Humans Are…?

So, what are we talking about here? Let’s take a break from all the talk of essential oils, diffusers, and DIY recipes. Let’s put the roller bottles aside and take a deep breath. Today, we focus on something bigger — something that cannot be bottled or blended. We focus on us. The two words? “Humans are...”

It started as a pop culture trend when a popular program ended. Someone uttered “Humans are…” and the internet filled in the rest. The answers were funny, tragic, beautiful, cynical. “Humans are weird.” “Humans are brilliant.” “Humans are doomed.” “Humans are magic.” Everyone had an ending. And each ending showed us something different about ourselves.

But if you really sit down and think about it, humans are all those things and more — sometimes at the same time.

Take kindness. We say we should be kind to all. But let’s be honest. A person might be kind to the cashier at the supermarket, saying “Thank you” and smiling warmly. Yet, the same person might come home and snap at their partner or scold their child over something small. Why? Maybe they are tired. Maybe they feel safe enough at home to let out their frustration. Or maybe they never learned to carry kindness evenly across all spaces.

A manager might be polite and encouraging to their team at work, but transform into an impatient driver on the road, honking and yelling at strangers. A friend might listen patiently to one person’s problems but ignore another’s text when they need help.

We can be both gentle and harsh. We can be both patient and easily irritated.

And what about our dreams?

Humans are fighters, aren’t they? We start young with hearts full of dreams. We say we’ll write books, start companies, travel the world, learn five languages, climb mountains — both literal and metaphorical. We stand up again and again, taking blows from life with fierce determination. We believe in second chances, fresh starts, and magic doors waiting to be opened.

But time has a way of wearing down even the strongest fighters.

That artist who once sketched for hours every night might slowly push their pencils to the back of a drawer. That friend who once wanted to start a non-profit for stray animals might eventually get too busy or too discouraged. That student who wanted to become a scientist might shift to a “safe” job in an office, convincing themselves that it’s fine, that it’s practical.

Sometimes we stop fighting because of failure. Sometimes because of heartbreak. And sometimes because the world convinces us that we’re asking for too much, dreaming too big, or being too naive. We give up on people who disappointed us, on plans that seemed too risky, on versions of ourselves that felt too impossible to maintain.

It is easy to judge from the outside: “They quit,” we might say. But what if they were simply tired? What if they carried battles no one else saw? Humans are so good at hiding silent struggles behind smiles and small talk.

Some of us cling fiercely to old dreams. Others quietly close chapters and start new ones, or choose comfort over chaos. And all of it is human.

Humans are contradictions. We are sweet and bitter. We are brave and afraid. We are builders and destroyers. We are believers and doubters.

One moment, we’re forgiving; the next, we’re holding grudges over silly misunderstandings. One day, we’re telling someone, “Never give up,” and the next, we’re leaving behind something we once said we would protect forever. We tell our friends to chase their passions, yet secretly stay in jobs we hate. We write messages about loving life, then go to bed feeling lonely and small.

But maybe that’s exactly what makes us so fascinating. Maybe it is these contrasts that give life its depth and richness. The laughter after tears, the warmth after coldness, the courage after fear — they are what make us feel truly alive.

We cannot fit into neat boxes or complete sentences. We are ever-changing, full of surprises. We say we want simplicity, but we live in layers upon layers of feelings and stories.

So, the next time someone asks you to finish the sentence “Humans are…”, pause for a moment. Remember the countless ways we show up in the world: as warriors, as quitters, as dreamers, as realists, as angels, as devils — often within the same day.

And then, maybe smile and leave the sentence unfinished.

Because sometimes, a few words are enough; we don’t need a whole sentence. So it is better to leave it there...

Humans Are...