseged

The search for humanity's roots.

Spencer Wells

A family tree for humanity.

Svante Pääbo

Dna clues to our inner neanderthal.

Nina Jablonski

Skin color is an illusion.

We are all cyborgs now

Harvey Fineberg

Are we ready for neo-evolution.

Frans de Waal

Moral behavior in animals.

Jane Goodall

What separates us from chimpanzees, introductory essay.

Begin What Makes Us Human? with a fascinating read that gives context and clarity to the material.

About the educator

James Calcagno is a biological anthropologist with research and teaching interests in paleoanthropology, dental anthropology, primate behavioral ecology, and evolutionary anthropology. He is an advocate of holistic, biocultural approaches to the study of humanity.

About TED Studies

Each TED Study offers a curated and sequenced set of TED Talks, along with specially commissioned materials for teaching and self-guided learning. Created by world class experts, they cover topics ranging from "Understanding Happiness" to "Covering World News" to "Ecofying Cities." An abbreviated version of TED Studies is offered here; the full curricula — including special modules on each talk with questions, assignments, key terms and recommended reading — are available for licensing to academic institutions, ministries of education, and media companies worldwide.

See all TED Studies

For more information about licensing and language translation rights for TED Studies, please learn more about how to partner with us and fill out our media licensing request form .

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1.3: What makes us Human?

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Let’s start here. What makes us human?

Photographer, Yan Arthus-Bertrand, asked these questions as he collected stories from more than 2,000 people from 60 countries. Do we all have the same thirst for love, freedom and recognition? In a world torn between tradition and modernity, do our fundamental needs remain the same? Deep down, what does it mean to be human today? What is the meaning of life? Are our differences so great? Do we, in fact, share more values than we might have imagined? And if so, why can we not manage to understand one another? What was the toughest trial you had to face, and what did you learn from it?

Take a look at an introduction to his film, “ Human ”.

Introducing the film: https://www.misfitpress.co/blog/human-documentary-bertrand/

The film recounts many of these interviews, interspersed with stunning portraits and the sort of aerial imagery he is famous for, depicting the human condition and our interactions with the Earth. ArthusBertrand has been kind enough to share some of the portraits and aerial photography from HUMAN with us here.

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/09/what-it-means-to-be-human-by-yann-arthusbertrand/407200/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgo_5BRDuARIsADDEntR1dHyKB3JsaE8GJTRETTIvAJXdMFHGIiD8HZSeyJzGZGH6pXojr8aAtsbEALw_wcB

Also, read this blog discussing the film. https://www.misfitpress.co/blog/human-documentary-bertrand/

There are three parts to this film. Each part is about an hour and a half. Take notes as you watch it. What do you see in this film that answers the question, what makes us human?

https://www.youtube.com/user/HUMANthemovie2015/featured

Once you’ve watched the movie and taken notes, create your own interview. You can be creative and record yourself as an avatar. You could follow style of the interviews in the film with a black background, or just simply record yourself on your phone, anywhere. (Flipgrid link)

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Evelyn Glennie Sounds-Off

What makes us human.

1 January 2015

For all the immense achievements of mankind I cannot help but think that a definitive answer to the question ‘what makes us human?’ eludes us. There is no concise thing we can point to, no simple ‘this’ or ‘that’, without more questions being raised. The whole matter is so enormous that it ties my brain in knots! Perhaps the fact that I am able to think about the question at all is what makes me human. In the words of Descartes: cogito ergo sum – I think therefore I am.

As a species we continually explore the complexities of our own neurology and the mechanics of our human bodies. We learn more every day about the amazing and surprising ways we exist under both favourable and adverse conditions. For instance, we are coming to realizing that our senses constitute many layers of sub-senses, as I can personally testify. Human life, as a biological and a social phenomenon, is a difficult subject to tackle all in one go, not least because our individuality is a big part of who we are. There are few traits that everybody exhibits, few parameters that we can use to define all human beings equally and universally.

This year I have been starkly reminded of the extremes humanity can reach; from the horrific death of fellow drummer Lee Rigby to the heart-wrenching situation endured by the parents and community of April Jones. Finding an answer to the question ‘what makes us human?’ seems particularly hard when viewed in the context of humanity’s extreme behaviour.

