How to Be Less Human

In “How to be Less Human,” author Jerri Blank teaches us how to live with a small conscience and lack of morals. It’s a story about a 46-year-old dropout who discovers that the world is not fair and her own small conscience makes her a poor teacher. And yet, her lessons are very real, because she’s surrounded by sleazy people who don’t share her morals.

We start thinking of ourselves as less human when we engage in unethical behavior, and this mindset can lead to a host of negative consequences. As a result, people are often more likely to behave unethically and become more isolated. The result is less empathy and a sense of belonging to the human race. But there’s a way to make ourselves feel more human. The first step is to recognize the difference between being a little more honest and being dishonest.

The second step is to understand what makes a person human. When we don’t feel pain, we don’t feel pleasure. We feel no joy or pain. We can’t identify with our emotions and don’t feel anything. As a result, we attribute less human qualities to ourselves. The more we dehumanize ourselves, the more cynicism we have and the more we are likely to engage in unethical behavior.