[Text]

[monge]

[It's a very simple text, but a text nonetheless. Looks like someone's been thinking more than they usually do.]

what makes someone a person?

[You have no idea how much self control it takes not to write "zura" at the end of his texts.]

Comments

[4thdimensional]

[Doc has to think about this for a bit. He comes up with a few potential explanations, but none of them seem to neatly divide his imPort friends from common pets.]

Why do you ask, Komasan?

[monge]

[The text takes awhile to send, mostly because Komasan's just slow at texting.

But also because he wants to make this look as intelligent as possible. Apparently some people think he's dumb.]

I thought I knew what it meant
But people have been telling me different things
I decided to look it up in the giant word book

[He means a dictionary...]

It said a "human being"

text

[bindsthedead]

Isn't having thoughts and feelings enough?

text

[monge]

That's what I thought
I am scared that I am wrong

text;

[rassera]

i dunno

maybe its in the genes or something


are you talking human or something more spiritual

text;

[monge]

[The fact that Kaneda brings up humans at all is really all Komasan really needs.]

I see
thank you

text;

[leonized]

[That's a good question... honestly it would be easier if he couldn't speak to animals and all of that, because he wasn't sure if he counted animals as people but most of the qualifiers he could think of immeediately applied to both.]

Why are you asking?

text;

[monge]

[Oh boy, Komasan can't help but regret making this a text. Texting back, especially when he has to explain himself, is so tedious.

The reply takes awhile to pop up, but at least it does.]

I thought I knew the answer
it seemed very easy at first
but the more i live with humans, the more i worry they do not see me as a person
One of my friends said I was only a person when I'm human
she is a very nice friend, I do not think she did it to be mean
Now I am worried

Text

[protects_the_small]

Having feelings is enough to be a person, really.

Text

[monge]

I thought so too
but i guess that isn't what everyone thinks, i was surprised

Perma-audio;

[danceofcurse]

[Van's not accustomed to typing yet, so he chooses to answer the question a little differently than the masses. Sorry, Komasan. But you're welcome to keep typing back to him. He's at least figured out how to use his communicator's translator!]

I have to agree with the girl who said it's enough to have thoughts and feelings. Being a person isn't about what species you are. At least...not where I'm from. I can't imagine anyone saying the Junin aren't people, too.

[monge]

[Komasan is not about to type back, he's almost a little too relieved someone chose to answer him via voice.

Of course, the voice that answers back isn't nearly as mature as the text may or may not have implied. That is very much a baby voice that answers back. ...One with an obnoxious accent.]

See, that's totally what I thought too, zura! I never would've guessed humans thought they were the only people out there, z-zura...

[unguibusetrostro]

[Jesus fucking Christ is this really happening.]

read descartes. think. am. fuck. it's not that fucking complicated

[monge]

[Oh dear, that is a lot of periods.]

I think your comm is broken!!!

text;

[23wishes]

having intelligence, feelings, and a will of your own, i think





is this about what i said?

text;

[monge]

[...the reply takes a bit before it shows up.]

i have thought a lot about what you said

[doesntdomuch]

[Oh Perry knows where this is going.]

You are definately a person, if that's what you're asking.

[monge]

[It's kinda comforting getting a response from someone who also isn't human.]

Well I knew you would understand

text;

[resoundingpledge]

It's . . . self identity, isn't it? Generally. If you can think of yourself as a someone, rather than a something, you probably are.

text;

[monge]

...thank you, i knew you would think that
now it's my job to make sure everyone else can see that too

text;

[idesof]

[He's still becoming more familiar with texting, but ah. This question. Not one to be ignored.]

Your essence.
Some folks call it a spirit.

text;

[monge]

[Despite how short the text is, Komasan can't help but take a minute or so to read it.

And then read it again.

And again.

It's not like the other answers, but it's an answer he relates to a lot more.]

That's all?

[Text]

[sentielemental]

[Wow, talk about a hard one.]

