The Intro to Uniquely Human
[Loie Greenwood, 2024]
As a researcher and photographer, I share a common pursuit with journalists: uncovering the interesting, weird, insightful, powerful, and unique stories of humanity, sometimes through interviews and other times through the lens.
Each story reminds me just how much courage it takes to be human, day in and day out. Yet, today, this courage is often underappreciated.
In business, we often focus on efficiency over innovation, prioritizing standardization and short-term gains over bold, creative ideas that drive long-term progress. Many organizations resist change, clinging to traditional methods and mindsets rather than embracing the transformative changes that require courage.
Socially, courage isn’t rewarded; it’s often ridiculed and reduced to memes. Don’t dare to jump on the dance floor or spill your heart out to your crush, because moments are now captured and shared instantly, and the fear of public failure looms large. We’ve traded bravery and authenticity for fleeting sources of entertainment.
Culturally, we face a new challenge: the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. In a time where trustworthy guidance is scarce, especially on a topic as intricate as AI, many of us feel uncertain and fearful about the future. Rather than proudly owning what makes us unique and irreplaceable, we've chosen to sit back and hope that AI doesn’t 'do human' better than us.
We’re the one unique species that doesn’t seem to know how to be human, even though that’s the only species we are. Isn’t it odd that humans go to therapy to understand what it means to be human? How to do human well. As Erwin Raphael McManus said, “I just don’t think there are killer whales going ‘I don’t know, I don’t know if I got this right.’ There’s no zebra out there going, ‘What am I? What does this mean?’”
We’re facing a crisis of confidence. It’s crucial to collectively consider what makes us uniquely human. Historically, traits such as imagination, love, future-building, emotional depth, and cognitive evolution have defined the human experience. What do you think?
This newsletter aims to be more than just a journal. Expect frequent guest contributors sharing their insights through both words and imagery, offering diverse perspectives and thoughtful opinions on what uniquely defines the human experience.
Uniquely Human will offer an unfiltered take on what makes humanity unique - with a mix of longform essays, cultural commentary, photography, links, and observations. The perspective is both historical and up-to-date. Guest contributors will be featured frequently.
Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox, along with a link to the artistic exploration of this topic at @uniquelyxhuman on Instagram.