Who are you?

You ask me who I am?

I'm someone not that different from you. Really. Given that chimpanzees share about 99% of their genetic makeup with us humans. So even when conventional thinking is applied, any two humans are closer than they might imagine.

You and I, for instance.

Did you ever ask yourself exactly who you are? Yes? There you go, then! That's another thing we have in common.

Think of me as you, as if you'd been born into this body or stepped into this pair of shoes. Who's to say you wouldn't act and feel exactly as I do? In fact, that is the premise that underlies this entire blog.

1.23%

Spotted in a fairly recent Time magazine a letter to the editor in response to an article that had informed readers that the amount of genetic material not shared by humans and chimpanzees is only 1.23 per cent.

"Ah yes," said the letter's writer, "but humans are different in that they have that divine spark."

This got me thinking. If that is so then when, historically speaking, did we become thus blessed? When in time did that spark arrive, and in response to what? Was it millions of years ago, when our 'quality of DNA' reached some crucial threshold? And so, was it that we had no souls before that date, but we did afterwards?

And so as a race (or species) was a magic wand waved at that particular moment? Was intelligence conferred all at once? Did it happen as it was depicted in 2001: A Space Odyssey, or did hominids pass through some transition stage during which time some of our ancestors were human, and the others mere beasts.

Perchance we're going through it now - in this 'Age of Aquarius'. You tell me. You're going to tell me that the cleverest (most clever?) ape alive isn't more aware than the dumbest person in existence? (And yes, I know that the chimpanzee is actually a monkey.)

Balderdash!

Life is life. To say that there is one quality of living for us, and another for the rest of the animal - and hey why not plant kingdom also? - is species-ist. Say 'specist'. Think 'racist'. Small-mindedness in other words.

Life expresses itself to whatever degree it can in whichever individual.

Starting with me, as far as I can tell.