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To: Joe Brower
Man is the animal who can forsee his own demise.

Yes, and the only one that worries about it. It is one of the "blessings" of the rational nature.

One of the hallmarks of human rational nature are the unique emotional expressions which are mostly involuntary. "Man is the only creature that blushes, or needs to," Mark Twain said. Man is also the only creature that smiles, frowns, laughs, and weeps. He is also the only creature that worries, hopes, hates, or experiences nostalgia, guilt, (its cousin, regret), and pride.

While the animals do seem to exhibit bahavior indicating some emotional reactions we share, like fear, enthusiasm, and joy, all other emotional experiences are uniquely possible to man because he has a rational nature. The animals do not worry or hope, because they are unable to conceive of the future. They do not experience nostalgia or regret, because they connot conceive of the past. They do not experience guilt, shame or pride because they have no concept of values. The irrational creatures neither laugh or weep because concepts of humor and pathos are impossible to them.

No man has ever prevented his death by thinking about it, although some might have caused them that way.

Hank

45 posted on 09/26/2003 6:40:42 AM PDT by Hank Kerchief
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To: Hank Kerchief
Correct. All of these things are a result of man being unique in the animal kingdom in having the capability to be objective as well as subjective. Not that this facility gets employed anywhere as much as would be useful... !
46 posted on 09/26/2003 7:09:17 AM PDT by Joe Brower ("What is a left-wing socialist but a Marxist without a gun?" -- Don Feder)
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