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cobaltdrgnThe English language uses the root word "human" (and its derivatives, such as "humane", "humanity", etc.) in many confusing, vague, and sometimes unfair ways. Here's a short list of reasons you might want to learn how to use it less.
And here's how we do it, with a breakdown of when and why you may want to use (or avoid) each individual word!
Why it's overused: "Human" is often used as a stand-in adjective for just about any quality that humans possess, good or bad. We use "human" in many idioms that can confuse ESL speakers, as they may not know what quality we are referring to: does "we're all human" mean "we're all deserving of kindness", "we're all flawed", or "we're all equals"? It's especially confusing in sci-fi and fantasy writing where not all characters are human, yet "human" is used to describe their qualities anyway. It also gives the impression that humans are the default, and that any nonhuman, no matter how complex their culture or civilisation may be, can only be described by comparing them to humans.
Words to use instead (noun): person, being, living being, feeling being, entity, lifeform, creature, critter (informal)
N.B. Some therians dislike being lumped under the word "person". I personally (hah!) believe that "personhood" is a quality that can be attributed to all living things, and that it's important to talk about nonhuman persons, but your audience may differ. Always consider your audience when writing!
Words to use instead (adjective): This can vary a lot depending on what you mean by "human" (because it's such an imprecise word), but some examples are below.
Why it's overused: To say that compassionate acts are "humane" carries with it the idea that compassion is a uniquely human thing. This ignores the many examples of compassion and mercy in the animal kingdom, from the lifesaving acts of service dogs to the mourning of elephants. Additionally, saying that we should do something "humanely" is a poor substitute for explaining, exactly, what we could be doing better. This is a particular problem in activist writing, where it's important to be precise about what we want to achieve.
Words to use instead: compassionate, kind, merciful, ethical, fair, just, cruelty-free, less cruel.
Or better, explain what you actually mean:
Why it's overused: We usually use "humanity" when we want to imply that human community, or human activity, is unique and special in some way. In practice, almost all of the things we consider to be essential to "humanity", such as morals, values, language, etc., are found in other beings on Earth. And when we say that a problem is a threat to "humanity", we're usually ignoring the fact that it affects other living beings on this planet, too.
"Humanity" is often used to refer to some supposed "essence" or "nature" that humans have that makes them kind, thoughtful, or simply "different". This is used especially in fiction where a person is thought to be "at risk of losing their humanity", e.g. by turning into a werewolf or getting cybernetic implants. It's worth examining whether this mysterious "humanity" actually exists, or is just a cliché.
Words to use instead: people, beings, living beings, life, all life, life on Earth; the population, civilisation; kindness, compassion, decency, fairness, equality, morality, ethics, mercy, charity, sensitivity, thoughtfulness; personhood, personality, essential nature, essential dignity, feelings, emotions.
Why it's overused: We almost never need to use this word! Reporters tend to stick "humanitarian" into any piece of news involving a disaster or injustice, usually in the form "a humanitarian crisis". Simply say it's a disaster or injustice instead. If you want to emphasise the need for people to respond to the crisis, you could call it a crisis of conscience or a crisis for civilisation.
Why they're overused: These words are a form of "no true Scotsman" argument. They suggest that "human" actions are inherently good, kind, and just, and that if a human commits cruel actions, they lose their "humanity" and become more like "the beasts". This completely contradicts the fact that most of the acts that we consider "inhuman", such as war and torture, are only carried out by humans (as far as we know), and as such are very human indeed!
Words like "beastly" and "bestial" also reinforce this division. Notice how many words that mean "bad and cruel" can also mean "animal" or "animal-like"! No wonder many people think that "animals" (which of course disincludes humans, even though humans are animals) are automatically low, degraded, dirty and disgusting. As such, many people still think it's okay to keep nonhuman animals in low, degraded, dirty and disgusting conditions.
Also avoid terms like "savage" and "barbaric", which are used to slur human communities that don't follow the white Western model of industrial development.
Words to use instead: cruel, injust, vicious, violent, horrific, shocking, unconscionable, indefensible, amoral, unprincipled.
Despite how negative this guide may sound, there are situations where the words "human" and "humanity" really are the right words to use. Most metaphors involving humans are inaccurate, but sometimes you need to refer, specifically and literally, to the human species or a human individual. For example:
In conclusion, I hope this little guide has encouraged you to reflect on how humancentrism is ingrained in our language (and other languages), and why it's good to challenge it! Happy writing!
- To clarify your speech and writing by saying exactly what you mean, making it more accessible.
- To avoid the humancentrism that pervades our language, and conditions us to automatically think of nonhumans as "lesser" beings. This leads to countless nonhuman rights abuses.
- To validate and include therians, otherkin and others (such as me!) who, for spiritual, neurodivergent or other personal reasons, don't feel human. These people often feel invisible, so by being careful with your language you could really make someone's day!
- To add realism to fiction that involves nonhumans.
And here's how we do it, with a breakdown of when and why you may want to use (or avoid) each individual word!
Human
Why it's overused: "Human" is often used as a stand-in adjective for just about any quality that humans possess, good or bad. We use "human" in many idioms that can confuse ESL speakers, as they may not know what quality we are referring to: does "we're all human" mean "we're all deserving of kindness", "we're all flawed", or "we're all equals"? It's especially confusing in sci-fi and fantasy writing where not all characters are human, yet "human" is used to describe their qualities anyway. It also gives the impression that humans are the default, and that any nonhuman, no matter how complex their culture or civilisation may be, can only be described by comparing them to humans.
