# Things that all humans know

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-all-humans-know/622992>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 24, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-all-humans-know/622992 "2012-05-24T19:18:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-all-humans-know/622992/81 "2012-05-26T16:28:54Z")

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Storytelling.

ETA: Which I now see has already been said.

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**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-all-humans-know/622992/82 "2012-05-26T22:24:20Z")

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> [@panache45](#):
>
> Not sure whether other animals know how to imagine the way we do. This goes back to what I said about story telling . . . communicating things that we know aren’t literally true (actually lying) . . . and passing these stories on to other people. Other animals may use some kind of language, but I think their communication is limited to factual matters. But humans? Even little kids know how to pretend . . . and lie.

there are several species that have been observed practicing deception. I can’t find a link (its from the BBC super smart animals) but they had one about birds who would bury food for later and the birds in the episode would act like they were burying food while another bird watched but then when the watcher left they would move the food to a new spot to prevent theft.  
one thing to keep in mind in this thread, is that the one thing that truly makes us stand out is the ability to pass on knowledge to our young, then improve that knowledge and pass That on. education even at the most primitive levels of human existence is still higher than anything we know of in the animal kingdom. Once you start sending dogs to college you will find out how smart we really are(n’t)

Check out the BBC show Super Smart Animals for some astounding animal tricks

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-all-humans-know/622992/83 "2012-05-27T11:51:26Z")

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> [@heathen\_earthling](#):
>
> For people saying the ability to start fires is universal human knowledge, does it count if you use a match or a lighter? The traditional way of starting fires without technology is a lost art to many people.

Not just the ability to start fire, the ability to use it and to store it; we probably figured how to store it way before figuring out how to start a fresh one. Yes, using a lighter counts.

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