A Marked Beast

What makes a human different from any other mammal?

Is it my skin? Or my fascination with expensive things? 

What makes me human? 

Is it how I wash my hair? Or care for my young? Is it how I enjoy fast food? Or talk to strangers on the Internet? Or dismiss the ones I live with? 

What makes a human human? Is it my mind and if so what distinguishes a human mind from any other kind of mind? Is it my ability to solve algebraic equations? Or memorize Shakespeare monologues? 

What makes humans different? Is it my ability to call others cutting names? Or my capability of killing with the intention of doing right? Is it my knowledge of history? Or my ability to distort it over time? 

How are humans characterized? By a language that is constantly becoming less intelligent? Or by my ability to recognize this fact and not care? Am I understood by my impulse to dance? Or my inhibitions that prevent me from acting on my impulse? 

Am I human because I can tell time? Or because I pretend that ability dictates the rest of my life? 

Am I  human because of my sophisticated trade system? Or by my ability to manipulate it? 

Am I made human by my ability to create art out of chaos? Or by my ability to see order but choose to ignore it in favor of chaos and call it art? 

Am I human because I obey the law? Or by my understanding of exactly how to disregard it? 

What causes humans to be human? My willingness to sacrifice my life for something I perceive as more valuable than it? Or by my ability to judge value at all? 

Am I human because I can weigh and measure? Or because I cry and laugh? 

Am I human because of my ability to predict the future? Or because of my conscious disregard of consequences?  

A.C.