Words to use instead (noun): person, being, living being, feeling being, entity, lifeform, creature, critter (informal)
N.B. Some therians dislike being lumped under the word "person". I personally (hah!) believe that "personhood" is a quality that can be attributed to all living things, and that it's important to talk about nonhuman persons, but your audience may differ. Always consider your audience when writing!
Words to use instead (adjective): This can vary a lot depending on what you mean by "human" (because it's such an imprecise word), but some examples are below.
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| We are all human beings. | We are all feeling beings. |
| We are all equals. |
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| We're only human. | Nobody is perfect. |
| Everyone makes mistakes. |
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| It's human to make mistakes. | It's part of life to make mistakes. |
| It's natural to make mistakes. |
Humane
Why it's overused: To say that compassionate acts are "humane" carries with it the idea that compassion is a uniquely human thing. This ignores the many examples of compassion and mercy in the animal kingdom, from the lifesaving acts of service dogs to the mourning of elephants. Additionally, saying that we should do something "humanely" is a poor substitute for explaining, exactly, what we could be doing better. This is a particular problem in activist writing, where it's important to be precise about what we want to achieve.
Words to use instead: compassionate, kind, merciful, ethical, fair, just, cruelty-free, less cruel.
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| We should treat prisoners humanely. | We should treat prisoners compassionately. |
Or better, explain what you actually mean:
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| Prisoners should be treated humanely. | Prisoners should have the same rights as non-prisoners. |
| Prisoners should have access to good nutrition, good sanitation, exercise and recreation. | |
| Prisoners should not be kept in unsanitary conditions. |
Humanity
Why it's overused: We usually use "humanity" when we want to imply that human community, or human activity, is unique and special in some way. In practice, almost all of the things we consider to be essential to "humanity", such as morals, values, language, etc., are found in other beings on Earth. And when we say that a problem is a threat to "humanity", we're usually ignoring the fact that it affects other living beings on this planet, too.
"Humanity" is often used to refer to some supposed "essence" or "nature" that humans have that makes them kind, thoughtful, or simply "different". This is used especially in fiction where a person is thought to be "at risk of losing their humanity", e.g. by turning into a werewolf or getting cybernetic implants. It's worth examining whether this mysterious "humanity" actually exists, or is just a cliché.
Words to use instead: people, beings, living beings, life, all life, life on Earth; the population, civilisation; kindness, compassion, decency, fairness, equality, morality, ethics, mercy, charity, sensitivity, thoughtfulness; personhood, personality, essential nature, essential dignity, feelings, emotions.
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| Climate change is one of the biggest threats to humanity. | Climate change is one of the biggest threats to life on Earth. |
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| They are known for the humanity with which they treat others. | They are known for the decency with which they treat others. |
| They are known for the fairness with which they treat others. |
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| She was at risk of losing her humanity. | She was at risk of personality change. (Explain what the changes are and why they are negative. Also, it's worth questioning why you're writing a story about "bad" "animal instincts" vs. "good" "human drives" in the first place.) |
| She was at risk of losing her compassionate nature. (Ask yourself if a werewolf, cyborg or other fantasy creature has to be less compassionate by default!) |
Humanitarian
Why it's overused: We almost never need to use this word! Reporters tend to stick "humanitarian" into any piece of news involving a disaster or injustice, usually in the form "a humanitarian crisis". Simply say it's a disaster or injustice instead. If you want to emphasise the need for people to respond to the crisis, you could call it a crisis of conscience or a crisis for civilisation.
Inhuman/Inhumane
Why they're overused: These words are a form of "no true Scotsman" argument. They suggest that "human" actions are inherently good, kind, and just, and that if a human commits cruel actions, they lose their "humanity" and become more like "the beasts". This completely contradicts the fact that most of the acts that we consider "inhuman", such as war and torture, are only carried out by humans (as far as we know), and as such are very human indeed!
Words like "beastly" and "bestial" also reinforce this division. Notice how many words that mean "bad and cruel" can also mean "animal" or "animal-like"! No wonder many people think that "animals" (which of course disincludes humans, even though humans are animals) are automatically low, degraded, dirty and disgusting. As such, many people still think it's okay to keep nonhuman animals in low, degraded, dirty and disgusting conditions.
Also avoid terms like "savage" and "barbaric", which are used to slur human communities that don't follow the white Western model of industrial development.
Words to use instead: cruel, injust, vicious, violent, horrific, shocking, unconscionable, indefensible, amoral, unprincipled.
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| The way migrants are treated at the border is inhumane. | The way migrants are treated at the border is unconscionable. |
| Instead of... | You can say... |
|---|---|
| The murderer committed an inhuman act. | The murderer committed a horrific act. |
| Or, if you really want to shake up people's norms: | The murderer committed an all-too-human act. |
So when should I use "human"?
Despite how negative this guide may sound, there are situations where the words "human" and "humanity" really are the right words to use. Most metaphors involving humans are inaccurate, but sometimes you need to refer, specifically and literally, to the human species or a human individual. For example:
- Zoonotic diseases are those that have passed from nonhumans to humans.
- The cave paintings of Maltravieso predate the arrival of modern humans, and are believed to have been made by Neanderthals.
- There are approximately 206 bones in the human body.
- In the play A Midsummer Night's Dream, the human Bottom is cursed by Puck, a fairy, to have the head of an ass.
- Otherkin are people who identify, in whole or in part, as other than human.
In conclusion, I hope this little guide has encouraged you to reflect on how humancentrism is ingrained in our language (and other languages), and why it's good to challenge it! Happy writing!
