What is a human?

[acd]

I read a little about her background in some news stories..
Apparently her father is in prison for felony assault and her mother, a drug abuser, abandoned her.
She has a history of self-mutilation and suicide attempts.
I wonder if she would have turned out this way had she had a stable family where her emotional and psychological needs were met.
I'm definitely not excusing her actions, what she did was beyond horrific.

 

[Peppermint]

How is that ironic?

Because the OP first defines "non humans" as lacking empathy, then goes on to justify and say it's necessary to kill monsters, a.k.a non humans, which shows a lack of empathy on her side.


[MENTION=564]acd[/MENTION]

I understood the OP's reasoning as justifying the murder of monsters with the fact they are not human and lacking in empathy.

I personally think relatability is one of the components of empathy, it's easier to feel indifference or condone the destruction of some forms of sentience if you don't humanize them (don't apply any redeemable or positive traits to them), don't relate to them (which sometimes involves drawing distinctions between groups, the "us vs them"), it similar to how some humans feel apathetic toward animal deaths or how others antagonise people who belong to the enemy group.

 

[myself]

human being is a life form

we experience a unique slice of life from this human perspective

consciousness experienced as human is significant

there are good decisions and there are bad decisions

we are not defined by the past

what we do from here on out is what carries significance

we can learn from looking at how NOT to do things...

but we should not get emotionally wrapped up, judging this and that

let God be the judge

dont let a mere human keep you from knowledge of God

do not let any man deceive you

 

[the]

For the record: a human is a heterosexual white male, and also [MENTION=1814]invisible[/MENTION].

 

[Untitled]

Pretty disgusting, I agree.

Humans are infinitely more comlex than animals due to the nature of our physiology and brain. Humans can lie, they can reason, they can imagine and they can create. Humans have much more potential, for both good and bad.

This girl in the article is not psychologically healthy. Sometimes there is a biological and chemical basis for pyschological disorders, as well as cultural and environmental factors. People that have these disorders are unable to think, reason and feel, like healthy humans. Their brains and physiology are physically different from 'normal' humans.
People with anti-social personality disorder may be able to see why there are certain rules in society but they are unable to see why these rules are important or relavant to them, they do not have the psychological capacity to empathise with another. Some psychopaths may be able to lead productive lives and even succeed in certain environments in spite of, and sometimes, because of their nature. Such environments may include war, crisis situations, capitalistic business, political situations and agressive environments and cultures etc.

While it is possible to empathise and understand why people may be the way they are, it is just as important to undertand that all actions have consequences.
All people need to be accountable for their actions, regardless for the reasons of their behaviour. This girl is dangerous, unpredictable and volatile. She needs to be punished for her crime. It is difficult to guage whether or not she can be rehabilitated or not. She needs to isolated from society so that she cant hurt anyone else. People are scary when they are unaware of the 'real' consequences of their behaviour, and are unwilling or uanble to take responsibilty for their actions.

I undertsand why you are thinking shoot it, shoot it! That was my initial reaction too, like putting down an animal that is clearly dangerous. I would probably want to explore the possibility of rehabiliation first though. I don't have a problem with the death penalty per se if the person is guilty without any reasonable doubt. I dont see why the state should fund prisons for people that are dangerous and unable to be rehabilitated, especailly pedophiles (they are they scum of the earth). Some people suggest to me that maybe we should exile them to a life of hard labour but I personally think it is more merciful to them to kill them rather than deny them freedom forever.

Psychopaths can't be rehabilitated, as far as I know. My friend (psychologist) worked with the criminally insane and said that there's no point in using therapy, in fact it makes things worse because psychopaths actually start using the techniques they learn FROM therapy to their own ends. You're in effect giving them new acting skills to act "normal" more efficiently or to manipulate people.

Humans aren't monsters. They are humans, always human. Humans need to take responsibility for what they do, recognize what their fellow humans do, and not explain it away as being monstrous.

You think we should kill killers? There is enough death in this world.

Psychopaths may lack empathy but we don't and our choices define us on a personal level and as a society. What do WE want to be? What values do WE want our society to reflect. Self protective measures are all well and good, but two wrongs don't make a right.

I wouldn't go as far to say empathy is what makes us human; infants don't have empathy.

I would define lack of empathy one of the characteristics of evil.

I agree.

 

[GracieRuth]

I wouldn't go as far to say empathy is what makes us human; infants don't have empathy.

Actually , they do. ONe of the tests for empathy among infants is simply to watch how they respond in the nursery when another infant cries. Some infants will begin to cry along (healthy sense of empathy) and others will not (empathically challenged).

 

[GracieRuth]

Because the OP first defines "non humans" as lacking empathy, then goes on to justify and say it's necessary to kill monsters, a.k.a non humans, which shows a lack of empathy on her side.

