Manimals
The key ingredient defining man as superior to animals is our intellect - our seeming ability to reason, to feel emotions, to feel convictions, and our ability to implement ideas into tangible manifestations. We are naturally skilled to create. It is only when our focus is reduced to the indulgence of primal instincts, such as the debauchery of sex, the gluttony of eating and drinking, hoarding our possessions, the violence of extending our territories, the betrayal of trust, or unaccountability for our actions, that we are reduced to the level of the beast. A level I have termed "manimal". To prevent this downward spiral, we must always exercise our mind, enlighten our spirit, and continue to pursue the creativity that so encompasses the higher order. We are not here to merely exist or make a living. We are here to generate highly evolved methods of perpetuating lifestyle, to enhance our relationships, and discover whatever mysteries remain to be unveiled...an actualization of human consciousness...perhaps leading us to better understand our Creator.
essay by Kasey Cole Braun