On a global level I am aware that large groups of people are traumatised by the atrocities of others. In some territories, the use of force and oppression appears to be the favoured method of resolving conflict. Such ‘resolution by force’ requires somebody – a government, a military body, a judicial system, individuals or whoever – to justify that use of force. What does this say about us a humans? Clearly some people abuse the system, judging and acting in a way that deprives affected people of their influence, their ability to defend themselves and sometimes their basic human rights. Such control comes in many guises, justified in the name of anything from democracy to dictatorial power.

On the other hand we often turn to debate in order to resolve our differences. We can debate anything from deciding what to have for lunch to deliberations over major international crises. For example, world leaders at the G8 attempt to find solutions to global problems such as starvation, the lack basic infrastructure for millions of people (in places like Africa) and the vast number of resources wasted elsewhere in the world. Our ability to debate these topics says something about our humanity, too, but so does the fact that we allow such terrible things to happen in the first place, not to mention our expectation that there will always be someone else around to solve the problems we create.

I ask myself, therefore, if the answer to my question ‘what makes us human?’ is compassion. Our capacity for substantial levels of compassion is perhaps easiest to see in the charity sector where people work tirelessly to fund improvement, offer hope and provide mechanisms to end all manner of misery, all for the benefit of others. Perhaps prayer is the answer; our long legacy of turning to omnipresent, super-human beings to guide us to resolutions we cannot find ourselves and to provide us with spiritual sanctuary from our suffering. Or maybe it is patience that defines us. After all, this is the trait I find myself turning to extremely frequently, whether I am waiting in queues at airports or striving to perfect a piece of music.

Perhaps the answer is simpler than that. I am human and I have feelings. Do my feelings make me human? If they are I face a conundrum. I know from personal experience that other species such as cats and dogs clearly have feelings too. Having empathy and sensitivity towards others is essential and can make a huge difference to our perception and treatment of others. Such traits are most notably evident in hospitals, hospices and other such caring environments. But there are issues with some organisations, individual care homes and hospitals, where there appears to be a lack of empathy and sensitivity with devastating effect.

Curiosity also plays a large part in what defines us as human. Our curiosity has been directed inward as much as outward. Research into the development and working of the human body has grown to a discipline of unimaginable scale. With every discovery about our humanity we are faced with the question of whether or not we should revise the way we envisage ourselves as human beings. The science of modern medicine has allowed us to overcome challenges that would once have killed us or left us permanently disabled. We have developed cures and prosthetics, we are able to regenerate cells from living tissue and perform countless other procedures that bring, not just the prospect of recovery, but also hope and continued quality of life. Some medical advances raise moral questions, too. For instance, our ability to manipulate human embryos brings joy to families the world over while also raising concerns about the ethical implications of our actions.

This very human sense of curiosity is my mainstay. I have found ways to feel and sense sound that do not rely on the usual physiological methods. My innate curiosity led to the discovery that I could use my body as a resonating chamber and sense sound using the whole of myself rather than only using my ears. I was then able to fulfil my hopes and dreams of becoming a musician. I have learned to understand speech by lip reading and I have learned to feel sound as if though my body were a giant ear.

So are our hopes and dreams the essence of what makes us human? Or perhaps the key is strength of character and determination. Personally, I have certainly needed all of these traits throughout the journey of my life. But I also feel being open-minded is important. Open-mindedness leads us to information that allows us to make choices and decisions we might not otherwise have made. It also brings about flexibility and adaptability. When I lost my hearing I chose to adapt and integrate myself into a mainstream school. From my perspective the choice was either to be pigeonholed as disabled or to find a way open up a new career as the world’s first full time solo percussionist. I have never regretted my ability to make my own choices!

What makes us human? Clearly the answer is complicated. I am reminded of another question that I am frequently asked: would I be better musician if I had not lost my hearing? I have no idea. But I do know life begins and ends with listening. Perhaps the fact that I have opened my body and my mind to a different way of listening enables me to be more sensitive. If other people learned to engage their bodies as a huge ear perhaps their idea of what makes us human would be affected too.

