WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE HUMAN SPECIES

First, a disclaimer. This is not my original thought on the subject. I read it or heard to before but cannot locate the original nor remember who first published these. I cannot even be sure I remember all of his/her list of reasons why humans are a dysfunctional species. So, while my intention is to comment of the initial author's points, I might in fact be unintentionally plagiarizing someone else's work.  

The human species (Homo sapiens) have only been around for about 200,000 years. We only became "civilized" about 50,000 years ago. We were not the only Hominids on Earth. We probably lived along side our Hominini cousins... the Homo sapiens idaltu (Herto Man),  Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthal Man), and Homo rhodesiensis (Rhodesia Man)... for many thousands of years.  But for many reasons, they became extinct while we survived. Nevertheless, this survival is not guaranteed and we might in fact also become extinct. We are a dysfunctional species. As a race, we are fatally flawed. I am not sure we can change but there is still hope of a reversal in course. 

TRIBALISM

Tribalism is a mixed blessing.  It is what makes humans care for each other. We look out for the needs of our families and communities.  We celebrate each other's successes and joys. We also grieve when a family member, or friend, or even some strangers dies. Of course, there is a concentric circle system of care. We care for our immediate family more than for our extended family and so on. Nevertheless, Tribalism can also be a negative thing.  As the world gets smaller due to global forces, tribalism is leading us into more wars with our neighbors. It is an "our tribe against your" thing. It is survival of the fittest gone amok. We may say we care out those suffering in other countries but close our heart to them when we perceive these other humans to be a thread to our own families. The concentric circle of care system has become dysfunctional.  

DESTRUCTION OF HABITAT

We are the only major species who destroys it own habitat.  Take for example the enormous herd animals in Africa and even in North America's past.  It is estimated that at one point there were at least 20 million bisons in the United States alone.  They lived in harmony with their habitat.  Their hooves turned the soil. Their dung fertilized the plains.  Their population remand relatively stable until the Europeans  arrived.  The same cannot be said for humans. We create more waste than the environment is able to handle. It has been estimated that it takes 20 to 1000 years of a plastic bag to be recycled by nature. Modern farming techniques have contributed to land erosion, water pollution, and sedimentation. Concentrated cow farming is one cause of global warning.  Mining, drilling, and fracking are depleting  the Earth of resources on which we have become dependent.