"I think, therefore I am."

It's some phrase by a French philosopher came up with to say that you exist as long as you have a mind to think about whether you exist or not. I think it's the same for being a person. If you can think and have feelings about being a person, then you're a person.

[Text]

[monge]

[That's a good saying, he's going to remember that saying.]

That's what I thought too!!
it makes much more sense that way!!
but then I looked it up, do you know what it says a person means??
the book said A HUMAN BEING!!
i could not believe it, who writes those books???

video

[heymcfly]

flesh and blood?

[ alright then, marty. ]

video

[monge]

but what about robots from the future???

[okay, komasan]

text

[hooffaceturn]

what do you mean by that?

text

[monge]

some humans do not believe you are a person if you are not human
I'm very confused

[tactical_lalafel]

The ability to choose and the intelligence to understand the consequences of one's actions is what separates people from the lesser kin.

Why do you ask?

[monge]

[...that is a really good answer, why couldn't the dictionary say that instead?]

i guess some humans don't consider someone a person unless they are human too
it hurts
but now i know there are a lot of people who don't think that

[resipiscent]

I generally define 'person' by whether or not they can hold a conversation with me.

[monge]

that must be hard for kaneda

[LOOK, if Kaneda can take shots at people, then people can take shots at him. ...Even if it's not technically on purpose.]

text;

[unwiseheart]

a person is just anyone.

what brought that kind of question on?

text;

[monge]

I got confused after something my friend said
that's what i thought too until I looked it up
i guess some humans think a person just means a human

[nockpoint]

There's probably a lot of factors that could be nitpicked over. How like or unlike themselves others are, if they're human or not, their capacity for communication or emotion, having a body, being artificially produced, etc.

There doesn't seem to be a single definition.

[monge]

I have been getting a lot of different answers so that's probably true
But a lot of people also say it's just anyone who can think for themselves
I like that answer the most
i think more people should see it that way, it's nicer

text;

[fuckinstoplights]

i dont know

a heart ? a soul ?

whatever it is they say only humans have it

text;

[monge]

but that's not true, a lot of people have those things and they aren't human
do humans really think they are the only ones with those things?

permatext

[deadtective]

You have to be good. You have to give a shit about people and understand that they're not your fucking playthings, that you can't just do whatever the hell you want and expect the world to warp around it. You have to try.

It's not hard. Some people just don't wanna.

[monge]

you are not a person if you are mean?
What if someone has a bad day and they're only mean for a little bit?
do they stop being a person then? do they go back to normal once it's over??

text;

[iamtetsuo]

thinking like one

text;

[monge]

how do you think like a person?
Are there different ways to think??
i'm confused

[dualismum]

What brought this on?

[monge]

I guess some people just don't think you are a person unless you are human
Not everyone
but a lot
Enough to put that meaning in the book.

text

[nofairsky]

A soul. People are people because they have souls, even if that's all they have.

That's what I believe anyway.

text

[monge]

See!! It's so much easier to think about it that way!!
but some people think you have to be human!
I don't get it, it's like humans think they are the only ones that have these things!

[douchebag]

[ Dispensing philosophical advice is not Felix's forte. He almost doesn't respond to this, but it strikes a little too close to him for him to ignore it. ]

Not being a fucking robot. That's a start.

[monge]

Have you ever even talked to a robot before?

[Some of Komasan's best friends are roombas robots, he has a hard time believing that.]

[overanalytically]

Presuming you are speaking philosophically, defining personhood can be a controversial topic as there may be differing definitions dependent on circumstance and source. Though generally speaking, the underpinnings of sentience—the capacity to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively—and consciousness—the state of being aware of an external object or something within oneself—are widely accepted.

[monge]

[Oh dear, those sure are some pretty big words. Komasan tries so hard to understand them, but like usual, he gets dizzy and actually falls over.

Not...that anyone can see that since it's a text, but it does make it so his reply takes a little longer to get there.]

well i hope im one of those