Odd. You think because I call them monsters and want them dead it means I lack empathy?????? Perhaps it is BECUASE I'm LOADED with empathy, and, being uniquely able to see things from their point of view, am chilled to the bone at how they percieve and reason and commit heinous acts and not feel an ounce of remorse. Warning rto all empaths: don't ask yourself why monsters do what they do. You won't like what you find out.

Never confuse empathy with sympathy. It is precisely because I'm an empath that I have no sympathy for these.

 

[Quiet]

Psychopaths can't be rehabilitated, as far as I know. My friend (psychologist) worked with the criminally insane and said that there's no point in using therapy, in fact it makes things worse because psychopaths actually start using the techniques they learn FROM therapy to their own ends. You're in effect giving them new acting skills to act "normal" more efficiently or to manipulate people.

I have read the same in the literature, and many psychologists hold that view. And as you mentioned, psychopaths can actually learn and use skills learned from therapy to be even more manipulative and anti-social.

I personally believe rehabilitation is possible though. Definately very difficult, painful and time consuming, but possible. I dont think that traditional psychotherapy or pharmacotherpay would be effective in this instance.
I have seen people go through remarkable transformations. I was friends with someone that was diagnosed with anti-social perosnality disorder. He did some vile things in the time that I knew him, but I never believed for a moment that he was inherently bad. People can be anything they want to be. Life is not defined by the past, but is created in the present.

 

[JGirl]

What sets us apart from other animals? It's more than just building a better mouse trap. There is a whole art/music/religion/symbolic element to humanity that we simply don't see any equivalent in any other species. An essential part of that dimension is EMPATHY. We do see empathy in other species, but add it to our ability to think forward to consequences, we're pretty advanced. My question is, if an individual lacks empathy, are they human?

I'm in a state of shock from reading the following article:
Missouri teen describes killing girl, 9, as

 

[JGirl]

Actually , they do. ONe of the tests for empathy among infants is simply to watch how they respond in the nursery when another infant cries. Some infants will begin to cry along (healthy sense of empathy) and others will not (empathically challenged).

actually it's not empathy, but stress that causes them to do that

"While it is true that infants appear to empathize when they cry in response to the cries of other infants, it has been argued that such responses only indicate personal distress rather than concern for others. The infant does not differentiate himself from others and cannot identify the source of the cries he hears (Hoffman, 1979). Older infants may seek adult comfort or comfort themselves by thumb sucking or cuddling a favorite object in response to their feelings of distress.

It appears that children must first be able to identify themselves as separate individuals before they can truly feel empathy for others. This happens sometime around the middle of the child's second year (Eisenberg, 1995). "

you can read the rest here
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=242

 

[Justbeing]

The ability for self realisation and contemplation, evolution of the mind sets us apart.

 

[canyouhearit]

I would say we are more animals than animals. I mean we destroy and never respect. We are clever animals, we have even conveniced ourselves we are not lol.

as mentions it takes more to be a person

 

[Gaze]

A being with fleshly body who has existence - potential for thought, and can make conscious decisions.

 

[iauiugu]

Okay.

1. there are two forms of empathy. First is affective empathy, also called 'theory of mind,' which is an unconscious connection that humans with this form of empathy feel towards those that their brains interpret as similar to itself. second is cognitive empathy, as known as sympathy, which is empathy that is developed due to consciously getting to know and thinking through the experiences of others.

those with autism don't have affective empathy, but tend to have high cognitive empathy when they get to know people. my boyfriend said that he perceives people he doesn't know as undifferentiated from other animals or objects in the world, until a relationship and connection is formed.

in short, empathy isn't what makes someone good. ethics are.

2. being "human" is being a primate with a brain capable of retaining and manipulating complex codified information that forms the backbone of language and culture, allowing for social systems, society and sometimes civilization to exist.

sociopathy is endemic to the human experience, which is why utopia is not possible. we are so easily swayed by our emotions to violence, especially when our social constructs reward violence, as they often do in our present world.

 

[Apone]

I'm a pretty big believer in the idea that we're actually NOT different from other animals, and I don't think that that's a bad thing. Looking at ourselves as somehow separate from the Animal Kingdom is one of the biggest causes of human arrogance and probably the biggest reason why we seem to think that we can do whatever we want... but really there's no difference between us and all of the other things that came from the Earth. The only real difference is that we've figured out how to support people who would have ordinarily died off and give them enough time away from basic survival in order to come up with some of the things we've managed to come up with.

But the idea that we're somehow special or that 'being human' is a descriptor for some sort of enlightened and overall better condition to be in is sort of narcissistic. I've met animals who were far far far better creatures than a lot of humans... and yeah, I have to say that if I had to choose between them and another human, then in some cases I'd probably have a pretty hard time deciding.

 

[barbad0s]

whatever the definition you create is, is what it is for you