Mankind is one of the species on earth that is the most objectively self-aware. This has its upsides and it's downsides. One upside is, with such a strong sense of "self", enlightenment is often realized in human form. One down side is, with such a strong sense of self, there is strong motivation to have a positive sense of self and world, this means anything about the self or world that is perceived as negative is often denied.