The Real Difference Between Animals and Humans
As long as there has been philosophers, they were debating, what distinguishes humans from animals. Probably because without an answer, how could they decide, whom to ascribe an immortal soul.
They considered tools, language, money and trading, adherence to rules, consciousness of themselves. And for most of it, science found rudimentary traced in monkeys and apes after some training.
But there is one fundamental distinction: Animals are always driven by instinct to behave in favor of the survival of their genes. Even when they do not procreate themselves, then at least they help raise the offspring of their siblings, with whom they share half of their genes.
Only humans are capable to consciously know, that it is not beneficial to procreate, only they can decide as individuals to stay childfree.
