I think it’s dangerous to believe one is special when not, but it’s also dangerous not to act like you’re special, even if you aren’t.
The Mediocrity Principle is a key idea in science, which basically says:
From Edge:
This is like my view of free will.
We should behave in one way in order to make life rich and enjoyable, but use our knowledge of the truth of the opposite as our foundational rules.
So when it’s fun and nice to see human behavior as being authored, we should do that. And when it’s harmful and hateful to do so, we should not.
Similarly, when it’s enjoyable to see ourselves as unique snowflakes we should do so, but the moment it starts muddying our sense of reality or causing us to look down on others, we should remember that we’re all randomized stardust.