What is Humanity?

[mojo]

I would like to know.

[rafe]

1,the quality or condition of being human;peculiar nature of distinguishing man from other beings

[Madison]

Oh the humanity.....

[loogie]

Humanity is never forgetting that you're not entirely responsible for your own prosperity.

[mojo]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I enjoyed and appreciated every one of them.

Humanity is never forgetting that you're not entirely responsible for your own prosperity.

Loogie, this is profound. Definitely something to ponder.

Regards,

Al

[billcreller]

 Does that have anything to do with the volunteer programs,like Habitat for Humanity, the folks who build houses for poor people to trash?
At least that's how it sometimes works around here.

[jjasilli]

The question is a tad amibiguous.  From Wikipedia, Humanity may refer to:

The human species
The total world population
Human nature, psychological characteristics that all normal humans have in common
Compassion, altruism, or similar positive aspects of human nature along with aggression, fear, or similar negative aspects
The human condition, the totality of experience of existing as a human
The humanities, academic disciplines which study the human condition using analytic, critical, or speculative methods
The Kingdom of Humanity, a micronation.
Humanity as one of the six core virtues in the Character Strengths and Virtues handbook.

. . .or as ampcabinets adds, Hugh Manatee   

I suspect that mojo is referring to human nature in general, or maybe compassion, but it's not clear.  Ain't English wonderful!?

[Frankenamp]

I will venture to say that 'humanity' (in new-math-speak) is the superset of all things that make us human. Humanity encompasses not only the virtues, all things laudable; but also the vices- the little petty hateful spiteful things that drive us nuts. Kinda like love in some ways- take your significant other ferinstance, all those things that you thought were so neat and wonderful madeja wanna spend the rest of your life... fer bettah- fer worse... & combine them with all the other "little things" that send you up a wall. Years earlier, I would have answered this a lot different- full of love for me fellow person, 'good will to all & malice to none..." and all that schmeckle. Now I see it more as a yin/yang kinda thang. I used to be a lot more compassionate, turning a blind eye to the 'dark side' of people in spite of all evidence to the contrary look for extenuating circumstances when none exist. Having seen how the sinister is as common as the just, I'm not nearly as trusting, nor as gullable. Don't get me wrong- I'd dearly love to live in a world where things were idyllic and utopian. But like Heinlien & Reagan, I've lernt to "trust, but verify."

my .02p

Addendum-  Old Rooskie joke:
   A son is having a serious discussion with his father about married life on the eve of his wedding (or very shortly thereafter) about what is a Honeymoon. The old man addressed it in rather earthy and provincial terms "being married is like a fifty-five gallon barrel of gavno (shit). with the thinnest possible layer of honey on top... It's so good- it helps you endure the rest of what's coming.
Son says " Oh, My. I think I opened the wrong end."

[tubesornothing]

Oh lordy, why do I waste my time on these things.  I should be playing guitar rather than typing this.  In fact, that's where I am going to go right now.

[Platefire]

Then God Said, Let us make a man in our own image! Genesis 1:26