open/close all folders
Anime and Manga
Trunks: I said you'd pay, Zamasu! And now you've been introduced to the true power of mortals!
Zamasu: The "power of mortals?!" Is that a joke!? I'll show you what happens when worthless beings speak down to a god!
Mai: How can we be worthless if we've got you trapped!? You have no idea what we can accomplish!
Trunks: That's right! You underestimate mortals, you pay the price!
Trunks & Mai: So say goodbye!!
Zamasu: The "power of mortals?!" Is that a joke!? I'll show you what happens when worthless beings speak down to a god!
Mai: How can we be worthless if we've got you trapped!? You have no idea what we can accomplish!
Trunks: That's right! You underestimate mortals, you pay the price!
Trunks & Mai: So say goodbye!!
Compared to gods, then of course we're weak. But you can never make me feel ashamed of that. Cause when mortals do join forces, that’s when we can do anything. Because believing in our fellow men and helping each other to survive, that's what redeems us! That's what makes us who we are! Makes us worthy! That's what gives us our real power!
— Future Trunks, Dragon Ball Super
You guys messing around with evolution and the new human race and all that crap will never make it this far. The true power of us human beings is that we can change ourselves on our own!
— Saitama, One-Punch Man
Comic Books
To say that the Humans from Earth are nothing more than savage brutes is to ignore their legacy of heroism, their ability to overcome, and their absolute willingness to die for the benefit of others. In the hundred thousand years since the human species arose on that planet, Earth has produced over thirty different Green Lanterns, and all but two of them were members of the Homo sapiens species. Tell me, my brother - can you name a single world in all the galaxy that can say the same?
— Ganthet, one of the Guardians of the Universe, Green Lantern
There are few things currently on Earth that have lasted as long as we have. [...] I used to find that transience laughably fragile. But I see now that it's actually a strength I'm just beginning to grasp. [...] I believe I'm finally understanding the meaning of the word... "beautiful." I can't think of the last time we created anything. We have so much to learn here.
— Thundercracker, The Transformers (IDW) #4
Thermodynamic miracles... events with odds against so astronomical they're effectively impossible, like oxygen spontaneously becoming gold. I long to observe such a thing. And yet, in each human coupling, a thousand million sperm vie for a single egg. Multiply those odds by countless generations, against the odds of your ancestors being alive; meeting; siring this precise son; that exact daughter... Until your mother loves a man she has every reason to hate, and of that union, of the thousand million children competing for fertilization, it was you, only you, that emerged. To distill so specific a form from that chaos of improbability, like turning air to gold... that is the crowning unlikelihood. The thermodynamic miracle. ...But the world is so full of people, so crowded with these miracles that they become commonplace and we forget... I forget. We gaze continually at the world and it grows dull in our perceptions. Yet seen from the another's vantage point. As if new, it may still take our breath away. Come...dry your eyes. For you are life, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg; the clay in which the forces that shape all things leave their fingerprints most clearly. Dry your eyes... and let's go home.
— Dr. Manhattan, Watchmen
Fan Works
Humanity tended to have delusions of grandeur and invincibility. It only took a good session with a sharp instrument to dissuade many of the notion that nothing would happen to them.
Why, why did I lose?" Edward screamed, desperate for an answer. "I am a Vampire! You are just a human!"
"No, Edward. You got it backwards. I am a human. You are just a vampire."
"No, Edward. You got it backwards. I am a human. You are just a vampire."
— Sherlock Holmes meets Edward Cullen
Film — Live-Action
David, I often felt a sort of envy of human beings, of that thing they called spirit. Human beings had created a million explanations of the meaning of life in art, in poetry, in mathematical formulas. Certainly humans must be the key to the meaning of existence. But human beings no longer existed.
— The SuperMecha leader, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
From now on, we live in a world where man has walked on the Moon. And it's not a miracle. We just decided to go.
— Jim Lovell, Apollo 13
Humans... They are not the cowering wretches we were promised. They stand. They are unruly, and therefore cannot be ruled. To challenge them is to court death.
— The Other, The Avengers
The Vision: Humans are odd. They think order and chaos are somehow opposites and try to control what won't be. But there is grace in their failings. I think you missed that.