In conclusion, I feel that compassion, patience, inclusion, individuality and cultural awareness are all forms of social listening. To me, social listening is predominantly what makes us human.

© Evelyn Glennie, 2015

Image: Judit Klein (licence:  CC-BY-ND 2.0  )

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The claim, humans are the only animal that can acquire language has been the subject of much debate as scientists have investigated language use by non-human species. Researchers have taught apes, monkeys, parrots and wild children with various systems of human-like communication. Thus, one might ask, what is human language? According to Ulla Hedeager, A universally accepted definition of language or the criteria for its use does not exist. This is one of the reasons for the disagreement among scientists about whether non-human species can use a language. In nature, researchers find numerous types of communication systems, several of which appear to be unique to their possessors, and one of them is the language of the human species. Basically, the purpose of communication is the preservation, growth, and development of the species (Smith and Miller 1968:265). The ability to exchange information is shared by all communication systems, and a number of non-human systems share some features of human language. The fundamental difference between human and non-human communication is that animals are believed to react instinctively, in a stereotyped and predictable way. Generally, human behavior is under the voluntary control,

Human Nature : What Makes A Human Person?

Human nature, the essence of what makes a human person what they are, is something that everybody has. Every person is innately a person, but how they put their personhood into action is the biggest indicator of their character, or the projection of a person’s human nature. At their core there is human nature, but their actions are what direct this source of humanity. The quality of someone’s actions is shaped by their environment and sometimes their biological makeup as well. Human nature does not have good or evil characteristics. It is how a person thinks and acts that is the true factor in the shaping of their character.

Human Nature Essay

“It is a sin to believe evil of others, but it is seldom a mistake.”

Humanism Essay

Encarta Dictionary says that Humanism is a system of thought that centers on human beings and their values, capacities and worth. Encarta also goes on the say that, in philosophy, humanism is an attitude that emphasizes the dignity and worth of an individual. A basic premise of humanism is that people are rational beings who possess within themselves the capacity for truth and goodness. I see myself as a being a humanist through everyday life. I always try to see the good in a person when he/she makes me angry or sad, and say I to myself that maybe that person has had a bad day and living life is difficult at the moment. Socrates was even an early humanist of sorts. He can be quoted as saying, "to know the good is to do the

Different Stages Of Language Acquisition Essay

Although, there is no agreed definition of language among linguists, but we can say that language is the most sophisticated way of communication between any two human beings and far more complex than any other system of communication. The ability of acquiring and using languages is one of the properties that differs us as human beings from other species.

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What Makes Us Human Essay Example

• Pages: 5 (1291 words)
• Published: August 30, 2016
• Type: Essay

What is it that we are made up of? I know a human has a body made up of two legs, two arms, two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and two ears, but that is not what makes us human. Human beings are made up of feelings, the ability to think, communication, and many other elements. Feelings show the way we feel between each other and is the reason for our survival. The ability to think is so important because just because we can think doesn’t always mean we do think. Communication is essential to human society. These are some of the elements I consider to be the most important of being human.

Feelings, is something that makes us humans. Feelings, is one important element that makes us humans because that is how we can relate how others f

eel and that is the reason humans have survived for thousands of years. I believe if someone does not have feelings, that is inhumane and our human survival would have extinct. Feelings are sadness, happiness, love, and very importantly there is sympathy and empathy. When someone sees another person in pain and has the desire to help that person and calls for help or helps them themselves that is humane.

Sometimes it is empathy when we know how someone else is feeling and share the pain or happiness. But I believe sympathy is very important because even though you might not feel the pain, but you understand that it is painful. I believe that is how humans have survived for so long because we help each other survive. Doctors, Police Officers, Firefighters fo

instance help people get out of buildings in fire, help protect people that are in danger, and save peoples lives that they have never met before. For thousands of years we have helped each other survive.

We automatically help the people we love and value, but when we help the people we have never met before and are complete strangers that is when we can definitely say that is why we have human survival. If everyone just took care of themselves and the people they new, I think our human survival would be reaching extinction. An example of this would be like when the Germans where trying to kill all Jews. Many German families had sympathy and risked their lives to help Jewish families survive during the war. Some German families would help the Jewish by giving them shelter, food, and clothing.

