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It's a unique tribal distinction because it's purely visual. It's a cross-border heuristic just like gold is a cross-border currency. However it should not be forgotten that it originates in a desire for camaraderie. Seeing someone similar to self generates a "yo my bro"

Genetically this is true as well. If you traced everyone's family history up to the archetypical Adam and Eve, people of the same race would be closer in this massive extended family.

What makes humans uniquely interesting relative to cats is that cats and many other animals show wide physical variance relative to racial genetic code. Cats can vary greatly in physical attributes but are technically the same race.

Humans on the other hand look relatively similar. Skin color is the major distinction. Facial features are relatively minor and can't be distinguished without a neural network specifically trained on homo sapien features.

Cats don't care about nose/eye difference that distinguish an oriental from an anglo-saxon just as humans probably can't distinguish cat facial features, instead relying on big obvious traits like size, fur length, color, stripes, etc..

Another aspect unique to homo sapiens is that they've managed to escape the gravity of genetic evolution in favor of explosive cultural evolution. Though this has granted great technological progress, it also means that different cultures have larger drift.

Thus you have race correlated with large cultural differences. What one culture considers necessary to punish via death in order to maintain sacred order, another may consider a minor amusement.https://twitter.com/a_yawning_cat/status/1341490825981640705 …

Racism is similar to a caste system. It creates "safety nets" above & below. I can relax knowing I can never fall below if I were born a noble If born a peasant, I have an excuse for not trying so hard that isn't "ima be a daoist"https://twitter.com/a_yawning_cat/status/1333173310612332545?s=20 …