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General Semantics differentiates animals from intelligent beings through the concept of time-binding - the consciousness of the passage of time with respect to life; that is knowing you are growing older, and being able to use one's memories to come up with unique solutions to existing problems. Time-binding allows us to pass on our accumulated knowledge to others. It is intimately related to the fact that we can peruse our memories, rather than just using them. Our memories are an integral part of who we are. They can be, however, be overcome through our intelligence. Animals, non-time-binders, may have memories, but they are situationally specific, not selectable as with humans. An animal's memory only comes to the surface when required, not when desired as with humans.
In a large way, the complexity of the time-binding memories is what separates us from animals.
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The secret to great marksmanship is deciding what the target was AFTER you've shot.
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