The Germans who helped the Jewish had no obligation to help and were prohibited to help, but because they had feelings they felt like they needed to help the Jewish. On the other hand during the war there was so much inhumanity going on. The Germans felt like they were above the Jews and enjoyed torturing and killing Jewish families with no remorse. It has happened in many wars where people have no remorse and torture others for fun, but what makes us survive is the people who care about others and help each other survive.

Well in my belief if it wasn’t for all the people who have cared for others our human survival would become extinct. We are human because we have the ability to think. The ability

to think gives us the opportunity to reason and realize what is going on. "Thinking is skilled work. It is not true that we are naturally endowed with the ability to think clearly and logically - without learning how, or without practicing. " Alfred Mander, Author Logic for the Millions, 1947. This quote made me realize that sometimes we think we think, but it is not true.

For example when I was younger and I was asked what I thought about drugs I just remembered what my mom told me and what my friends new about drugs being bad, but I never researched what drugs were and I always said I thought drugs were bad. To think is to go beyond what people tell us, to ask questions and go beyond what we are told and understand. That is what makes us humans because an animal can react and do what people tell them, but do they ask questions to what they are doing? Do they think to themselves what should I do tomorrow?

Animals as they grow don’t have many choices, they grow, they have survival instincts, and they can adapt to life experiences. Animals can think and be aware of their surrounding, but there is no study where it shows that they develop critical thinking. Not just because we are humans we think, but we do have the ability to think. We have the ability to ask questions and understand why things happen or why we should do things. To think is an important human element that I believe not all humans take advantage of.

An essential element of being

human is communication. Communication is very important because that is how we interact with each other. We communicate by talking, writing, drawings, and body language. Talking to one another is one of the easiest way of communicating because we say what we feel like we need to say and let others know how we feel. Talking is also the easiest way to get a fast response and when it is in person you can see a persons body language. Body Language is very important because it shows how we react to certain ideas or feelings.

Body language like eye contact and facial expressions can say a lot more than words and is an effective communication to a natural body response. For example when a mother is told, someone from the family has passed away, and the mother may start crying and her three year old child that does not understand what is going on asks what is wrong? A mother could wipe her tears and say she is fine, when she is in pain, but does not want to alarm her child. A child may not understand at the moment, but as we grow we start understanding body language.

Writing is also a way of communicating. Writing or drawings lets us describe how we feel when we cannot talk or let things out in words. Writing is a way of expressing ourselves when we do not have the courage to talk face to face or when you cannot communicate by talking. Drawings can let out someone’s emotions and ideas. Drawings by children can be an outreach to parents when they can’t explain how

they feel. I believe all drawings can tell a story if we pay attention to it. Writing is not just in paper anymore, but also by email or txt.

Communication with others can now be so easy with technology because there are so many forms of communicating now, but is it effective communication. I believe technology is taking away from communication. Cell phones text messaging has become so popular that now it has become almost impossible for some people to have a real conversations in person because it has become so easy to talk to multiple people at the same time text messaging that it is hard to focus in one conversation.

Communication is very important, but I believe effective communication is slowly fading away with all this new technology. Overall communication is needed and is essential element to being human. There is many elements that make us human. Feelings, the ability to think, and communication are the top three I believe are the most important elements to being human. I believe we are human and have lived for thousands of years due to our feelings. If we did not have feeling and the ability to think we would be extinct.

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Essay On What Makes Us Human

After many studies, scientist have found that humans might be one of the most unique species in the world. There are multiple reasons why humans are unique, and there are multiple reasons why they made humans their own species, and own category. Humans are considered Homo sapiens. Humans can feel emotions because of how the brain functions, the experiences humans go through, and the choices humans make to get to the experience, and that’s why humans are their own species . The way The brain functions is what makes humans unique. The brain makes up 2% of the body, but it is unquestionably the most important percent and part of the body. The brain, even though it is so little, is made up of multiple parts. One piece of the brain is called the limbic system. The specific …show more content…

