Just now on Twitter.

[Brian37]

So someone, not the guy I was debating, but someone posted a video still asking responders to "Caption this". 

And it was the picture of a bear standing full up pressing it's paws on a sliding glass door peering in. 

I responded, implying I was the bear, "Don't get mad at me, you built your home in mine."

A couple of people laughed in agreement.

But  this one person argued this, and they are not entirely wrong, but just still missing the point.

Quote them  "Human life is more important than other species that’s why when there is a killer tiger on the loose we eliminate the tiger. If a dog bites a human then it is put down."

It isn't that human life is more important than other life. It is just that in the moment, on an individual conflict basis, anyone can understand not wanting to die. But he falsely accused me of "inferring" that humans are "evil" because I said we are an invasive species. And we are.

So he is not wrong, if I come across a rattlesnake or cotton mouth, and feel like I cant run and it is too late to run, sure, I would kill it. So I can understand killing a bear, or even an elephant or crock that got too close. But that is not what I am arguing in saying I am  not more important.

Humans are NOT more important than other life, we are merely important to ourselves as individuals while we are alive. So in that context fight or flight makes sense. Nobody likes to die. But that doesn't make our species an apex, or more important to evolution, and that is the part this guy was missing.

I object to the blanket claim "Human life is more important". 

Our planet has had 5 mass extinction events, and out of that 4 billion years, humans in our current form have only been around an estimated 2 to 300 thousand years. The planet doesn't care about our species, much less covid, which will kill a communist, a capitalist, a Christian a Muslim a Jew an Atheist, a Buddhist, ect ect ect.

Humans are literally the only animal currently capable of causing a mass extinction through our own awareness and ignoring it. Other species have been invasive for sure, but we are the only capable of being aware of the damage we are causing and ignoring it.

[no one]

Humans are dumb!

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

So someone, not the guy I was debating, but someone posted a video still asking responders to "Caption this". 

And it was the picture of a bear standing full up pressing it's paws on a sliding glass door peering in. 

I responded, implying I was the bear, "Don't get mad at me, you built your home in mine."

A couple of people laughed in agreement.

But  this one person argued this, and they are not entirely wrong, but just still missing the point.

Quote them  "Human life is more important than other species that’s why when there is a killer tiger on the loose we eliminate the tiger. If a dog bites a human then it is put down."

It isn't that human life is more important than other life. It is just that in the moment, on an individual conflict basis, anyone can understand not wanting to die. But he falsely accused me of "inferring" that humans are "evil" because I said we are an invasive species. And we are.

So he is not wrong, if I come across a rattlesnake or cotton mouth, and feel like I cant run and it is too late to run, sure, I would kill it. So I can understand killing a bear, or even an elephant or crock that got too close. But that is not what I am arguing in saying I am  not more important.

Humans are NOT more important than other life, we are merely important to ourselves as individuals while we are alive. So in that context fight or flight makes sense. Nobody likes to die. But that doesn't make our species an apex, or more important to evolution, and that is the part this guy was missing.

I object to the blanket claim "Human life is more important". 

Our planet has had 5 mass extinction events, and out of that 4 billion years, humans in our current form have only been around an estimated 2 to 300 thousand years. The planet doesn't care about our species, much less covid, which will kill a communist, a capitalist, a Christian a Muslim a Jew an Atheist, a Buddhist, ect ect ect.

Humans are literally the only animal currently capable of causing a mass extinction through our own awareness and ignoring it. Other species have been invasive for sure, but we are the only capable of being aware of the damage we are causing and ignoring it.

‘I would gleefully strangle every chimp on the planet to save one street junkie with AIDS.’ - Penn Jillette

Boru

[AkiraTheViking]

In my opinion the world would be a better place if humans never step out of the primordial ooze. Just look at the damage we've done. Sure we save lives both human and non human, but that still doesn't change the fact that we still pollute and use an obscene amount of the earth's resources. Not to mention all the wars we created over the years for stupid reasons.

[Brian37]

In my opinion the world would be a better place if humans never step out of the primordial ooze. Just look at the damage we've done. Sure we save lives both human and non human, but that still doesn't change the fact that we still pollute and use an obscene amount of the earth's resources. Not to mention all the wars we created over the years for stupid reasons.

Not being sarcastic at all in agreeing with you. But this is the understatement of human history.

