The human species is surely impressed with itself. Even the name they chose to classify themselves—Homo sapiens (Latin for “wise man”)—suggests it. Undoubtedly, there must have been some thought involved in the process of mushrooming from a simple tree-dwelling leaf eater in one small corner of the planet, to becoming the scariest big game hunter to rule the Earth.
UGH
(Carrying a torch)
“I’ll use this fire stick to chase that group of peacefully grazing, gregarious gazelles toward that cliff over there, and you guys try to spear as many as you can”
THAG
(Carrying a spear)
“Good thinking, Ugh.”
Scenes like this played themselves out over and over as the species spread out and burgeoned to 7.2 billion. Now the technology of the killingest of creatures has advanced to the point that a single hunter, dressed in camouflage and drenched in another animal’s urine to con his victim as much as possible, can bring down the mightiest moose or tallest giraffe with the slightest squeeze of a trigger.
And still the species grows exponentially and continues to claim every last habitat.
It was impressive when man built the first rocket and took a walk on the moon. However, the rockets they build to blow their enemies sky-high (while irradiating the land and sea) more clearly typify the species’ overall achievements to date. But lately it seems that nuclear annihilation won’t get to see its day; anthropogenic climate change and a man-made extinction spasm are now higher on the agenda.
Perhaps the human, the only creature capable of destroying the Earth, should have been named Homo horribilus mactabilis (Latin for “horrible, dreadful, fearful; deadly, lethal man”).
What would really be impressive is if people were to drop their steak knives (and other weapons of mass destruction) en masse and make peace with this amazing planet and all of its inhabitants. The potential is there, but do they still have the will to learn?
Exposing the Big Game 
Humans created God in their image and elevated themselves to highest levels (center of the universe created for us and us in dominion over all), in their estimates. The human race blossomed with the mushrooming of agriculture which freed us up for specialization. We f—– like rabbits, and infested the Earth. We are a disease of the planet not stewards of the land. We are no more special than other predators and herbivores, only estimate ourselves to be so. We are as ugly and scary as any alien imagined in movies we create about invaders coming here to rape and pillage the planet. Our superstitions (organized religions) are as crazy as they ever were. We have always been a destructive species and now way too many of a destructive species, still f—– like rabbits.
Amen, Roger! Yes, human arrogance is overwhelming, repulsive, and undeserved. We may have evolved physically, but we are morally back in the slime. Religion, which should be a force for good, is used to justify the worst of evils–destruction of the innocent creatures we share this earth with, as well as the earth itself. Maybe should evolve ourselves off the planet and let the process start over again, hoping for something better.
If any other species were naming us, I believe they would, indeed, call us Homo horribilus for our monstrous ways.