The choices we make make us human . Our Lives are symbolic to cause and effect. One choice we make can influence the rest of our lives and could even influence other people 's lives around us. After various studies Dr. Jon Lieff,, who has graduated from Yale College with a B.A. in mathematics, and Harvard Medical School with an M.D.t., found that the frontal lobe plays a specific role in the mind. The frontal lobe is responsible for making choices. The choices humans make are another possession humans have the make us humans. After going through life experiences it is what we chose to take action on that makes us human or not. The decisions we make are what decides if we will live a wonderful or abominable journey. In The Adoration of Jenna Fox, after her experience Jenna decided she was going to earn her humanity, so she decided to have a child, “ My breathes begin and end with her. But I know that one day, when Kayla is of a certain age, I will travel to Boston in the winter and I will stay there, taking long walks and feeling the softness of cold snowflakes on my face once again, because no parent should outlive their child.” The choices we make are part of what give us our humanity and

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Body: What Makes Us Uniquely Human Essay

Introduction.

The human body can be defined as the physical structure of the human organisms. The human body is said to be composed of various components that include the following, two arms, one head, torso, neck and two legs. It is through these physical body components that make us to function. The human body is said to undergo various strategies before it can be fully formed, For example people are made who they are by genes. It is these genes which are said to make us different from each other in the many societies we come from. So before one becomes completely an adult, this body consists of close to 100 trillion cells and all these different functions are said to perform different roles.

The body is also made of many organs which are also said to perform various functions. A good example is the respiratory system and the digestive system. For example the respiratory system is one of the body organs with a specialized function in our bodies. Biologists argue that respiratory system helps in supplying our bodies with blood. This blood is said to carry oxygen which is needed most in our bodies. The respiratory system does this with the help of the breathing system.

When people breathe, we inhale oxygen and carbon dioxide whereby oxygen is taken in the blood while carbon dioxide is breathed out as a waste. So in this case, if the bodies are affected, it means that then the whole body will also be affected. (Bogdan, 2000).

Our bodies are said to be quite unique due to the different roles which are played by our bodies. So, when our bodies are infected by a disease, then it means that our bodies will not be in a position to function well as it is supposed to function. Illnesses are said to make us understand more about our bodies. Our bodies are composed of various immune systems which are supposed to play a vital role in our bodies. This system is quite responsible for fighting off bacteria’s in our bodies and various body infections. It is the role of the immune system which helps in protecting our bodies from the various bacteria’s, viruses plus other harmful organisms that cause diseases in our bodies.

It is during this time that we are in a position to reflect back on our bodies and the various functions which our bodies function. For example, when the body system immune system is not working you find that our bodies are not in a position to function well. This is because of the various functions the immune system plays in our bodies. Our bodies’ immune system works to battle off diseases as fast as they could. The immune system has blood cells.

It is these blood cells which help to fight back these diseases. So when our bodies are infected by a disease, it means that the immune system is not in a position to function well. As a result, our bodies eventually become weak and not able to function well like a healthy person. It is also during this time when we try to reflect back about our bodies are quite unique in the various roles they play. (Bogdan, 2000).

When illness enters in our own body or even that of another say ache, funny feeling, or movement causes us pain or anxiety. These are examples of various body illnesses. Say for example when one has a headache, one is in a position to feel uncomfortable, dizziness and sometimes unconscious. This is because our bodies are made in a way when one part of the body has been interfered with; you find that the whole functioning of our bodies stops.

So, it is during this time when we recognize that our bodies are quite important and necessary action needs to be taken say visiting a doctor unlike other living things say animals. So in this case, the various roles which are played by our bodies makes us uniquely human as when compared with other living things. We are in a position to take care of our bodies by going in to hospitals since when someone is sick, he/she is not in a position to function well. We are unique and also we are more than the multitude of the chemicals substances that are said to make up our physical bodies. We are alive, we feel, act, sense and also think and hence we can be termed as quite unique beings.

When our bodies are unwell, we need even more than the chemical interventions which are the various medicines taken when somebody is ill. We further need more strategies which are supposed to restore back our normal health for the body to start functioning well as usual. So, it is during this time that we need medicines which are aligned to our various body conditions, we also need enough rests and also tender loving care so that our bodies can get humble time to recover from that particular sickness. When our bodies are healthy, our bodies naturally work in order to maintain balance and also to heal itself. So in this case, our inherent tendency to the self heals needs to be highly recognized and also supported when the body is exposed to illness. (Bogdan, 2000).

