“I am only a human.” A phrase we often use in everyday life. Think about all of those times you have used the phrase. With certainty, I can say that more often than not, you must have used this only when you made a mistake. Probably were unsuccessful at something, tried hard but lost, and grew teary at something many others thought as ‘trivial‘ – unworthy of too much attention. But do our mistakes, failures, and so-called “emotional glitches” define us and make us the humans we are? Then, I believe, it’s funny if we then attach taglines of superiority to the human race, especially when we disdainfully call other living species “animals” and refuse that name for ourselves. Biologically speaking, we are animals too. But we are too arrogant to accept such a title. Paradoxically, we often use the phrase, “I am a human. I make mistakes,” in contexts quite the opposite. Weirdly funny, isn’t it?
If our failures only make us human, then what about our successes? Those are reserved for the women and men who dominate the world. Much like the modern-day application of the medieval “Divine Kingship” belief. However, modern CEOs aren’t believed to have descended from the regal steps outside the doorway of heaven. They are the queens and kings of capitalism.
But again, if our successes only determine our individual humanity—the humanness of being human—then it becomes yet another “conditions applied” category. Our humanness cannot depend on the whimsical sways of conditionality. It should not, rather.
Pause. The answer lies in one of the previous statements—”the humanness of being human.” The word “being” captures it all. It encapsulates the mystery, the terror, the guilt, the helplessness, and the euphoria in being human. To be human is to be. Just be.
With this in mind, set sail down the ocean of wonder. Life appears more beautiful than ever. Not because I say so, but because it depends on the game of perspective. In the small lives we all have, especially when compared to the ever-stretchy timeline of the universe (I doubt if it has one or many or none at all), isn’t it better to live with the purposeful purpose of being human, which is to simply be? Not because the universe lends a purpose to us but because, evolutionarily, we have developed the capacity to think of a purpose, and live by one. It doesn’t matter if one is remembered by other humans (or another species) in the several aeons to come. But what actually matters is whether one makes their little life memorable for themselves.
Let’s change “I am only a human. I make mistakes.” to “Only I am a human. I am not only a human. I am a human in its entirety.”
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