12. Are Chimpanzees better than humans?

Are Chimpanzees better than humans?

Imagine this as you read. A hundred centuries ago, our ancestors were insignificant animals. The best ting about them was that they were not so important. Their impact was not more than that of an ant or a cat. But today, humans control the planet. How did this change happen? How did we turn ourselves from insignificant apes fighting over bananas, to controllers of the planet?

Let's look at differences between 'humans' and other animals at the individual level. Although I want to believe that I am better and superior, but the truth is that I am extremely similar to a chimpanzee at the individual level. We both struggle for survival. Worse yet, if left on an isolated island, I bet a chimpanzee would do better than me.

So the real difference between humans and others is rather on the collective front. Why do we have the upper hand? Because- 

• We cooperate flexibly

• We cooperate in large numbers

• A chimpanzee would say,  "Look there's a banana tree!"

• A human would say, "Look, there's a god in the heaven, if you don't do certain things, He will punish you after you die!"

• In politics, nations and states are abstract. It keeps changing- the ideas of colonial societies, expansions, territories, dictatorships etc., keep changing. It's a story that we narrate to show how political power means something good. 

• In Business, you make money- it is not an objective reality again. Can you define what amount of money makes you actually rich? You cannot eat or drink paper notes. But the story goes- "These paper notes are worth 10 bananas!" And because you, me and everyone else believes it, it actually works!

But this can never happen with chimpanzees. They do trade, but they do it the barter way. 1 coconut for 2 bananas. 

Insects like ants can work well in large numbers, but they're not flexible. If there's a sudden emergency, they can't change their social hierarchy and systems overnight. They can't overthrow their queen and establish a republican society of ants!!

Mammals like elephants and chimpanzees can cooperate flexibly, but can only do so in small numbers, because they operate on mutual trust and intimate knowledge of one another. 

But humans can do both! A game of 1 vs 1 or even 10 vs 10, chimpanzees would win. But a game of 10,000 humans vs 10,000 chimpanzees, humans will win easily!

Why?

Humans can very cooperate sophisticatedly. We have been able to go to the moon, build beautiful architecture because we can cooperate sophistically. But where is the problem?

Some of the worst things mankind has done has been a result of large-scale cooperation. Slaughterhouses, prisons, concentration camps- they’re also a system of cooperation. Chimpanzees don’t have all of this.

So, what is the actual difference between a human a chimpanzee? We have the power to create and believe fictional stories. But chimpanzee would only believe in objective reality. 

A chimpanzee would never get convinced by that story. Only humans can do so. 

The world of humans runs on fictional stories. 

We run the world because we live in a dual reality. There is objective reality of rivers, trees and mountains. On top of it is a fictional reality of nations, God and money. This layer has become so important today that the very survival of rivers, trees and mountains are dependent on these fictional entities, say The United States, The United Nations, etc. 

And this is what makes us powerful!