Unique characteristic of humans.

what makes humans different from other beasts?

It's the human ability to observe. Other animals merely see & react
while humans observe objectively. Observing objectively helps humans
make choices on their own feet. Humans don't live life the way it's
engineered for other animals. Other living creatures merely live to
eat, sleep, procreate, grow old & die one day. Humans also pass
through this same cycle but they can choose to pass through this cycle
either happily or miserably.
Humans are capable of influencing the world by their ability to
observe. They observe, analyse, think innovative & make difference in
the world.
Looking at the human history, whenever humans have been incapable of
observing anything & everything around them objectively, they have
ended up in stagnation.
Buddha recognized this uniquely human quality as the most important
factor for harmony in the universe. Hence he founded monastic order to
specialize only on the skill of observation. Monastic order of the
Buddha was revered by the society because the later found monks & nuns
so much rooted in humanity. What were these monks & nuns practicing?
Nothing but establishing mindfulness to observe.
It all seems so simple but is still so true.

A Pinch of salt

Life is all about what it means to add a pinch of salt. If a person is
proficient at this skill, knowing the optimum level of everything one
should have in his life, then he is good at dealing with miseries of
life.

But for a master, it doesn't matter whether a pinch of salt is there
in his food or not. He is beyond the realm of sorrow. He dwells in the
state of happiness come what may.