By P Mohan Chandran
Have you ever considered the comedic tragedy of naming our species "humans"? We've attributed to ourselves a label that suggests we possess humanity, compassion, and empathy. And yet, if we were to lay out our résumé, would our actions validate our title?
Now, don't get me wrong. We've accomplished much that would be the envy of the animal kingdom. We've constructed towering skyscrapers, crafted sonnets and symphonies, and invented sliced bread (a clear culinary triumph). But, when juxtaposed with our more questionable deeds, our self-anointed label begins to seem a bit... optimistic, doesn't it?
The Human Diet: A "Taste" of Irony
Animals, especially those in the wild, kill for survival. Humans? We've refined this basic need into an art. We slaughter animals, not out of necessity, but often for the simple pleasure of our palates. Lobsters boiled alive for that buttery indulgence, and chickens confined to spaces smaller than our shoeboxes. If aliens were watching, they'd probably conclude that our favorite pastime is turning the Animal Kingdom into our personal smorgasbord.
An Affinity for Flattening Flora
And our treatment of the plant world? Why merely live in harmony when you can dominate, right? Trees that took centuries to grow are reduced to stacks of paper, probably to print more brochures on deforestation. The irony!
A Plastic Paradise
Mother Nature might have taken billions of years to craft her masterpiece, but humans? We've bedazzled it with our very own invention: plastic. From the Mariana Trench to Mount Everest, one can find traces of our plastic legacy. Future archaeologists (if they aren't robots) might just conclude that our favorite accessory was the plastic bag.
Of Canines & Cruelty
Ah, and the age-old pastime of some: pelting stones at stray dogs. Because why let a creature simply exist when you can assert dominance by inducing fear? After all, barking is clearly the canine version of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile.
"Incorruption" – A Fairy Tale
If there was an Olympics for corruption, one might say we'd all be gold medalists. From slipping an extra note to skipping the queue to billion-dollar scams, it's clear that our moral compass often points towards the currency symbol.
So, with this stellar track record, we've got to ask: Who crowned us "humans"? Was there a naming committee? Perhaps, in the spirit of accuracy, we should consider a rebranding. "Greedus Maximus"? "Opportunus Sapiens"?
As you sip on your coffee (hopefully fair-trade and not in a single-use cup) or munch on that burger, ponder this: Do we truly embody the term "human"? Or are we mere caricatures of what we ought to be, playing our roles in the grand satirical play of existence? Can we ever align our actions with our name, or will we forever remain prisoners of our own paradox? The curtain's still up, and the act is ours to define.
Do you agree that human beings don't deserve the tag "humans"?
A. Yes, "humans" do the most "inhuman" things in this world.
B. No, humans also carry out "humanitarian" activities.
© 2023. P Mohan Chandran. All Rights Reserved.
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