Are We [Humans] Really That Special?

A thoughtful piece from Lisa Towell:

“Humans are the only animals capable of ________.” I’ve seen countless variations on this statement in magazines, in books, and on television. Fill in the blank with anything you like: language, using tools, love, planning for the future, empathy, self-awareness, humor.

These generalizations are often wrong. Sure, it’s pretty hard to argue with “Humans are the only animals who produce reality television shows.” But let’s take a look at the often-made statement that the ability to use language is unique to humans.

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