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Key Differences Between Human and Animal Consciousness · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  What makes the human consciousness different from the
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  animal consciousness? A primary factor is the
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  possibility that a human being has for detaching himself from
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  total involvement in the external life and along with
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  that, the opportunity for evolutionary growth.
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  Doctor Delal observes Quote. The essential difference between
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  an animal and a human being, states tree or a window, is that
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  the animal quote cannot get for one moment away from its origins
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  and become something greater than its present self, a more
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  free, magnificent and noble being.
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  End Quote. Whereas the human being has the
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  potential ability to exceed and even transform the basic
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  instinctive nature which he shares with the animal.
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  Therefore, whereas the animal always remains an animal, man
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  can grow into a being who is as much above the human being as
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  the human being is above the animal.
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  This immense difference between man and animal is due to several
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  distinguishing features of their psychological natures.
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  First, consciousness in the human being has developed the
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  power of detachment, that is, of standing back and observing
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  things as a spectator, Sri Orobindo notes quote it.
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  Consciousness is not by its nature detached from the mental
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  and other activities. It can be detached.
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  It can be involved in the human consciousness.
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  It is as a rule always involved. But it has developed the power
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  of detaching itself, a thing which the lower creation seems
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  unable to do. As the consciousness develops,
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  this power of detachment also develops.
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  End Quote. Human consciousness can detach
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  itself and stand back not only from what lies outside in the
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  environment, but also from internal thoughts and feelings,
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  thus dividing itself into a part that observes and a part that is
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  observed. This power of detachment makes
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  for a reflective intelligence which a human being is capable
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  of exercising, as distinguished from the reactive intelligence
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  of the animal. With the power of detachment and
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  a reflective intelligence, the human being can control, modify
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  and overcome the force of instincts and impulses, unlike
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  the animal which cannot act contrary to its innate nature.
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  Secondly, though all behaviour in the animal as well as in the
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  human being is purposive, that is, directed towards the
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  fulfillment of some purpose or goal, the human being, as
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  distinguished from the animal, has the potential of conceiving
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  and pursuing higher goals, moral, intellectual and
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  aesthetic, beyond the basic ones related to physical and
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  biological existence. Thirdly, the more highly
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  developed the human being, in contrast to the animal, is
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  discontented with what he is and feels an urge for growth towards
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  what he conceives to be an ideal state of being. 1/4
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  Distinguishing human characteristic and this brings
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  us to the subject matter of this book, is that the human mind,
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  unlike that of the animal, can look at something and react to
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  it from different perspectives. In other words, the human being
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  can adopt different attitudes to the same thing, event or
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  circumstance. The enormous significance of
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  this human characteristic is implicit in a statement by
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  William James, one of the most celebrated psychologists.
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  The quote The greatest discovery of my generation is that men can
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  alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.
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  End Quote Reference Sri Orabindo and the Mother looking from
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  within Introduction by Doctor Delal Pages Roman 3 to Roman 4.