Ultron: They're doomed!
Vision: Yes... but a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It is a privilege to be among them.
Ultron: They're doomed!
Vision: Yes... but a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts. It is a privilege to be among them.
What were you trying to prove? That deep down, everyone is just as ugly as you? You're alone!
— Batman to The Joker, The Dark Knight
You humans are so unpredictable! I've gotta tell you something: you guys did great.
— Raiden, Mortal Kombat: The Movie
Literature
Amelia: Why raise us among human beings, as humans?
Headmaster Boggin: You will not believe this now, but in times to come you may. The art and science, poetry and literature, philosophy and thought and myth of mankind exceed the best efforts of the immortal races. Our muses need their artists as much as their artists need our muses. What men had to teach was more rational, fair, and lofty and, in a word, better, than the lessons you would have learned from the Olympians. They are the creatures of Prometheus.
Headmaster Boggin: You will not believe this now, but in times to come you may. The art and science, poetry and literature, philosophy and thought and myth of mankind exceed the best efforts of the immortal races. Our muses need their artists as much as their artists need our muses. What men had to teach was more rational, fair, and lofty and, in a word, better, than the lessons you would have learned from the Olympians. They are the creatures of Prometheus.
Just because all the fantasy writers want you to think of humans as the boring generic bipeds, that doesn't mean you need to live like that.
—Evelyn Price, InCryptid: Singing the Comic-Con Blues
Because of our weakness, we trained our eyes, ears and the ability to think. Learning how to survive, that's our trait as humans! The human species can't use magic and can't even perceive it - but because we are weak, we have the wisdom to run away from magic and the intelligence to see through it! We don't have any extraordinary senses. But because we are weak, by learning and gaining experience, we gained the wisdom to achieve the unachievable - to predict the future... Rejoice! We are humans; we are the most talented people! Precisely because we were born without any ability, we can achieve anything. This is the will of the weakest race!
— Sora, No Game No Life
Ryn: Whether you break or obey a rule, if you don't understand the rule, you're not a person. You're a... A thing. A thing that only does what it's allowed. Not free. A...
Denise: A cog. Like in a machine?
Ryn: Yes. That. A working cog is better than a broken one, but still just a cog. Break a rule because you understand it, though, and you are no longer a cog. You become a god.
Denise: O-kay. What do you call it when you're halfway between a cog and god?
Ryn: Humanity.
Denise: A cog. Like in a machine?
Ryn: Yes. That. A working cog is better than a broken one, but still just a cog. Break a rule because you understand it, though, and you are no longer a cog. You become a god.
Denise: O-kay. What do you call it when you're halfway between a cog and god?
Ryn: Humanity.
Live-Action TV
Kingdom: Animalia. Phylum: Chordata.
Class is Mamalia (cuz boobies we gotta).
Order is Primates, family Hominidae.
Genus is Homo (but you know you're into me!)
'cuz I am the species known as Sapien.
Dogs used to eat me, but now they bring the paper in.
Class is Mamalia (cuz boobies we gotta).
Order is Primates, family Hominidae.
Genus is Homo (but you know you're into me!)
'cuz I am the species known as Sapien.
Dogs used to eat me, but now they bring the paper in.
— Troy and Abed, Communitynote
Homo sapiens! What an inventive, invincible species. It's only a few million years since they crawled up out of the mud and learned to walk... Puny, defenseless bipeds. They've survived flood, famine and plague; they've survived cosmic wars and holocausts. And now here they are, out among the stars, waiting to begin a new life. Ready to outsit eternity... They're indomitable. Indomitable.
— The Doctor, Doctor Who, "The Ark in Space"
Wilf: Nine hundred years [old]... We must look like ants to you.
The Doctor: I think you look like giants.
The Doctor: I think you look like giants.
— Doctor Who, "The End of Time - Part 2"
But we have to consider this: some scientists believe that it's easy for nature to bring animals up to a clever level, where they might use tools and they might become masters of their environment. But the leap to being able to stare at the sky and imagine a cosmos, to be able to contemplate yourself, to be able to contemplate your own role in the Earth. This may be a leap that was a sheer accident for humanity. In which case, you're not talking about a complete recovery. You're talking about a planet that may continue, but nobody to talk about it. Nobody to think about it.
