The Human Condition

[LV426]

So many people long to be something that they aren't. Across the internet and the world people strive to change who they are and what they are in effort to feel better about themselves. Therianthropy is said to be the feeling that one is in touch with an animal self. The spirit of that animal shows through their human guise and helps them through their lives. But is this an animal that does this? Why would humans need to take on the strengths of other animals.

Humans are animals, they share unusual talents, skills, and traits that no other animals share. For those wanting to change they do not need to look to animals but only to themselves. Humans are the most diverse and versitile animal out there. Perhaps one isn't as fast as a cheetah but those who strive to be faster than average and use perseverance can be the cheetah of the human race. The strength of a bear does not lie within our human frames but there are those who have worked hard and been driven to increase their strength and have become the bears of humanity.

There is no need for humans to look to the other animals in the kingdom for all their powers lie inside themselves. This incessant need for people to be something they aren't is inherent and while they try to turn to a magical spell or a rite of passage they have only to take their own spirit and determination and change who and what they are. Of course humans can't grow wings but they can fly. What was only a pipe dream became a reality through human ingenuity and perseverance. What was said to be the impossible has become more than possible in some cases for we went from a simply single man flight, all the way to the stars and hopefully someday, beyond.

The things that separates us from the animals, that makes every human different, is our ability to think beyond food, survival, and sex. From working together from primitive peoples and learning how to survive a harsh land without the constant struggle, abstract thinking was born. With that abstract thinking came great powers that no other animals possess. They can't possess it, at least not yet and possibly never. The whole concept of being human is being more than just an animal. With our knowledge has come great power but we, as animals gave up certain atributes along the way.

Our sight is not as acute as those of other animals, our sense of smell is decreased, even our hearing has suffered. Not from design but from lack of use. We no longer rely on acute senses to survive, we have evolved into a top predator. As this top predator we are capable of killing everything on this planet and destroying all life as we know it. Unfortunately our intellectual evolution has been flawed. We have ceased to rely on nature to cull our herds and make our species stronger. We allow the weak to live and expend time and effort to care for others that can not take care of themselves. All of this while seeming to be good has in fact brought the human race to a very precarious position and one that has people longing to be different. Longing to change from a human to that of an animal and race along wooded trails and mountainous paths, to fly in clear spaces and race clouds across the sky. To be as fleet as the deer, strong as the bear, cunning as the wolf, and as fearsome as the cougar.

Animals hold our past, as the creatures we were, the bodies and instincts that we left behind to become who we are today. Humans have no need to return to those times of brutality and struggle, there is enough stife in this world that we as humans have to face. Mostly we are no longer equipped to survive as a natural predator unless we use our intellect and our intellect has led us beyond the primitive struggle of life and death.

If you as a human are unsatified with who and what you are, then find who you want to be and work on changing yourself for the better. If you want to have the speed of a wolf then work on it. The strength of a bear, you know where the nearest gym is. Want to fly, well there are plenty of places that will offer flying lessons. Anything else, well find a way, humans are pretty good at finding a way to be what and who they want. But striving to be something that is beyond normal possibilities, well maybe you can discover intelligent life on other planets and they can change your human form into that of an animal.

Mostly though, I can only say that the human condition is mostly laziness. People want a quick fix for their shitty lives. They only want help when they get the answers they want to hear and not the answers they need to hear. Humans were given, born with, or evolved intelligence, it would be a shame to lose it because we as a race or you as a person, became too lazy to use it.

[Klark]

Laziness until threatened. I've learned by observation that people as individuals may be intelligent as all get out, however, in a group, we're all dumb as a box of rocks.

The things that separates us from the animals, that makes every human different, is our ability to think beyond food, survival, and sex.

Only after puberty. :D

Longing to change from a human to that of an animal and race along wooded trails and mountainous paths, to fly in clear spaces and race clouds across the sky. To be as fleet as the deer, strong as the bear, cunning as the wolf, and as fearsome as the cougar.

For me, this is what I call freedom. That's what I long for, that's what a lot of people long for. Hence I love camping. Not only did we bring about a lot of good, we also brought about stress into our lives. We have social restrictions that we brought down upon ourselves and after a while, they become too much. It's not that I wish to become the animal, it's that I wish to partake in it's activity of running, or proving my strength, or showing off some cunning abilities. Sometimes, you just need to be fearsome. It's great stress relief.

there is enough stife in this world that we as humans have to face.

That we created, hence our wanting to go back to that wence we came. We are still primitive creatures, we still feel the urges to release the pent up brutality, especially when it's stifled by ourselves. We still need boxing.

Mostly though, I can only say that the human condition is mostly laziness.

I know I may get bitched at about this, but laziness is a condition of being human with too much technology to take care of us. House pets are lazy because humans take care of them, we're taken care of, of course we're lazy.

The human condition is our intelligence. It's the knowing that we're gonna die. It's the knowing that we can't do certain things. It's the wondering about all the things that we can't or don't understand. It's everything that our intelligence has brought upon us. It's brought good but in the end, it's brought bad too. We are killing ourselves and we say that the things we do are for the greater good of mankind. I suppose one could say that death is for the greater good of mankind. It will allow us peace from our own intelligence.

