06-02-2018, 04:53 PM
1
What, in your opinion, makes us Human?
Today as I was driving home from work, I happened to put the radio on.Classic FM belting out some piece I can't stand, so I randomly clicked a bit to the left and there was music I did like , so there I stayed...bear with, I'm getting to the point
Then came the question "What Makes Us Human?", which is apparently an ongoing theme on this show.
The host introduced a certain Dame Stephanie Shirley, a woman I'd never heard of.
She was born into a German Jewish family in 1931, her father was a judge...you can guess the rest.
She came to England with her mother in 1939 and the long and the short of it is that she eventually ruled her own multimillion computer software company, initially an all-woman firm, but later men and women since all-women became illegal.
The reason she was invited to read her essay on what makes us Human is because today marks 100 years since votes were granted to women.
Her answer is quite simple: GIVING
Her reasons are intelligently and imaginatively given, her essay only takes a few minutes to listen to, and I'd love you to hear it.
I can honestly say that I felt hugely honoured to listen to her words, and afterwards when she'd finished telling the story of her life and her work, and especially her severely autistic son, I felt priveleged to have been given the insight she offered.
Funny how a random act of just switching on your car radio can have such a profound and moving effect!
Here it is, enjoy...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05x96hv
So what do YOU think makes us Human?
I'd say it's empathy; the ability to put yourself into another's shoes and feel for them.
(I know we don't own the threads we begin, and they often veer off in different directions, and that is fine,
but I wondered if we could make this one a gif-free zone? Thanks x)
06-02-2018, 05:29 PM
2
Re: What, in your opinion, makes us Human?
Mmm. It's a good question. I'm not sure about 'giving', I watched an animal programme where a chimp gave his partner the banana (keep it clean folks) and of course animals feed their young and sometimes the young of other animals.I will have to think about this ruthio..........
06-02-2018, 05:34 PM
6
Re: What, in your opinion, makes us Human?
I agree with long dogs I've seen animals give and share, so it can't be that which makes us human. I think animals can be empathic too one of my dogs always knows if grace is sad without any signal and snuggles up to her giving comfort.I think it's self awareness and understanding consequences possibly ? Or perhaps animals can do that too ?
06-02-2018, 05:40 PM
8
Re: What, in your opinion, makes us Human?
This -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism
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