So it is during this time that we recognize illnesses as a good opportunity for us all. It is during this time that we are reminded that we should take good care of our bodies. We are reminded to take good care of ourselves and also to live in a more balanced way.Illneses can also make us to develop other parts of ourselves. Worked with our illness is said to begin a healing crisis that can lead to a positive change and finally a new direction. (Hamilton, 2006).

Personally I tend to think that there is no clear distinction between the body and the mind. These two things are said to work hand in hand. None is said to exist without the other. This is because a mind can not exist without the body and the body can not exist without the mind. Although this point can be debatable, many argue that there is no clear distinction between the two. They are said to function together. A good example is that our minds are made of sensory organs which are said to dictate what the rest of the body has to do.

For example raising ones hand in order to ask a question in class? How will this body sense organs cause sensation to the sensory organs in the mind if the two were quite different. It means that there will be no connection between the two and the various body functions will not be in a position to function since the sensory organs are said to dictate the body what to do. (Hamilton, 2006).

So, in this case, we found that the body is united with the mind in order to make human beings. None is said to exists without the other since there roles are said to go together.” We are neutral beings”. “Our brains are said to take their inputs from the rest of our bodies, what our bodies are said to be and how they are said to function in the world thus structures the very concepts we can use to think, we can not just think anything only what our embodied brains are said to permit”. So the mind is said to be one of the roles our bodies’ play which makes us uniquely human. It is by the role of the mind that our bodies are in a position to function well. Human beings are endowed with minds to think unlike other living creatures say animals. So, it is the role of the mind that is said to make human beings quite unique and important. (Hamilton, 2006).

Human beings are said to be unique due to the various roles which are played by our bodies. Our bodies are said to perform various functions. So, incase our bodies are exposed to threats or even diseases, it means that we are not able to function well. So it is during this time that we are reminded of our bodies. So, we are supposed to take good case of our bodies since we are unique. It only happens when these bodies are exposed to the various illnesses so it’s said to be a good time to reflect back on our bodies and try to treat them well.

Hamilton, M 2006,”The vital role that our immune systems play”. EzineArticles 12.

Couser, G 1997, Recovering bodies: Illnesses, disability and fife writing, Madison, University of Wisconsin.

Bogdan, R 2000, Human bodies. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Happiness — Exploring the Path to Happiness: What Makes Me Happy

Exploring The Path to Happiness: What Makes Me Happy

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Published: Sep 7, 2023

Words: 631 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Connection and relationships, pursuit of personal growth, embracing creativity and expression, mindfulness and well-being, acts of kindness and giving, fulfillment through passion.

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What make us humans 2 Pages 537 Words

             In general terms the word "human being" includes a diversity of behaviors. The way each of us is entitled to run their own life; many things that we need to do in order to survive, describe us being humans. Thinking is one of the most important things humans do to overcome life's struggles. If we would not have the necessity to think before acting we would not be called Humans at all. The fact of saying that a human is able to think does not mean that a human cannot commit a mistake. That's the other reason we are called humans. Humans make mistakes and we are not perfect; otherwise we would be gods. Being a human is being ourselves, which means that we are all different in one aspect but as a whole we are all called humanity. There are humans from different parts of the world. We all have different cultures, ways of thinking, dressing, ways of behaving and ways of living our lives.              Laughing and loving are signs of being humans. That is what makes us different from animals. Animals act by instincts only; humans act by instincts and thinking. Laughing is a human sign; a way of showing friendliness, likeness and sometimes it is a sign of showing love and appreciation to one another. Sense of humor and common sense are very important in a human. That determines the personality of each of us, which it converts us a special kind of person. A Human is unique; there is no one similar to the other one. We are specials; we all have different taste, likeness and hobbies. Being a human means diversity of characters, personalities, physical characteristics, races, food and cultures.              Human rights are what make us human. When we speak of the right to life, or development, or to dissent and diversity. It is our spirit that makes us human. It is our spiritual characteristics that make us human beings. We human being have these characteristics that the animals of the lower orders do not have. We know that there is the conce...

