We are not special
We as in humanity.
An individual human is special. Every goddamn one of us. And the systematic and historic failure to recognise this is a crime. But that is beside the point of this particular piece.
Humanity is not special.
It is almost certain we are not alone in the universe. The laws of probability dictate we are not the ‘only’, nor the ‘first’, nor the ‘last’. Humanity is most likely one in a million. In the sense that we are one out of a million other species. Not special, in the sense that we are not alone, not unique in our spark of life.
Of course, there’s no proof either way yet. But chance suggests it is only a matter of time until we know we aren’t alone.
Some say that humanity is special. That humanity was created by an omnipotent power and that we are the top of a hierarchy. Alone in our sentience. From an — admittedly outsider — perspective, this appears a supreme exercise in arrogance.
Who are we to say that we are supreme in the mortal realm? Who are we to say that we were created in the image of something infinite supreme?
A human is everything. Every one different in a thousand tiny and not so tiny ways.
Humanity is nothing. Just another species. On just another planet in this vast universe that must be teeming with life.
Or perhaps not. Perhaps we truly are alone. In that case, the value of a single human life goes up thousandfold. Infinity plus one.
