# The REAL thing that makes us Man **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 11, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135 "2005-09-11T20:14:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/1 "2005-09-11T20:14:41Z")
If you could think of one thing the Royal ‘we’ do that other members of the flora and fauna don’t, what do you think it’d be? Religion? Politics? Oil changes while you wait? IMHO, it’s gotta be cooking. What a weird, strange, counter-intuitive thing to do. And yet so much of our diet is fried, steamed, boiled, nuked, or broiled. Fried chicken Custard Potstickers (seamed and THEN fried) So, what ELSE do we do that the Dolphins and the Orangutan don’t? ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/2 "2005-09-11T20:17:04Z")
We tell stories. Okay, so we don’t _know_ if dolphins and orangutans tell each other stories (I’m guessing orangs don’t since they’re solitary) but I figure it’s a good guess. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/3 "2005-09-11T20:27:47Z")
The thing that separates us from animals is that we don’t use our tongues to clean our own genitals. – _Red Dwarf_ ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/4 "2005-09-11T20:29:27Z")
Laugh? Know we’re going to die? (And yes I think the two are related.) Have sex for pleasure? (well, yes, animals engage in sexual activitiy {like mounting each other} for reasons other than reproduction, and bonobos at least seem to do it for pleasure, but I believe we’re the only ones who have intercourse for pleasure.) Have sexual fetishes? Use abstractions? (To the point where it has to be pointed out that “This is not a hat”…nobody else would be fooled 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/5 "2005-09-11T20:46:48Z")
[ObSimpsonsRef] Weaseling out of things is what separates us from the animals… except the weasel. [/ObSimpsonsRef] > [@betenoir](#): > > Have sex for pleasure? (well, yes, animals engage in sexual activitiy {like mounting each other} for reasons other than reproduction, and bonobos at least seem to do it for pleasure, but I believe we’re the only ones who have intercourse for pleasure.) I’ve heard that before, but I think animals purely have sex for pleasure. I doubt many are consciously aware of it’s reproductive function. OTOH, I would say it should be the other way around and that we would be the only ones to have intercourse at times specifically for the purpose of reproduction. I would say one thing that separates us from the animals is the use of technology to adapt to our environment. Sure, chimps may use sticks to pull termites out of their nests, but you don’t see one making a coat and moving to northern Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/6 "2005-09-11T21:04:29Z")
Schadenfreude. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/7 "2005-09-11T21:35:10Z")
Along the tool lines: It’s not so much that humans are the only animals which use tools. Rather, I would say that humans are the only animal that _depends_ on tools. Take away the chimp’s termite stick, and he’ll still do just fine. Take away all of a human’s tools, though, and he’s screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/8 "2005-09-11T21:38:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Take away all of a human’s tools, though, and he’s screwed. Regular, phillips, torx, or Robertson? ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/9 "2005-09-11T21:50:17Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > The thing that separates us from animals is that we don’t use our tongues to clean our own genitals. > – _Red Dwarf_ Yes, but admit it, we would if we could. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/10 "2005-09-11T21:54:27Z")
> [@ryobserver](#): > > Yes, but admit it, we would if we could. “I’d never leave the house” goes the standup comic joke. ---
**Author:** ![gfloyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d2c977/32.png) [@gfloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gfloyd)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/11 "2005-09-12T01:04:11Z")
One notion I heard when I was younger is that we are the only ones that make tools to make tools. ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/12 "2005-09-12T01:28:12Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > IMHO, it’s gotta be cooking. What a weird, strange, counter-intuitive thing to do. And yet so much of our diet is fried, steamed, boiled, nuked, or broiled. > > Fried chicken > Custard > Potstickers (seamed and THEN fried) I’ll see your Potsticker and raise you one Bagel (Broiled, Boiled, Baked, then toasted) But what really differentiates us from animals is not tools, but machines. Starting with the wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/13 "2005-09-12T01:45:27Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > …bonobos at least seem to do it for pleasure, but I believe we’re the only ones who have intercourse for pleasure.) > [@blockbonobofoundation.org](#): > > bonobos share all kinds of sexual pleasures, including cunnilingus, fellatio, masturbation, massage, bisexuality, incest, body-licking, sex in different positions, group sex, and lots of long, deep, wet, soulful, French kissing. Granted this is just from the 1st site that popped up in a search engine, but it seems widely accepted that these apes are just plain horny. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/14 "2005-09-12T02:10:58Z")
\Our ability to accessorize.\ ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/15 "2005-09-12T03:20:50Z")
The ability to stand upright. From that, all else follows. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/16 "2005-09-12T03:30:50Z")
> [@Jet Jaguar](#): > > [I’ve heard that before, but I think animals purely have sex for pleasure. I doubt many are consciously aware of it’s reproductive function. OTOH, I would say it should be the other way around and that we would be the only ones to have intercourse at times specifically for the purpose of reproduction. Hmmm…good point. Or at least good distinction. Of course I meant we are the only animals to mate outside of a reproductive cycle. Which means, yes, while other animals ONLY do it because they’re horny (when they’re supposed to be horny) we do it for pleasure, for intentional reproduction, out of bordom, out of guilt, just to be nice, because it’s his birthday…and so on… ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/17 "2005-09-12T03:37:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Along the tool lines: It’s not so much that humans are the only animals which use tools. Rather, I would say that humans are the only animal that _depends_ on tools. Take away the chimp’s termite stick, and he’ll still do just fine. Take away all of a human’s tools, though, and he’s screwed. I have to question that characterization. Yeah, being soft and hairless and slow, we need tools. But take away our tools and we’re not screwed…we’ll make more tools. In fact I’m not sure we could stop ourselves 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/18 "2005-09-12T03:39:28Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > Granted this is just from the 1st site that popped up in a search engine, but it seems widely accepted that these apes are just plain horny. Gotta love those bonobos. Er…not literally of course… ---
**Author:** ![Typically\_Sunday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Typically\_Sunday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typically_Sunday)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/19 "2005-09-12T03:42:57Z")
Opposable thumbs. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135/20 "2005-09-12T04:19:23Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Schadenfreude. You obviously haven’t spent a lot of time at the monkey house. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-thing-that-makes-us-man/321135.md?page=2)