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Essay on What Makes You Happy

Students are often asked to write an essay on What Makes You Happy in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on What Makes You Happy

Defining happiness.

Happiness is a positive feeling characterized by joy, contentment, and fulfilment. It’s a state of well-being where one feels satisfied with their life and experiences. Happiness can be short-lived or long-lasting, depending on the source and intensity of the positive emotions.

Pursuit of Happiness

Everyone seeks happiness in their lives. It’s a fundamental human desire, and people strive to achieve it in various ways. Some find happiness in material possessions, while others find it in relationships, accomplishments, or personal growth. The key to finding happiness lies in discovering what truly matters to an individual and aligning their actions and values accordingly.

Simple Pleasures

Often, the simplest things in life can bring immense happiness. Spending time in nature, listening to music, or engaging in a hobby can provide a sense of joy and contentment. Appreciating the beauty of the natural world or the kindness of others can also contribute to feelings of happiness.

Gratitude and Positive Thinking

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude and focusing on the positive aspects of life can greatly enhance happiness. Practicing gratitude involves acknowledging and appreciating the good things in one’s life, no matter how small. Positive thinking involves focusing on the solutions rather than the problems, and it can help promote optimism and hope.

Ultimately, happiness is a subjective experience that varies from person to person. There is no universal formula for achieving happiness, as it depends on individual values, beliefs, and life circumstances. By exploring different avenues and embracing a positive mindset, individuals can find what truly brings them happiness and live more fulfilling lives.

250 Words Essay on What Makes You Happy

What makes you happy.

Happiness is a feeling of joy, contentment, and well-being. It is a state of mind that can be influenced by many factors, both internal and external. Some things that make people happy include:

Friends and Family

Spending time with loved ones is one of the most important things you can do to boost your happiness. Talking to friends and family, laughing together, and sharing experiences can all help to create a sense of connection and belonging.

Doing Things You Enjoy

When you do things you enjoy, you are more likely to feel happy and fulfilled. This could include anything from playing a sport to reading a book to spending time in nature.

Helping Others

Helping others is a great way to feel good about yourself and make a difference in the world. Volunteering your time, donating to charity, or simply lending a helping hand to someone in need can all give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

Taking Care of Yourself

Taking care of your physical and mental health is essential for happiness. This means eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly. It also means taking time for yourself to relax and de-stress.

Living in the Present Moment

One of the best ways to be happy is to live in the present moment. When you focus on the here and now, you are less likely to dwell on the past or worry about the future. This can help you to appreciate the good things in your life and feel more grateful.

500 Words Essay on What Makes You Happy

What makes you happy.

What is happiness?

Happiness is a feeling of joy, contentment, and overall well-being. It’s a state of mind where you feel positive and satisfied with your life. Everyone has their own unique things that make them happy, but there are some common things that many people find enjoyable.

Spending Time with Loved Ones

One of the best things that can make you happy is spending time with the people you love. This could be your family, friends, or significant other. When you’re with people you care about, you feel connected and supported. You can laugh and talk about your day, and you can just be yourself.

Doing Activities You Enjoy

Another thing that can make you happy is doing activities you enjoy. This could be anything from reading to playing sports to listening to music. When you’re doing something you love, you’re in a state of flow. This is a mental state where you’re completely absorbed in the activity and you forget about everything else. Flow is often associated with happiness and well-being.

Helping others can also make you happy. When you do something nice for someone else, it makes you feel good about yourself. It also strengthens your sense of community and belonging.

One of the best ways to be happy is to live in the present moment. When you focus on the present, you’re not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. You’re simply enjoying the moment you’re in. This can be difficult to do, but it’s worth it. When you live in the present moment, you’re more likely to be happy and content.

Gratitude is another important ingredient for happiness. When you’re grateful for the things you have, it helps you to appreciate your life more. It also helps you to focus on the positive things in your life, rather than the negative.

Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy, even when things are tough. When you focus on the good things in your life, and you appreciate the people you have, you’re more likely to be happy.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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More From Forbes

Elevating human purpose and well-being through redesigning work with ai.

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When AI takes on easily automated tasks, what is left for humans is more complex, intellectually ... [+] challenging work.