[blueeyes]

Why would a human need to take on the strengths of another animal? Because they need to expand their consciousness? Because without understand how another animal thinks, they can't be complete? Because some other trait is connected to it? Because any advantage is a good one? Because they can? Who cares.

The human condition is just the same as another other condition. We're all animals, and it's just a matter of how we plan to fight extinction, most often on an indivual level, isn't it?

[LycanSpectre]

Very interesting.

I'm not sure if laziness is a part of the human condition, but I can see how it would be a side effect. I think that the human condition would be desire. Specifially the need to find something better. That need has brought about everything that humans have accomplished. We needed a better (more reliable) source of food, so we started to utilize agriculture, and to domesticate food animals. We needed better ways to kill things, so we made weapons. We needed a faster way to get from place to place, so we domesticated horses. And so on and so forth. As we utilized things that made our lives easier, we indeed got lazier.

I think that the reason people feel the need to be an animal, or have an animal spirit, is because they feel that having the perceived attributes of that animal would make their lives better. As Klark said, lots of people percieve animals as free, and many desire the same freedom. Others want to have superior strength, speed, etc. Perhaps it would make thier lives better. Perhaps we are deluded. I dont know. Some people just want to be different.

Personally, I want the freedom; the ability to survive without depending on technology to kill and cook my food, purify my water, sheild me from the elements, and keep me warm. I want to be able to leave my home right now, and be able to survive indefinetly on only what my body has. I recognise that it is extremely unlikely that such a thing will happen, but believing that I have an animal spirit fills that gap a bit.

[Hellcat]

I don't think its about people wanting to be like an animal, they just want to be the human animal they sacrificed in the name of abstract thought. What started out as an easier way of life has become more an more complex. Once upon a time we only had to worry about where our next meal was coming from, who to take as a mate, where to find shelter, and protecting our offspring.
Now we don't have that to worry about to the same degree as we once did, so now we are hell bent on finding something superficial to worry about like paying the phone bill, getting into university, finding a job, paying back a loan, getting the car taxed, getting the report in on time, getting the boiler fixed. Our minds that were once satisfied with the difficulties of surviving from one day to the next have become bored with our modern day luxury lifestyle, probably in the same way that the person with all the money in world can never be happy. We are that person, because of this we are envying the animals around us that still live that primative, yet challenging lifestyle that we long ago sacrificed in our fight to become top predator. Life has become mundane, or to damned scary- The sight of what we have done to the planet sickens us- wall to wall concrete, miles and miles of roads, pollution etc. Suddenlty the responsibilty of our actions becomes to much to bare and we want to be human animals again without this worry.

Personally I long to live in the way of our ancestors and meet the challenges of surviving from one day to the next, but its not going to happen. Even if it did I probably still wouldn't be satisfied- its one of those "the grass looks greener on the otherside" situations.

[Nightmare GenoReaper]

Howl, you can just say the same about the Christian faith. "Why do you believe in God? Do you think their is a God?" they ask. Some will reply "I have faith". That is the truest reaosn why people look to the animal kingdom for strength. For faith, alittle pick me up doesn't hurt now and again.

Of course we look to the animal kingdom for technological advances all the time (such as the wheel... there are catapillars and salamanders in Calfornia who curl up into a ball to travel faster... airplanes and such, you catch my drift right?"

Laziness.. your thinking from an American point of view aren't you? This country's people doesn't work as hard, but we certainly are the most creative. Would the Japanease agree with your statement? perhaps so, perhaps not

[LycanSpectre]

Uh, is anyone else having trouble relating what Nightmare said to the topic at hand?

[DarkWolf]

Uh, is anyone else having trouble relating what Nightmare said to the topic at hand?
Yes, I am.

[Nightmare GenoReaper]

Ok, in plain english...

We want to be animals because we all want confidence, even if it is false confidence. And besides we design our machines to be like the animals we base them on, so why not go a step further to become the animal?

The rest of the post was kinda deeper...

[Blazer]

There is no need for humans to look to the other animals in the kingdom for all their powers lie inside themselves. This incessant need for people to be something they aren't is inherent and while they try to turn to a magical spell or a rite of passage they have only to take their own spirit and determination and change who and what they are. Of course humans can't grow wings but they can fly. What was only a pipe dream became a reality through human ingenuity and perseverance. What was said to be the impossible has become more than possible in some cases for we went from a simply single man flight, all the way to the stars and hopefully someday, beyond.

But it was because of our ancestors looking up at the birds flying that we got wings. If we had never dreamed of being birds we would never be flying. What more can we discover by imagining we could be more than we are? It is this imagination that leads the way in technology & art.


I use to think everyone was out for a quick fix too.
I went to the cinema to see Spider-man and came out thinking:

"Wimp gets bit by spider becomes super-hero. Isn't that just telling kids to hope for a quick fix to their problems. What happened to the story of wimp goes down the gym & takes some self defence classes becomes a master martial artist in twenty years then becomes super-hero?"


