Considering the vastness of existence, the possibilities for alien life forms are endless. No one can really imagine how life might develop on other planets, and a great many have tried. A surprising numbers of imagined aliens are pretty anthropomorphic. While they may have strange coloured skin and distorted features, the overall body structure resembles that of humans. Other aliens we imagine might resemble not humans, but other creatures found on earth, though the human-like aliens are certainly more common. Perhaps it is reasonable to expect that life might develop similarly on different planets, or perhaps it is difficult to stretch the imagination beyond the stuff of our personal experiences.
Whatever aliens look like, whatever they breathe, whatever they eat, they almost always are smarter than humans. Some aliens are friends, others are enemies set out to take over the earth. Either way, humans are often inferior to these creatures, and in the case of friendly aliens, have a lot to learn. The concept of superior creatures coming from above to guide the fumbling humans has always been attractive, whether in the form of gods or aliens. In some cases, the two realms of imagining might get mixed up a bit. Aliens may be generally depicted as being more intelligent than humans, but often lack the human intensity of feeling. Considering our most common imaginings of aliens, it is possible to learn something about how we view ourselves. We may not be very smart, many times, but we have emotional existence which can be seen as folly but is often strength.
