Transcendence

Transcendence, or strictly speaking the possibility of it, is what sets humankind apart from all other species, and it is what ultimately determines our essential equality to one another.

I'm defining transcendence as the exercise of the ability to alter one's situation by changing the basic facts of the situation. I believe all humans potentially have this ability. Many never use it. Of those who do, some do it entirely on their own, and some require a lot of help, like Helen Keller.  But in all cases, the possibility of rewriting one's own future exists.

This is why we have no ability to foresee or declare the end of 'the world', meaning our species. Though we may seem doomed to self-extinction, the game cannot be called until it is played out.