What Does It Mean To Be Human Essay Example

Nowadays, we hear of new scientific discoveries all the time. This includes advances in AI-research. But the question is: how well will we be able to tell which is which one day? What does it mean to be human? 

In my opinion, it‘s a matter of perspective: Being human is a social construct. 

The question should be what does it mean to exist and to be aware, what does it mean to be sentient?

By definition, a human could be described as an organic individual, capable of articulate speech and abstract thinking. A great example of abstract thinking is humor. Comedians have perfected abstract thinking, by observing the world around them. 

The human brain is powerful, inventive and creative. We are capable of internal subjective experiences and physiological reactions. This includes generating complex emotions, such as love, regret or jealousy.

Other primary human qualities include integrity, honesty, self-awareness, courage and wholeheartedness. Also, humans are quite known to be self-centered and egotistical.

Irrational behavior often plays a big role in our existence. We seek comfort as well as easement and happiness. Humans have always been an exceedingly risk-aversive species, which is how we became to survive as a species at all. One might think that the end of the world would be enough to get us scared, but immediate concerns will always trump eventual concerns. Besides, when it comes to climate change, even when we try to think long-term, a lot of things get in the way. A good example would be that climate action calls for a right-know-sacrifice in exchange for a down-the-line-payoff.

Lastly, humans have potential for understanding values. A computer makes choices based on data. However, judgment is a human peculiarity. It is based on values, and values are learned from life experience. Robots have no significant basis on which to set targets or objectives, they react to given instructions.

To sum up, to be human means to be able to contemplate about, to communicate, to explore, to develop and to alter ourselves and our environment, while mostly avoiding risks that are outside of our comfort zone.