004 ☓ anon text

[envy_the_sinners]

[Scar's been lying low in Olivine ever since the hurricane, and he's starting to go a little stir-crazy. Being left bored with his thoughts can only end in one thing. Anon questions.]

In my time here, I have come to find that there are a great many "worlds" that are home to people who wouldn't be considered human, but experience the same depth of thought and range of emotion.

[Even he can make that conclusion, now.]

In that case, what is humanity? A measure of physical traits? A state of mind? Something into which one must be born?

Comments

[envy_the_sinners]

But is that not just the definition based on the concept that humans are the only people who experience that? The concept that we had determined to be flawed? What of a non-human who is capable of empathy?

[a_sin_for_him]

No, that's what I mean. It's empathy, not humanity, that matters.

The latter shouldn't be a synonym for the former for that very reason. We're in agreement.

[envy_the_sinners]

Then would you say that being human is a state that can be attained? Or is it something that one simply always is?

[a_sin_for_him]

Biological humanity is obviously something achievable to those born other. This place proves that.

The capacity for empathy...I don't know. I'm inclined to believe that's something one either has from the start or doesn't at all.

[envy_the_sinners]

This place is also capable of bringing life to the dead. I don't know if that makes it a bad point of comparison, or calls every universal rule into question.

There do seem to be those who are completely incapable of it.