We observed World Humanitarian Day yesterday, a day set aside by the United Nations to honor those who risk their lives to help others in crisis zones. It is meant to be a tribute to selfless acts of empathy and compassion—traits we proudly associate with being human. But as we laud these ideals, we must ask ourselves a much needed but painfully uncomfortable question: What truly makes us humanitarians? Is humanitarianism is just a hollow ideal?
Is it our supposed compassion, our claimed empathy, or the moral superiority we conveniently bestow upon ourselves over other species? Humanity has always prided itself on its unique capacity for kindness and generosity, but as the rising crime rates and cruelty deepens, it becomes evident that many humans behave far worse than the animals we deem inferior.
The beast within a man is far more dangerous than a beast itself.
This critique seeks to challenge the notion that humanitarianism is an exclusively human domain, exposing how some of the darkest aspects of human behavior are far removed from anything seen in the animal kingdom.
Table of Contents
Humanitarianism vs. Human Nature: A Flawed Narrative
The concept of humanitarianism—empathy, compassion, and aid for others—has long been regarded as something ‘uniquely human’. It is assumed that only humans possess the capacity to care for strangers, to risk their lives for the well-being of others, and to prioritize the common good.
But this narrative is riddled with contradictions.
While history has examples of extraordinary acts of kindness, it unfortunately also bears witness to unimaginable cruelty perpetrated by humans—cruelty that often defies this explanation.
Where do we find these contradictions? The answer is everywhere when we look around the world. While some dedicate their lives to humanitarian causes, others engage in acts of violence, exploitation, and depravity that make us question whether they belong to the same species.
Not going to far in history but the recents are shocking enough to send chills down your spine.
The horrific gang rapes in India, the genocides in Gaza, the mass shootings in the United States—these are not isolated incidents but symptoms of a deeper malaise within humanity.
They reveal the stark reality that some humans behave far worse than the “beasts” they claim superiority over.
The Rotten Core of Humanity: When Humans Outdo the Cruelty of Beasts
When we use the word “inhumane,” we imply that cruelty is something outside the realm of human behavior. Yet, as history and current events show, this cruelty is very much a part of who we are. Consider the following examples:
- The brutal gang rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata, India has shaken the world. The more you go into the details the more you question: How can such inhumanity exist among us?
- In the United States, mass shootings have become an almost weekly occurrence. The randomness of these acts, where innocent people are gunned down for no apparent reason, reflects a society where human life has lost its value.
- The ongoing genocide in Gaza, where thousands have been killed and millions displaced, is yet another reminder that humanity is capable of atrocities that rival the worst nightmares.
In these examples, humans have behaved far worse than any animal could.
Animals do not torture for pleasure, kill out of greed, or seek power at the expense of others.Animals don’t torture on petty issues as a religious indifference, or merely just to satisfy their ego.
Yet, we continue to label these acts as “inhuman,” conveniently distancing ourselves from our capacity for evil.
George Orwell once said, “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” Orwell’s words, written as a critique of totalitarian regimes, resonate today as a critique of our collective moral decay. The line between human and beast has blurred—not because animals have become more savage, but because humans have descended to new depths of cruelty. To depths one could never imagine.
Lessons from Nature
While humans continue to grapple with their darker impulses, the animal kingdom offers a stark contrast. Contrary to the long-held belief that only humans are capable of empathy, numerous studies and real-life examples have shown that animals, too, display compassion, altruism, and care.
Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, display behaviors strikingly similar to human empathy. When a member of their group is in pain, they offer comfort by grooming and embracing them. These acts of kindness suggest that the capacity for empathy is not limited to humans but is a trait shared across species.
In contrast, humans have created systems and societies that perpetuate inequality, violence, and exploitation.
As we build higher walls and sharper weapons, animals continue to live in harmony with their environment, showing us what true compassion looks like.
Why Do We Need a More Compassionate Society?
The rise in crime, cruelty, and moral decay among humans reveals the urgent need for a more compassionate society. But compassion cannot be selective; it must extend beyond our own species and include all sentient beings. We cannot claim to be humanitarian if we ignore the suffering of those who share our planet, whether they walk on two legs or four.
The world we have created is one where power and greed have always overshadowed kindness and empathy.
The famous Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky once wrote, “Man is a creature that can get accustomed to anything, and I think that is the best definition of him.” This adaptability, while often seen as a strength, also allows humans to normalize cruelty, to become desensitized to suffering, and to justify their worst instincts.
The Irony of Humanitarianism: When the ‘Superior’ Species Falls Short
There is a deep irony in how we view ourselves as the most evolved species while committing acts of savagery that animals would never dream of. Animals do not engage in senseless violence, exploit others for personal gain, or destroy their environment for profit. Yet, humans—armed with intelligence and reason—do all of these things in the name of progress, power, and profit.
In his book On Human Nature, biologist E.O. Wilson wrote, “The human species is, in a word, extraordinarily precocious, yet emotionally unbalanced.” Wilson’s critique of our species underscores the tragic flaw in our nature: Despite our intelligence, we lack the emotional maturity to handle it responsibly.
The term “humanitarian” itself is laden with irony. If humanitarianism is about empathy, compassion, and selflessness, then many animals could be considered more humanitarian than the humans who wage wars, commit atrocities, and exploit others. The lioness that adopts an orphaned cub, the dog that risks its life to save its owner, the elephant that refuses to leave a dying companion—these are acts of compassion that often surpass what we see among humans.
Toward a Broader Understanding of Humanitarianism
Humanity’s failure to live up to its own ideals is evident in the cruelty that permeates our world. But perhaps the solution lies not in clinging to our supposed superiority, but in learning from the natural world. If animals can exhibit empathy without expecting anything in return, why can’t we?
Until we do, the term “humanitarian” will remain nothing more than a hollow label, a title we give ourselves to mask the darkness within.
