The essence of humanity is actually, of course, rationality.

This admission is anathema for the religious who wish to control people, but any sensible definition of spirituality relies on man's rationality - his use of the rational mind to achieve some greater ideal. Beliefs must be based on either faith (belief without reason), or rationality. Anyone who insists that spirituality is about faith, is merely trying to control people without having their control questioned.

Others who reject this notion are

• Envious leftists who know their rational abilities are poor, and know that they will never be able to control others in a society where rationality is accepted.
• Collectivists who live in denial of individual achievement, and want to believe that all advancement is actually done by the collective.