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  • What makes us human?

    Posted on July 26th, 2010 by Robbin and currently 15 commenting.


    Several weeks ago, my friend Francois asked me to give him a photo and sentence or two on what it means to be human for the website for his newly re-named company:

    Human 1.0.

    Don’t you just love that name?

    I am crazy about Francois. I drink his champagne.

    His new book, The Hyper-Social Organization with co-author Ed Moran is a bit more academic than the Brains on Fire book, but we’re singing the same tune.

    It’s not about technology or social media, it’s about people.

    So back to the question Francois asked of me.

    I have to tell you his question stumped me. And since we are in the people (human) connecting business, I wanted to explore it deeper.

    So I watched pieces of this NPR episode. I asked people on twitter. I asked strangers on the tram in airports. I asked friends over wine. I asked kids. It was all very interesting. When I’m trying to figure something out my first inclination is to ask and listen hard.

    I got great answers.

    Opposing thumbs. Conscience (love that one). Morals. The ability to tell right from wrong. Empathy. Sentimentality. Think about it we are the only species to have wedding bands and sentimental keepsakes. One person said the inability to learn from our mistakes. Some people said I have no idea.

    Then I woke up one night and said out loud: soul. We are the only species with souls.

    Hmmm.

    I woke up the next morning thinking nope, that’s not it. I’ve had a dog or two with serious soul. So. I was left — still seriously stumped.

    A side note about soul and human-ness: Some time back someone’s actions were so freaking unexplainable to me that I hastily blurted out; you have lost your soul. What I meant to say is your actions don’t seem human to me they are so hard to understand. So soul and human are words I often associate together — for right or wrong. Guess that explains the middle of the night thought…

    Anyway, here’s the photo and the very short answer I gave Francois on Friday:

    Now. You go. What do you think? Share with me this Monday morning. I’m still searching for answers…

    What do you think makes us human?

    P.S. This will be seriously fun, fun week. Wednesday is the 4th Annual Brains on Fire FIRE session. This year @mackcollier will be our guest blogger. Can’t wait to meet him in person and finally shake his hand. Stay tuned.

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  • http://www.kimhebertlmt.com Kim

    I love this post, Robbin. I’m thinking that being human is unique in that we have the ability to evolve willfully. : ) Love.

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  • http://www.human1.com Francois Gossieaux

    Thank you Robbin – I love the web site you created for us and the thinking that went behind the creation of your great picture and quote.

    I am looking forward to working with you in the future and to see you tomorrow at your 4th Annual Brains on Fire FIRE session!

    Francois

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  • http://www.jonbishop.com Jon Bishop

    I like to think the ability to reason and comprehend at a high level makes us human. This is why I loved your answer when I first saw it.

  • Justine

    Great post Robbin. Great question too. It’s been said in some form by every great thinker or artist known to man, but I believe that what makes us human ultimately is our connection to other people. Our capacity for theory of mind – to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. To feel empathy. To feel a sense of common purpose. To find, and build the groups that allow us to be who we are. And to serve others, even as we strive to develop our individual selves – indeed to recognize that the advancement of the “we” is a survival advantage for the “me”. To use language to share, to influence, to celebrate – to help others catch a glimpse of how we see the world.

    It is a constant struggle, and I think there is always a tension between the individual and the group. But without the people around us, I think we lose what makes us human.

  • http://www.howrc.com Marta Daniels

    Love of God makes us human! Serving Jesus Christ! God bless!

  • http://alterimaging.com Vincent Ammirato

    Our flaws make us human.

    Empathy makes us human.

    Telling (and listening to) stories makes us human.

    Good stories are shared with close friends and they involve personal experiences. The best story-tellers expose their own flaws (from The Moth’s founder, George Dawes Green).

  • http://mandyvavrinak.com/blog Mandy Vavrinak

    Robbin,

    What a great question… and I think what makes us human is that we’ll ask it and care about the answer. :)

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  • Ted Claney

    All great answers. I think what makes us human though is our intuition.

    The Oxford English Dictionary defines intuition as “the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason.”

    I can’t think of anything more human than that.

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  • http://chriswrenla.blogspot.com Chris Wren

    What wonderful points you bring up. Daniel Morel at Wunderman said “Data is not a number it is a human expression” when reminding marketers that they’re not speaking to a demographic, they’re targeting a person. And as consumers are empowering us as marketers with more and more useful data, we need to remember that customers are marketing partners, not just consumers of products.

    I also love the name Human 1.0. I’d be drinking the champagne too.

  • http://www.stickystarfish.com Angela Beasley

    What makes us human? For starters: Self-awareness, our state of consciousness, our advanced reasoning skills, the ability to independently react without regard to instinct, our mental versus physical adaptation abilities, speech……….

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