The transformation of work around AI has the promise of lowering costs, but it also has the potential to elevate the sense of purpose and human connection that people have with their work.

At the heart of this transformation is the idea of "pixelating" work—breaking it down into its constituent outcomes, tasks, and skills, and then reassembling it in a way that optimizes for both business objectives and human fulfillment. This involves deeply understanding people's inherent and learned capabilities, as well as their motivations and aspirations, and then matching them with the work that will allow them to contribute meaningfully while growing and developing.

"In order for organizations to sustain performance and for humans to be well, and for those things to be completely integrated, the time has come to redesign work,” says Sam Schlimper, Managing Director at Randstad. This pixelation of work is not just about coupling humans and AI, but about fundamentally rethinking the nature of jobs and the relationship between people and technology. Historically, jobs have been defined as a collection of tasks, many of which were not inherently meaningful or fulfilling for the people performing them. AI presents the opportunity to automate many of these routine tasks, freeing people up to focus on higher-value creative and strategic work.

Human work will become more complex

However, this transition also presents challenges. Schlimper says that when AI takes on easily automated tasks, what is left for humans is more complex, intellectually challenging work. “That’s exactly what we should be doing,” Schlimper says, “But what does that mean from a well-being perspective and how do we support people we’re going to ask people to use a lot of intellectual and emotional power on complex work when we take away some of the simple quick to do's?"

The pivotal role of HR and the CHRO

Addressing these challenges will require a concerted effort from HR to redesign work practices and support employees through the transition. Nichol Bradford, AI + HI Executive-in-Residence at SHRM, explains, "A job is basically what you hope to do, plus all the tasks you didn't sign up for. It’s what Microsoft actually calls the ‘joy versus toil ratio.’ The key is automating the things you didn't actually sign up for.” The challenge is that we all tend to think of jobs as a collection of tasks rather than creations tied to outcomes. We need to shift our thinking—or get stuck in the old “AI is coming for our jobs” school of thought. HR will need to educate employees, build buy-in for the changes, and enable individual successes that will collectively translate into organizational AI maturity.

Research by BetterUp underlines the importance of role-modelling. Inevitably, teams with leaders who embrace AI are more ready to adopt new tools and AI-enabled practices than teams with managers more reluctant to explore AI’s potential. BetterUp Chief Innovation Officer Dr Gabriella Rosen Kellerman said, “Many organizations are keenly aware that they need to drive AI adoption among their workforce, but they don't have a strategy for how to do that. This is challenging not because of the tools, but because of the pace of human change. In our research we have found one specific mindset that differentiates employees ready and willing to adopt AI from those that are not. We call this the Pilot mindset. It's defined by a combination of agency and optimism. Pilots are 75% more likely to use AI than their counterpart, the pessimistic Passengers. Setting a business up for success in the era of GenAI amounts to one thing: shifting mindsets to create more passengers.” BetterUp Labs has found that leaders with a pilot mindset are three times as likely to have teams with this mindset; and that managers are the most important factor influencing mindsets, above peers, culture, or other external influences. Kellerman adds, “Organizations must empower managers to prioritize the deeply human skills of management like recognition and motivation, skills that inspire agency and optimism, and learn to offload less human tasks like deadline management to AI.”

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Ultimately, the goal is to elevate the human experience of work. By pixelating work into its essential components and then reconfiguring it in a way that leverages the respective strengths of humans and AI, organizations can unlock previously untapped potential for both business performance and employee well-being. As Schlimper put it, "You are doing at-scale personalization, which leads to organizational outcomes."

To bring this vision to life, HR leaders must move beyond incremental policy changes and perks, and truly dig into redesigning jobs and reengineering workflows. Shivani Parekh, a Partner at Kearney and a leader in the firm’s Communications, Media, and Technology practice, says, “Companies need to unlock the ‘whole brain’ of the organization. This means combining the power of human intuition and emotion with the potential of AI to not just redesign jobs, but also end-to-end collaboration, decision-making and drive better outcomes.” The convergence of powerful AI capabilities and a growing employee wellness crisis has created a burning platform for change. Organizations that successfully harness AI to improve the human experience of work will thrive in the years ahead, while those that fail to adapt risk obsolescence.

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