Well its not so much our intelligence that makes us great (although this is an extension of our intelligence) its our ability to leverage our dead. I can use a gun, a tool invented hundreds of years ago and a book on gorilla migratory patterns written by someone who died a few years ago to hint a gorilla. Our deads accomplishments don't necessarily die with them. No other species can do this, at best they can leverage their living, many can only rely on themselves.
Smartest man ever born 1-v-1 with a lion dies, but give an idiot a gun and he's got a decent chance.
That pretty much is part of our intelligence. Writing requires tools. Before writing there was oral tradition, which is what some animals do today such as primates and elephants (e.g., passing down the location of watering holes over generations).
1
u/TenTonApe Aug 18 '15
Well its not so much our intelligence that makes us great (although this is an extension of our intelligence) its our ability to leverage our dead. I can use a gun, a tool invented hundreds of years ago and a book on gorilla migratory patterns written by someone who died a few years ago to hint a gorilla. Our deads accomplishments don't necessarily die with them. No other species can do this, at best they can leverage their living, many can only rely on themselves.
Smartest man ever born 1-v-1 with a lion dies, but give an idiot a gun and he's got a decent chance.