Thoughts on society and the human race

[Ace Otana]

Napoleon, I'm gonna get you a drink after this. Think we both need one.

Oh? So ant colonies don't fight? Seriously Ace, this is so disingenuous it's unbelievable.

*Gives Napoleon a slap!*
Sorry, had to.
Colonies fight yes. I was talking about the colony itself. Name any city we have and compare it to any ant colony. Why do ant colonies function better? Why are they more efficient and more corporative. We have internal conflicts, and they range in the many. Ant colonies don't have one. They function as a single powerful unit. If they could think, how powerful could they become? We don't function as a single unit. Some work together, others within our group undo our efforts.

Ants have never failed to corporate, we have.

And how exactly does this make ants more intelligent/superior/smarter whatever you want to call it than us.

They function better. They don't kill each other. They work together which makes them a powerful force in their environment. Why do we fail at this?

Indipendent thought can lead to a multitude of different opinions, which can lead to a multitude of different ways of reasoning. This is exactly what enables the human race to advance, because you can see what other people think and discern what is the best solution to a problem. With a collective mind you lose this process, and problems are only ever looked at one way.

*Gives Napoleon another slap!*
Gonna keep giving you those!
Yes, independent thought is an incredible ability. Makes us powerful, but it only works when we use it together.
Ants are powerful because of their corporation, we are because of our knowledge. Yet with this ability to think, we've almost wiped ourselves out. We have become a deadly threat to ourselves. If our actions were intelligent, I wouldn't be making a point now.

*Slaps Nap again!*

I agree with this to an extent.

About time you saw it my way! Oh....wait, you only agree with a bit of it....*SLAP!*

Being at the top of the food chain may not mean we're smart, but we are certainly smarter than everything else below.

Why? Because our ability to think brought us power and near extinction?

I'm wondering if you should get a slap for that one too.....

[Napoléon]

STOP SLAPPING ME BITCH!

Okay I get your point. Ants are efficient yes. But they are too different to be compared realistically. Ants may be efficient at what they do, but they cannot advance because of the very point you seem to think is a great asset.

I think this has gone way too far. I'll just say that saying ants are more intelligent than us is retarded, due to the accomplishments we can see all around. If you want to believe in a notion that doing things 'the ant way' would somehow better us as a species then go for it. But realistically it simply wouldn't work, and our species would actually stagnate in terms of scientific advancement and measurable intelligence.

[Ace Otana]

STOP SLAPPING ME BITCH!

*Slaps Napoleon again*

But they are too different to be compared realistically.

Ah, but we are more alike than unalike my brother. Seriously though, they are powerful because of their corporation and we are self endangering because our our ability of thought. They aren't a risk to themselves, we are. Who's doing it right?
We can learn a lot from them I tink.

Ants may be efficient at what they do, but they cannot advance because of the very point you seem to think is a great asset.

True, they cannot advance. But they have what we don't. Corporation, functionality, order and efficiency. All we need to do, is find a way to teach ants to speak English so they can tutor us.

I think this has gone way too far.

It has.

I'll just say that saying ants are more intelligent than us is retarded

In certain aspects they are smarter, agree to disagree you suborn French bastard?

due to the accomplishments we can see all around.

Like missile silos...
Kid: Dad what's that going up into the sky?
Dad: That's what's going to send us and every living organism on the planet into extinction.
Kid: Why?
Dad: Because we're the smartest things to have walked the planet.
Kid: But....we're about to wipe ourselves out?
Dad: Yep.....smartest things to have walked the planet. It takes intelligence to build one of those.
Kid: I thought it took madness to accomplish that.

If you want to believe in a notion that doing things 'the ant way' would somehow better us as a species then go for it. But realistically it simply wouldn't work

Like corporating as a single species? Yeah, that won't work. Too intelligent for that.

[Napoléon]

Ah, but we are more alike than unalike my brother. Seriously though, they are powerful because of their corporation and we are self endangering because our our ability of thought. They aren't a risk to themselves, we are. Who's doing it right?
We can learn a lot from them I tink.

You've moved the goalposts still. I was only responding to the notion that ants are smarter than us. I don't doubt we can still learn certain things from them.

True, they cannot advance. But they have what we don't. Corporation, functionality, order and efficiency. All we need to do, is find a way to teach ants to speak English so they can tutor us.

Too bad they are too stoopid to understand language enit.

In certain aspects they are smarter, agree to disagree you suborn French bastard?

Okay in what aspects? They may do things more efficiently but it does not necessarily lead to being smart. A cheetah can run a hell of a lot faster than us, that must mean it's smarter. That's the line of reasoning you are using.

Like missile silos...
Kid: Dad what's that going up into the sky?
Dad: That's what's going to send us and every living organism on the planet into extinction.
Kid: Why?
Dad: Because we're the smartest things to have walked the planet.
Kid: But....we're about to wipe ourselves out?
Dad: Yep.....smartest things to have walked the planet. It takes intelligence to build one of those.
Kid: I thought it took madness to accomplish that.

It takes intelligence to build a nuclear device, it takes madness to use it. I think your little scenario got that bit confused

Like corporating as a single species? Yeah, that won't work. Too intelligent for that.

No, it's that our social dynamic doesn't allow us to. We are simply not capable. In a sense, we actually ARE too intelligent for it. In order to do what you want us to do, it relies on people not having opinions, or brains, or thinking. It just requires them to perform tasks continuously without question.


Let's just say I win and call it a day.

[Ace Otana]

You've moved the goalposts still. I was only responding to the notion that ants are smarter than us. I don't doubt we can still learn certain things from them.

I'm not saying they're smart. Just smarter than us. Any being that intentionally puts it's own existence in grave danger is either really stupid or has faulty genes. Ants aren't dumb enough to put their own existence in peril. No animal is. No animal would walk a single rope over looking a very deep cavern. We would. I'm not saying ants are brain boxes, just smarter than us in certain aspects. Smarter not smart.

Too bad they are too stoopid to understand language enit.

Yep.

It takes intelligence to build a nuclear device, it takes madness to use it. I think your little scenario got that bit confused

I thought it took madness to build one. After all it was built to wipe us out. The space shuttle was smart. Big things that go bang on your own home world is really dumb.

No, it's that our social dynamic doesn't allow us to. We are simply not capable. In a sense, we actually ARE too intelligent for it.

Too intelligent to work together? I thought it was because we are just too stupid to. And yet ants with no ability to think at all pulled it off easily. It's like me trying to build a small wooden shed with all my tools and schematics and two little 8 year olds built a large stone shed with less than half the stuff I had. Can't help but feel stupid.

In order to do what you want us to do, it relies on people not having opinions, or brains, or thinking.

No you French bugger! It requires people to ACTUALLY work together. Thought having large brains would make it a walk in the park. Yet it's the complete opposite.

That's gotta hurt.

It just requires them to perform tasks continuously without question.

No it doesn't.

Let's just say I win and call it a day.

Not in a billion years you stubborn French bugger.

Though we can have a spot of tea if you like?

[Napoléon]

Ace. You are saying ants are smarter than us. I'm sorry, but...

[Epimethean]

This lot has gone slap-happy and punch-drunk.

[Ace Otana]

I'm saying we are incredibly dumb. We like to look down on other animals and insects on this planet. But we are no better.

[Violet]

Enough.



This is what awaits you in space, beyond the protection offered you by my people and my allies.

[Ace Otana]

You're funny.