▁and ▁soci eties , ▁there ▁is ▁fiction ▁tre ating ▁as ▁normal ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁humans ▁to ▁ride , ▁eat , ▁milk , ▁and ▁otherwise ▁treat ▁animals ▁as ▁separate ▁species . ▁There ▁are ▁occas ional ▁exceptions , ▁such ▁as ▁talking ▁animals , ▁but ▁they ▁are ▁generally ▁treated ▁as ▁exceptions , ▁as ▁aber r ations ▁to ▁the ▁rule ▁distingu ishing ▁people ▁from ▁animals . ▁ ▁In ▁science ▁fiction , ▁human oc entr ism ▁is ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁humans , ▁as ▁both ▁be ings ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁species , ▁are ▁the ▁superior ▁sent ients . ▁Ess entially ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁ra cial ▁supre m acy ▁on ▁a ▁gal actic ▁scale , ▁it ▁ent ails ▁int ol er ant ▁disc rim ination ▁against ▁sent ient ▁non - hum ans , ▁much ▁like ▁race ▁supre mac ists ▁disc rim inate ▁against ▁those ▁not ▁of ▁their ▁race . ▁A ▁prime ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁concept ▁is ▁util ized ▁as ▁a ▁story ▁element ▁for ▁the ▁Mass ▁Effect ▁series . ▁After ▁human ity ' s ▁first ▁contact ▁results ▁in ▁a ▁brief ▁war , ▁many ▁humans ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁develop ▁susp icious ▁or ▁even ▁host ile ▁att itudes ▁towards ▁the ▁game ' s ▁various ▁al ien ▁races . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁game , ▁which ▁takes ▁place ▁several ▁dec ades ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁many ▁humans ▁still ▁retain ▁such ▁sent iments ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁forming ▁' pro - human ' ▁organizations . ▁ ▁This ▁idea ▁is ▁counter ed ▁by ▁anti - human ism . ▁At ▁times , ▁this ▁ideal ▁also ▁includes