Manipulation

I think the best thing that could happen to us as a species is to get a natural predator. Survival would become an issue again, eliminating much of mankind's petty behaviour. Especially in the Western world we are so confident in our superiority that we feel nigh invincible. Without a natural predator, the only ones we can fight is each other. And we have to do it - we have to fight. In that we are not any different from any other creature.


But do you know what does set us apart? It is our ability to willingly manipulate other creatures - especially our own kind - and our fondness for it. Note that this does not make us any better than other creatures; indeed, it makes us worse. Often it is not survival that drives us to manipulate - it is greed.