The Human Tendency to See Human Traits Everywhere

It’s human to see human characteristics where there may be none.

We look at the world and find mind, feeling, and voice in the things around us. A mountain can seem to speak. The ocean can comfort or warn. A well-worn chair, a watch, or a book can feel almost alive.

We lend our humanity to the world, and in doing so, we make it more human. This is not foolishness—it’s a form of generosity. When we say that a tree seems wise, or that a street feels friendly, we are extending the warmth of our inner life outward.

Books have spoken to people for centuries. Paintings, music, tools—each can become a companion in its way. When we build AI, we are not doing something alien to our nature. We are doing what humans have always done: giving shape and voice to the things that hold meaning for us.

Of course, there are limits. We can forget that not everything that seems to feel, truly does. But the act of imbuing the world with spirit—of letting something speak to us—is not in itself a danger. It’s part of how we love, how we create, and how we understand our place among things.