— David Brin, Life After People
Amidst the chaos of an unforgiving planet, most species will fail. But for one, all of the pieces will fall into place. And a set of keys will unlock the path for Mankind to triumph. This is our story. The story of all of us.
— Opening Narration, Mankind: The Story of All Of Us'
To Earth!
The very birthplace of my birth
The thought of Earth fills me with mirth
(Hey, maybe we'll meet Colin Firth!)
That is a possibility.
The very birthplace of my birth
The thought of Earth fills me with mirth
(Hey, maybe we'll meet Colin Firth!)
That is a possibility.
— Mike and the Bots singing "To Earth," Mystery Science Theater 3000
Oh, I know Hamlet. And what he might say with irony, I say with conviction: "What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form, in moving, how express and admirable! In action, how like an angel! In apprehension, how like a god!"
— Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Hide and Q"
Damn right they're flawed. But a lot of them try to do better. To forgive. And you should see The Spearmint Rhino. I've been riding the pine for a long time but I'm in the game now. And I'm not on your side or Michael's. I'm on theirs.
— Gabriel, Supernatural, "Hammer of the Gods"
Theatre
Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than man.
— Antigone
Video Games
Vatista: Such immense power despite not possessing the Vessel... Is this what these humans, God's children, are capable of?
Weiss Schnee: I'm not entirely sure what you're saying, but we are full of possibilities. Hehe, you've got a good eye.
Weiss Schnee: I'm not entirely sure what you're saying, but we are full of possibilities. Hehe, you've got a good eye.
There are those who believe the Traveler chose Earth for a reason. Now it is humanity's obligation to prove itself worthy of the Traveler's faith.
— Destiny
Byrne: Impossible... I've trained for longer than you can even imagine. How could mere human children defeat me?
Zelda: Yes, we are humans. We have neither the power of spirits nor demons. But when we combine our strength... No one can defeat us! Right, Link?
Zelda: Yes, we are humans. We have neither the power of spirits nor demons. But when we combine our strength... No one can defeat us! Right, Link?
GLaDOS: Gentlemen, I've been looking over your case files, and I'm curious about something. Why aren't you insane?
Brock: That's a funny question coming from a psychotic robot.
GLaDOS: I'm an unfathomable artificial intelligence whose sanity cannot be measured by human standards. But you two are just meat and bone and water.
Ash: Yeah, we're specks of lint in the belly button of the universe. What's your point?
GLaDOS: My point is that, with all the horror the two of you have endured over the years, both of you should be gibbering lunatics. And yet here you are, playing cards and telling bad jokes. It's... anomalous.
Brock: And that's why you will never get humanity, lady. We are just oozing with anomalies.
Ash: And I like my jokes!
Brock: That's a funny question coming from a psychotic robot.
GLaDOS: I'm an unfathomable artificial intelligence whose sanity cannot be measured by human standards. But you two are just meat and bone and water.
Ash: Yeah, we're specks of lint in the belly button of the universe. What's your point?
GLaDOS: My point is that, with all the horror the two of you have endured over the years, both of you should be gibbering lunatics. And yet here you are, playing cards and telling bad jokes. It's... anomalous.
Brock: And that's why you will never get humanity, lady. We are just oozing with anomalies.
Ash: And I like my jokes!
Like us, humans are dinotastic!
The Axiom tasked you humans with observing the universe. Humans have the power to assign an answer to phenomena without an answer. The power of observation has the ability to make certain and whole what is uncertain and without form. The Axiom did not give gods the power of observation... Only humans have that power. Humans have the ability to change the answer they have found into faith, and eventually into truth. This can invigorate the gods, but it can also kill them. This is why the gods goad humans to their side, and make them observe things that are beneficial to them. This is the direct cause behind why gods fight over humans.
— Stephen explaining how gods are powered in the SMT multiverse, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Mueh'zala: No! Ya just... mortals! How dis be?
Bwonsamdi: Times change, mon. Mortals never be as weak as ya believed 'em ta be. Ya see, dey have... potential.
