“Humane” is one of those words with a definition that doesn’t match its meaning. And it’s a problem.

*A(n) (in)human(e) | Created by Jay W. Austin & DALL•E*

A quick search online for the definition of humane will give ya:

marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals (Merriam-Webster)
having or showing compassion or benevolence (Oxford)

Ask someone not named Merriam or Webster who didn’t attend Oxford to use it in a string of thought, and you wouldn’t be surprised if they referenced humane treatment of [insert here].

Ask them for some synonyms and they might bring up kindness or respect.

But the meaning of this word isn’t synonymous with its definition.

The meaning of a word lies below its definition.

“Humane” is defined as all the above, but when it’s used it almost always means “to treat something/someone like a human.”

“Humane” treatment of a prisoner usually means to treat them like a human
“Humane” treatment of an animal usually means to treat them like a human
“Humane” treatment of the environment usually means to treat it like a human

But why are kindness, compassion, and benevolence measured by how humans treat humans when, by the measure of most of our moments, we don’t treat humans—including ourselves—well at all?

Ok, back to Merriam-Webster and Oxford for a dictionary definition, this time for the antonym of humane, inhumane:

not humane (thanks, Merriam-Webster)
without compassion for misery or suffering; cruel (much more helpful, Oxford)

My initial take here is that the definition of inhumane actually syncs with the meaning of the word a bit more than for humane.

But ask someone what a speaker might mention after using inhumane, and they might predict that the speaker would talk about treating an object like:

a dog (or another animal),
cattle (or other livestock),
a fly (or another insect),
a worm (or another bug),
dirt (or another form of life-giving earth), or
shit (or another form of earth-giving life).

All of which — using the strict definition of the word — treat the world more humanely than humans.

In the way they’re most commonly used, it’s more accurate to say that treating something humanely means to treat it as something superior to non-human beings, and that treating something inhumanely means treating a non-human being the way we often treat humans.

In both scenarios, we’ve made a precious mistake: convincing ourselves that we are superior to all other beings.

We’ve separated ourselves, but that doesn’t mean we are superior.

I’ve gotten to meet and eat with people who don’t feel superior to their surroundings. In a unique way, they treat their surroundings inhumanely — that is, unlike how they treat their human enemy.

If I didn’t look at a dictionary for the definition of humane and, instead, looked at humanity, here’s how I’d define it:

easily bruised, consistently and constantly in search of control through dominance or organizing into hierarchy

Seems to be a more accurate description of a human, as well as how humans treat other humans.

Here’s good news.

You don’t need to contort yourself like a circus performer trying to explain how the common meanings of humane and inhumane should be flipped. Doing this quickly makes you one of the more intolerable assholes in any room you walk into. (Trust me. I’ve tested this.)

Just replace those words with things you actually mean.

Instead of demanding more humane treatment of incarcerated people, demand 3 more hours every day of recreation time.
Instead of demanding more humane treatment of cattle, demand a change in policy that helps factory farmers convert to managed-grazing practices.
Instead of demanding more humane treatment of the environment, demand that we stop financializing nature.

Do the work to find the specific words. This practice will get us closer to a humane existence — using the strict dictionary definition, of course.

Aye, I’m Jay. You’re on my personal site where I post things I make about interrupting mass incarceration, protecting migration, environmental justice & sustainability, language, communications, storytelling, creativity, and tech.

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