# Humans that wrongfully think that the world was was created for them **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 2012, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764 "2012-10-15T11:21:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Standarduser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@Standarduser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standarduser)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/1 "2012-10-15T11:21:57Z")
Ive read somewhere about some kind a of psychological thing that makes humans “humanise” and rationalize everything. If people look at clouds or rocks or everything they will tend to make out a face in them. And ive read that since the world fits the humans so greatly(they have rivers to drink from, they have animals to hunt and have caves to live in), that it MUST have been created for them, and then religion follows and etc. Maybe Apophenia? I dont know. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/2 "2012-10-15T11:32:06Z")
Your anthropic principle is a little simplistic. “The World” is not just the environment of the temperate zones of Earth; when boosters of the Strong Anthropic Principle get going they will demonstrate that the strength of the electromagnetic force is exactly what it needs to be to allow the chemical reactions that life requires. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/3 "2012-10-15T11:46:16Z")
Some call it [puddle thinking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine-tuned_Universe#In_popular_culture), per Douglas Adams. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/4 "2012-10-15T13:31:53Z")
You’ve got a little bit of anthropomorphizing mixed in with your Anthropic Principle. What’s the debate? ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/5 "2012-10-15T14:35:39Z")
I don’t think the world was created for humans in general. It appears to have been created for me, personally. I am currently busy using it up. I have a lot of competition from bacteria, though. Is your debate around whether or not my thinking is correct? ---
**Author:** ![solosam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/6 "2012-10-15T14:48:44Z")
If we lived on a small, high-gravity, methane-rich planet with nothing but boiling liquid, we’d be extremeophile little bacteria thinking, “Wow! This planet was created specifically to suit my needs! Thank you, intelligent designer!” ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/7 "2012-10-15T15:08:43Z")
Bacteria don’t think. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/8 "2012-10-15T15:40:17Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Bacteria don’t think. How do you know? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/9 "2012-10-15T15:52:28Z")
It’s just circular reasoning. The world was made for humans because humans are a product of the way the world is. Of course it was also made for squirrels and pine cones, so it doesn’t mean much. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/10 "2012-10-15T16:12:11Z")
And if by “world” you mean universe, then one is postulating a creator that either expects us to colonize extremely hostile environments of an absolutely staggering mind-blowing number, or one that liked to _really_ waste space. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/11 "2012-10-15T16:16:18Z")
Backwards thinking. Humans evolved to fit the world. Therefore Humans were made for the World, not the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/12 "2012-10-15T16:24:39Z")
ISTM that the true end-users in ths setup are the housecats ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/13 "2012-10-17T13:26:16Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Bacteria don’t think. [This guy](http://www.amazon.com/The-Genius-Within-Discovering-Intelligence/dp/0151005516) explicitly disagrees with you. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/14 "2012-10-17T13:44:07Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Backwards thinking. Humans evolved to fit the world. Therefore Humans were made for the World, not the other way around. The Intelligent Design Creationist Michael Denton thinks that the water molecule was designed by God to have a high latent heat of evaporation so that a certain species of hairless ape could find a niche chasing down prey in Africa and not overheat. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-that-wrongfully-think-that-the-world-was-was-created-for-them/637764/15 "2012-10-17T14:01:39Z")
Trying to find order the the chaos has been a basic philosophical pursuit of humanity including finding the world as created for man. Imposing rules, orders to seemingly help define this perceived order has been the basis of some religious and non-religious institutions, so it is not limited to religion.