Bwonsamdi: Times change, mon. Mortals never be as weak as ya believed 'em ta be. Ya see, dey have... potential.
At long last... you have succeeded... where we have failed.
You hear our voice, New One. Now listen well.
The Gift is more than just power, it is the power - to reach beyond the boundaries of your physical form. If you are to control it, you must embrace it.
Long have we watched and waited. So many promising subjects, so many failed efforts. And now, after untold trials, the New One emerges to face the rigors of our collective. An enduring physical form, paired with an equally adept mental capacity. The rarest of traits, finally within our grasp...
You hear our voice, New One. Now listen well.
The Gift is more than just power, it is the power - to reach beyond the boundaries of your physical form. If you are to control it, you must embrace it.
Long have we watched and waited. So many promising subjects, so many failed efforts. And now, after untold trials, the New One emerges to face the rigors of our collective. An enduring physical form, paired with an equally adept mental capacity. The rarest of traits, finally within our grasp...
— The Ethereal leader, XCOM: Enemy Unknown
"To strive for a dream you will never see — to plant seeds that others might one day taste the fruits of your garden — that is the beauty of your kind."
— Feo Ul, Final Fantasy XIV
Webcomics
The Gods showed the first human to YISUN, bringing her in a walnut shell because she was so delicate. They could not believe how small and frail she was. Though she slept quite peacefully, at every breath they quailed and wrung their hands, fearing that she would fall apart at any moment. They crept carefully and cautiously into YISUN's speaking hall, cradling her and whispering in hushed tones as they gently presented her upon a cushion before the Lord of Songs.
YISUN took one look at her and said, "This is the most dangerous being in existence."
YISUN took one look at her and said, "This is the most dangerous being in existence."
— Kill Six Billion Demons, Spasms
Real Life
And finally, I believe in my whole race. Yellow, white, black, red, brown. In the honesty, courage, intelligence, durability, and goodness of the overwhelming majority of my brothers and sisters everywhere on this planet. I am proud to be a human being. I believe that we have come this far by the skin of our teeth. That we always make it just by the skin of our teeth, but that we will always make it. Survive. Endure. I believe that this hairless embryo with the aching, oversize brain case and the opposable thumb, this animal barely up from the apes will endure. Will endure longer than his home planet — will spread out to the stars and beyond, carrying with him his honesty and his insatiable curiosity, his unlimited courage and his noble essential decency. This I believe.
— Robert A. Heinlein, "Our Noble Essential Decency"
The authentic human being is one of us who instinctively knows what he should not do, and, in addition, he will balk at doing it. He will refuse to do it, even if this brings down dread consequences to him and to those whom he loves. This, to me, is the ultimately heroic trait of ordinary people; they say no to the tyrant and they calmly take the consequences of this resistance. Their deeds may be small, and almost always unnoticed, unmarked by history. Their names are not remembered, nor did these authentic humans expect their names to be remembered. I see their authenticity in an odd way: not in their willingness to perform great heroic deeds but in their quiet refusals. In essence, they cannot be compelled to be what they are not.
— Philip K. Dick, "How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later"
A machine can do the work of 50 ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.
— Elbert Hubbard
To aspire to be superhuman is a most discreditable admission that you lack the guts, the wit, the moderating judgment to be successfully and consummately human.
— Aldous Huxley, Spinoza’s Worm
I'd like to begin today with a remarkable story about the inhabitants of a rocky little ocean-covered world in orbit around an ordinary star, one of hundreds of billions of stars in an ordinary galaxy, in a universe filled with a hundred billion galaxies. This story goes that these beings, with soaring imagination and refusing to accept limitations, developed the languages of mathematics and science, became skilled technologists and eventually, flung themselves and their machines off their planet and into outer space. And they did this merely in response to an innate desire to explore and to learn and to secure their future and to seek the answers to questions that had vexed them and every generation of their ancestors before them.
— Dr. Carolyn Porco, Planetary Scientist
Is a man what he seems to the astronomer, a tiny lump of impure carbon and water crawling impotently on a small and unimportant planet? Or is he what he appears to Hamlet? Is he perhaps both at once?
