essay summary

                What does it mean to be human? Many people have different ideas on what being human mean.  The Webster dictionary states the definition of human is characteristic of, or having the qualities typical of mankind. Many people have said that being human means that you have “usable thumbs”.  In this essay I will describe my personal feelings of what being a human really means.  I will include the characteristics of human as a soul, conscious, and having the ability to work through problems.

            To be human you must have a soul that will control where you will go after you die which many believe will either be heaven or hell.  Having a soul allows you to talk to and love the Almighty God and have the ability to be forgiving of others for the wrong they have done to you, your friends, or family. A soul is kind of like a key to a second life in a scientific thought. The bible says that only humans have a soul and I trust my life on the bible and find it worthy to fight for.

            All humans have their own voice that guides them to make good decisions, this is called a conscious.  We are all guided toward the good choices in life by our own personal conscious, or as some refer to it as a conviction.  To be human is to have a conscious that shows you the difference between right and wrong. Some people describe it as a little voice in your head that talks to you throughout your whole life and can lead you in the right direction. Humans are the only mammal with a true conscience, although other animals have the ability to work through problems in their head.  Elephants are one of, if not, the smartest animals in the world and can work through tough problems that sometimes humans can’t even work through.  Yet, even elephants do not have a soul or the ability to truly know right from wrong.

            Humans also have the ability to work through problems by finding solutions or setting goals.  Humans often rely on other humans to work through problems.   Granted, objects such as computers are getting pretty close to having some human characteristics and yet, I wonder if these objects could become detrimental to the fall of mankind. Humans are unique individuals but have come to rely on mechanical objects, without a soul or conscious of right or wrong, to help them work through life situations.   I’m not saying that if an object has one or more characteristics that I have listed above that the object would be a human.  I believe that something has to have all of these characteristics to be considered a human.

            To be a human is to have the ability to trust in God, also referred to by many as a higher power.  To be human is to truly be able to love, forgive and to tell right from wrong.  Finally, to be human is to have the ability to successfully and honestly work through life’s problems.