But thinking more on it won't kids have the brains to recognise this is a story. They aren't going to be bitten and they know it.
Then prehaps like our ancestors looking at the birds & wanting to fly these kids will think:

"Well I know that's not going to happen to me just by wishing. Prehaps if I did something to change my life I could get the same results."

Then go down the gym & start learning kung-fu. (The kids not the ancestors).


I think the problem with the human condition is that no-one wants to take responsibility for their lives. If their is a problem with the lives then its because someone else is to blame. So they won't do anything to fix it because its not their problem.

As for imagining we're animals or super-heros, this is just telling ourself stories which is healthy. Unless we can dream we're someone better how are we going to improve the person we are.

Am now going for a lie down after too much incoherent rambling.

[Obsidian Claws]

I would agree that the human condition for most people is based in laziness. We are pampered by technology and dont want to do any more work than we absolutely have to. Like electrons, we seek and take the path of least resistance.

There is no need for humans to look to the other animals in the kingdom for all their powers lie inside themselves. This incessant need for people to be something they aren't is inherent and while they try to turn to a magical spell or a rite of passage they have only to take their own spirit and determination and change who and what they are

It all depends on what you are looking for. Most people I see want freedom, whether from everyday life or society or whatever, and thats not something that lies within anyone. And to some, various animals represent this freedom, so they strive to be more like those animals in an effort to be closer to the freedom they yearn for. As humans living in advanced societies, there is only one key that can unlock the door to true freedom. Money and time is the key. Lots of money, and unlimited time. Lets face it, everything takes money, and most things people want that money can buy, well, they take a LOT of money. And without unlimited time, or you might think of it as zero obligation (or very close to), you wont enjoy what you have. Without a ton of money, you are bounded by the limitations that society imposes upon you. You have to hold a job, you have to pay bills, etc. But if you suddenly stopped doing these things, you no longer have anything to support yourself within human society, ie, money.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people will never see the amount of money needed to be truly free. Even fewer will be blessed with unlimited time to accompany the money, effectively granting those privledged few real freedom. So I believe many people, accepting they will not be among the privledged few to have time and money, look for other ways to attain their dream of freedom. They look inwards, for traits and feelings they can associate with an animal that represents freedom, and if upon liking what they find, they wish to be more like that which represents their dream, freedom.

This does not happen with just the dream of freedom, this happens everywhere, everyday. If a child wishes to be a great baseball player, wont that child emulate his/her favorite athlete (as they are representative of the childs dream), in an effort to become closer to their dream of playing major league baseball?

Unfortunate or not, in the case of freedom which is a state of being rather than some power, emulation of the representation of the dream is not assimilation into the pure state of the dream. Freedom can be emulated, but the emulation will never become true freedom. To achieve any state of being, assimilation is required. Some would associate a wolf with freedom, their dream. Solely to emulate a wolf is not to be free, you would still remain a step removed from freedom. While only representing the representative of something, that something can never truly be attained. I think many people realize on a subconscious level that emulation is not enough, so they take it a step further and say their soul or spirit is that of a wolf; the direct representative of their dream. Saying this allows for minor integration into the pure state of the dream, taking them closer than they could ever have gotten through pure imitation. Whether this be true or not, only the individual can know.

I believe anything pretaining to the spirit or soul is possible.

With that abstract thinking came great powers that no other animals possess. They can't possess it, at least not yet and possibly never

Some tests have shown baboons can abstract. Crows also are thought to be able to think abstractly. There are many books on this subject, and lots of info on the net thats easy to find.

I never believed abstration was limited to humans, as abstraction is a function of raw intelligence. I dont think we give animals enough credit in regards to intelligence, as our means of testing it on ourselves (which are subject to debate over their actual effectiveness anyway) just wouldnt work on many, if any, other animals. I always think of intelligence being determined much like how a CPU speed is determined. There is the raw CPU multiplier, and the front side bus speed. The innate intelligence of a creature is like the CPU multiplier, and how much you nurture that intelligence is akin to the FSB. Maximum potential is going to be determined by the set multiplier, but actual potential is more based upon the FSB. Animals could have just as high a CPU mult. as humans, just the FSB is rather low due to the environment they live in.

It sure would be something to see what would come of an intelligent animal who could communicate verbally with humans. Maybe we would find that animals are not so dumb afterall.

[Damien midgard]

"Wimp gets bit by spider becomes super-hero. Isn't that just telling kids to hope for a quick fix to their problems. What happened to the story of wimp goes down the gym & takes some self defence classes becomes a master martial artist in twenty years then becomes super-hero?"

Then you would have been watching Batman..: ;)

But seriously, almost every one on this topic has made a good point in one way or another.. and every ones ideas/thoughts should be put into consideration..

I dont think Its all black and white
I believe our own experiences in part develop who we are.
and its those same differences that make some people look to animals for spiritual,physical or mental satisfaction.