I’m sure you’re joking, but actually I’m reading a very interesting book about this topic called “The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity.”

It’s really concerned with freedom, and disputes the idea that the lack thereof is inherently tied to agriculture.

You mean the one that shot bullets made of ice? That wasn’t real, actually. The CIA made it up to impress/intimidate the Russians.

One time a colleague and I found that book just chilling under an unused desk at work. We had never heard of it, so we were pretty confused. 😆 Still kinda am, honestly.

I think the phrase has the same basic problem as a lot of common advice… the real truth is more nuanced than any pithy phrase could ever be. At best, it’s a quick way of reminding someone who already knows better but has temporarily forgotten.

It might be a reference to the Ferengi, from Star Trek. They say “human” in a weird way to demonstrate their mild contempt.