Why do humans alone, among all species on Earth, search for a sense of hope, purpose, and destiny?

This is because God has created us separate and special, above all other creatures on earth.

Although we made of the same materials as the animals, we are designed much different than they were.

The bible says that we were made in the image of God. This does not mean that we look like God. God is a Spirit, so that is not what it means. It means many things and what you are asking about has a lot of meaning in this area.

We all have a longing for to be restored back to the position that we once occupied. That position is to have a really living spiritual connection with God.

When we rebelled against God, that spiritual connection that we had with Him was severed.

Thankfully God, through Jesus Christ, has provided a way to save us from our spiritually dead state and restore us back into fellowship and into His family.

It is a byproduct of our evolution. The selective advantage for symbolic thought and communication brings along with it other characteristics.

Our brains are designed more than anything else to recognize patterns in the events around us. When combined with creative thought, we try to make sense of everything - even (maybe especially) those things we least understand.

YOu mean as far as you know, right?

I think animals have a great sense of destiny and purpose---are you not looking at them?

As for hope----hope is probably a real bad idea. I hope evolution stamps it out.

their genes are only slightly better than a chimpanzees. I'm sure a dolphin believes it's emotions are of the highest order, relative to the fish in the sea. We believe we are completely different even though we do the same, look down on animals and believing we are on a completely different level. Though i'll give man-kind self awareness as pretty unique, to be fair.

because all other species already KNOW their purpose. they have natural instinct. like the Bible says... nature SCREAMS creation... they know who made them and what they're on Earth for. we, however, i guess God ... gave us the ability to think and choose our own destiny... free will, ya know? people should stop searching for purpose and destiny and simply live life according to what they feel in their hearts they are supposed to do!

By means of natural selection, we became excellent survivors. Eventually, the human mind began less focused on survival, due to the fact that it became easy, and more focused on philosophy.

Because our brains are capable of higher thinking. Then again, we aren't the only species that demonstrate this capacity. For all we know, other animals might be thinking about things like this and we'd never know because we don't speak their language.

Humans have a whole heck of a lot more mind power than other species.

All species are of course are bent on survival. All other species other than humans do not question their existence.

Actually, more complex hope, purpose and destiny, animals have these at basic biological levels.

There's a huge difference in ability to abstract.

We're likely the only species that actually can.