But I'd also argue that because humans far too often cling to the past, we cant get past that "primordial ooze".

Humans in general in our species history really hate having their social norms upset.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Actually, if you stop and think about it, our unique ability to make the planet unlivable is a pretty strong argument for our being the most important species.

Can bears destroy the planet? Are dolphins going create mass pollution? How much do snails contribute to global warming?

How are we NOT the most important species?

Boru

[Brian37]

Actually, if you stop and think about it, our unique ability to make the planet unlivable is a pretty strong argument for our being the most important species.

Can bears destroy the planet? Are dolphins going create mass pollution? How much do snails contribute to global warming?

How are we NOT the most important species?

Boru

OH MY GOD, no, just the opposite! 

I can only agree that humans are the only species with our higher cognitive abilities. But that does not make us more important. It only means we can speed up the pace of consumption and pollute more and damage our planet faster. It only means that we are the only species that is aware of it, but refuses to do anything about it.

Roy's tiger could be argued to have simply been over aggressive in trying to protect him, but didn't know it's own power. Roy's tiger has been argued to have simply trying to pick him up like a mother cat picking up a kitten. But Roy got his neck bitten and ended up paralyzed regardless.

If humans were the most important species why did it take over a year to slow down covid, and even with such, we are still now having to worry about it's variants? BECAUSE WE ARE NOT AN APEX.

"Important" is relative. Yes, humans are important to humans. I won't argue that. But in cosmic time we are not important.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Actually, if you stop and think about it, our unique ability to make the planet unlivable is a pretty strong argument for our being the most important species.

Can bears destroy the planet? Are dolphins going create mass pollution? How much do snails contribute to global warming?

How are we NOT the most important species?

Boru

OH MY GOD, no, just the opposite! 

I can only agree that humans are the only species with our higher cognitive abilities. But that does not make us more important. It only means we can speed up the pace of consumption and pollute more and damage our planet faster. It only means that we are the only species that is aware of it, but refuses to do anything about it.

Roy's tiger could be argued to have simply been over aggressive in trying to protect him, but didn't know it's own power. Roy's tiger has been argued to have simply trying to pick him up like a mother cat picking up a kitten. But Roy got his neck bitten and ended up paralyzed regardless.

If humans were the most important species why did it take over a year to slow down covid, and even with such, we are still now having to worry about it's variants? BECAUSE WE ARE NOT AN APEX.

"Important" is relative. Yes, humans are important to humans. I won't argue that. But in cosmic time we are not important.

I didn’t say humans were beneficial, or terribly bright. But the consumption and pollution is what makes us the most important species. Because we are the only species with the capacity to wreck this planet, we are also the only species with the capacity to save it from ourselves. What’s more important than that?

 ‘The power to destroy a thing is to have absolute control over it’ - Frank Herbert.

I don’t think you’re using the term ‘apex’ correctly.

Boru

[brewer]

Is it strange that I find 37's version of philosophy oddly refreshing?

[Brian37]

OH MY GOD, no, just the opposite! 

I can only agree that humans are the only species with our higher cognitive abilities. But that does not make us more important. It only means we can speed up the pace of consumption and pollute more and damage our planet faster. It only means that we are the only species that is aware of it, but refuses to do anything about it.

Roy's tiger could be argued to have simply been over aggressive in trying to protect him, but didn't know it's own power. Roy's tiger has been argued to have simply trying to pick him up like a mother cat picking up a kitten. But Roy got his neck bitten and ended up paralyzed regardless.

If humans were the most important species why did it take over a year to slow down covid, and even with such, we are still now having to worry about it's variants? BECAUSE WE ARE NOT AN APEX.

"Important" is relative. Yes, humans are important to humans. I won't argue that. But in cosmic time we are not important.

I didn’t say humans were beneficial, or terribly bright. But the consumption and pollution is what makes us the most important species. Because we are the only species with the capacity to wreck this planet, we are also the only species with the capacity to save it from ourselves. What’s more important than that?

 ‘The power to destroy a thing is to have absolute control over it’ - Frank Herbert.

I don’t think you’re using the term ‘apex’ correctly.

Boru

Why the hell are you trying to argue now that I am arguing anything differently?

I agree, we are the only species with the capability to wreck this planet, and we are the only species with the capability to save it from ourselves.

I agree. But as it stands now, as much as I like to stay positive, it isn't looking that good.