Living in the animal kingdom

October 30, 2024

SEOUL – These days, intellectuals lament that humans behave as if they were living in the animal kingdom. It means that we have lost our humanity and act like animals. An animal’s primary concern is to eat and survive. In addition to searching or hunting for food, some animals flock together and others fight for dominance over territorial disputes.

Of course, animals also have some admirable traits, such as caring and sharing, but these behaviors tend to be limited to family or individuals within the same group. Animals hardly display compassion for outsiders. Instead, they exhibit anger, aggression and antagonism toward strangers or other species. Sadly, we humans take after animals these days. It is a shame because humans should be better than animals.

What, then, differentiates humans from animals? There is a myriad of traits that are distinctively human. The capacity to use language for communication, for example, or the faculties of common sense and rationality make us better than animals. So do decorum, decency and integrity. We can factor in humility, consideration and temperance, as well. A sense of shame, guilt and regret, too, can join the list. Regrettably, however, we are today living in an era when those admirable human virtues are disappearing, and instead, bestial behavior and belligerence are predominant in our society and around the globe.

Few people would deny that our politicians are primarily responsible for causing our civilized society to revert to the animal kingdom. Some politicians preach that “eating and surviving” is our society’s primary concern. It may be true if we are animals. Yet, humans should be different from animals. Instead of “eating and surviving,” therefore, political