I asked ChatGPT, "What do you think it means to be human?" As expected, I got a reply that was bathed in the scent of perfume, presented in a basket of flowers, typical of AI's current people pleasing structure. If I were to sum up its answer, it gave me a total of seven. "To Feel Deeply, To Struggle with Imperfection, To Question, To Create, To Seek Connection, To Exist in Paradox, and To Hope." Now looking at these answers, you can't really say they're wrong. If I had to look at it at face value, even I'd have a hard time figuring out what's wrong with these answers but the more you look at it, the more apparent it becomes.
These answers are flawed in a way that's eerily AI like. It's just too targeted. These answers were given in a way that would make one feel proud about being human rather than to help them understand what they should be proud off. Though they may see why the question was answered in such a way, it's targeted in a way that a huge majority of the population would be unable to relate. Granted, I didn't expect much of an answer since ChatGPT is AI, but I feel like this a good way to enter the conversation since this flawed answer was given by the creation of humans themselves. This alone is proof enough that "To Be Human" is to be a flawed existence.
That which is "good" or "bad", the choices we make that are morally "right" or "wrong", who decides that? Is it the gods from the various religions that preach free will? I doubt it because if it was them the whole "free will" thing would be a sham. Maybe it's our parents, they grew us up, thought us how to live, certainly it was them who introduced "good" and "bad" to us. But then that begs the question, who taught them that? In this case it would obviously be those who came before them but everything has a beginning so who taught the first humans that? Can't really think of much huh? Well let's cut to the chase, the answer to this question is us humans, we are the ones who decided that.
Ego, Empathy, Emotions, coincidentally all starting with "E", These are just three factors that humans used to decide on what is good or bad. Those of high authority arrogantly flaunted their [Egos], wielding their 'powers' to decide on laws, rules, regulations, etc. We follow those laws because they appear to be made for the betterment of society but in truth, we have no choice but to follow those laws whether we agree with them or not. Those who see other humans in danger, losing things that are theirs 'unfairly', undergoing many 'injustices', experiencing similar situations, they [Empathize] with them, allowing their [Empathy], their [Emotions] to come to conclusions even when they may unaware of all the details that would be required to make an accurate decision. This is just the tip of the iceberg though.
The greatest factor, in my opinion, would be value. Humans are creatures with limited time, it is something all coherent thinking humans are aware of, and because of that most humans subconsciously label things with what I like to call, "The Value." Because each human views life differently this value is subjective, but it is important when making most decisions. This "Value" is a currency that can take any form, for example, when skydiving the "Value" may take the form of the exhilaration you feel from the fall, or it may take the form of the memories you may make from the experience. To put it simply, the "Value" is a universal subconscious that helps with decision making and when it is lost, decision making becomes a game of dominoes where the winner looks to be decided by skill but is actually decided by luck. I'm getting a bit off track here, but you can see the "system" I've introduced right? It should be cohesive enough for you to understand but be aware that it's most likely wrong, and that's alright because that just goes to show how truly flawed, we humans are.
This whole system I just introduced to you, "The Value", as I call it, it's nothing but a personal theoretical existence. We humans have a habit of coming up with theories that seem to make sense but are hard to prove and that's because we lack the ability to see the truth in its totality. Even the truths we are aware of are only known as truths by our own understanding. The human race is just a tiny speck of dust on the huge, ever-expanding countertop we call the universe and the truths we know are as small or even smaller than we are. The evidence to support these truths are of equal standing. To put it simply, we are beings existing in a state that cannot be understood, in a realm that cannot be proven and that's not to say that they should be understood or that they should be proven but that just goes to show how limited we are. In our own world views things may seem much simpler than they actually are but that's because the world we see that we believe is huge, is actually so much bigger than we know it to be that our limited senses refuse to acknowledge them, even when these senses are at their peak.
To be human is to hear, for soundwaves to be created and for our brains to analyze all that is flawed. To be human is smell, for our nose to interact with different scents and for our brain to analyze all that is flawed. To be human is to taste, for our taste receptors to facilitate taste and for our brains to analyze all that is flawed. To be human is to feel, for our skin to interact with the physical and for our brains to analyze all that is flawed. To be human is to see, to observe, to visualize and accept, all that is flawed. To be human is to believe, to have hope, in that which is flawed. To be human is to think, to think is to be flawed. To be human is to be unaware, to be limited, to be flawed.
To be human is to exist, to experience life and everything that comes and goes with it regardless of the countless unpredictable variables. To exist is to not be in a state of non-existence. To be in a state of non-existence is to be in a state of perfect balance where one cannot affect nor be affect, a state where one is neither perfect nor imperfect, a state where one simply cannot be flawed.
To be human is to exist.
To exist is to be flawed.
To be human, is to be flawed.