Trying to help humans better integrate into Galactic Civilization, several individuals, scholars, medics, psychologists, ect, get together and begin to travel to areas where there are lots of humans. Their goal is to write a new manual on human psychology, health - both mental and physical, how to interact with humans, to debunk misconceptions about humans, etc. Amongst the team are, in fact, several humans to help. Their job is to help the Galactics separate fact from assumption and write a comprehensive manual that will increase understanding and better help those who still had trouble working with this seemingly insane race. Including possibly busting the longest running misconception of all, assuming humans were actually insane. -- DaniAndShali
Of the committee to create the new and improved Manual of Understanding Humans, it was the Humans who were most adamant about rolling back the 'insanity' classification. There was little surprise in that, since being told your entire species is bonkers is definite grounds for annoyance.
Every Human present seemed to be taking it personally, though. "We confess to being Deathworlders," admitted Human Sal. "However, the definition of 'insane'... Insanity is not endemic to the entire species. Many of us, most of us, are perfectly capable of navigating Galactic Society like any other functioning member of that society. We're just like everyone else."
"No other species has a Silly Season," said the Melil Yssa. "No other species has a long and checkered history of chasing material profit in exchange for endangering the potential for life in their own environment. No other species has such a history of enforcing theocratic standards based on very small standards of one holy text. These standards, I might add, fly in the face of other standards, such as that to preserve life."
"Er," said Sal. "Which ones are you thinking of?"
"The fact that you have more than one example of this particular travesty is more than enough to keep the classification in our book."
"Your book is wrong! There's plenty of logical, sane reasons why people would choose those laws!"
"One example: The decision to weigh unborn life more important than the gestating parent. In numerous occasions, the claim to be preserving life has resulted in the death of the gestating parent, and therefore the nonviable foetus. Another case: The decision to weigh animal life to be more important than intelligent life. In creating massive monocultures of vegetable crops for the few who decide to eschew meat, the lives of thousands of fellow Humans are driven to poverty, malnutrition, and the inability to afford their traditional staple due to its status as a 'superfood'. Further, some such crops actually eliminate some endangered animal life in the process of creating said monoculture."
"Don't get us started on the bees," buzzed the Chitanean, Zzrrtzzk. "Your kind created symbiosis with an insect species and then ignored what your chemical compounds did to sicken them... for decades on end."
"It wasn't all of us," protested the Human Kae. "In fact, many were protesting such things at the time."
"Speaking of monocultures," said the Gyiik known as Pim. "I am looking specifically at the Irish potato famine. Humans raised one breed of potatoes that then became vulnerable to a specific spore infestation. Humanity solved this by... using a different monoculture. Then there is the case of the Gros Michel banana. It, too, was grown in mass monoculture and driven to extinction by a different fungal infestation. The solution, again, was to switch to another monoculture." Pim levelled a glare at the Humans. "I'm sure you're all familiar with what happened to Iowa Corn."
Human Dane felt compelled to defend anyway, "Growing several different varieties at once is difficult," they complained. "The growing times, the harvesting apparatus, the watering and fertilisation schedules, the pest control--"
"Are all easily managed with co-operative planting in smaller fields, and biomass management. We managed to automate that," said Pim. "You did not until we helped you... and even then, there were protests. Violating your tradition was the lead complaint, as I recall."
The Humans decided to stop before they brought up 'red' cabbage or ice skating again.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / hsagencia]
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