We consider that, as humans, we have advantage over all the creatures of Earth, and that it is we who must pull them along ion the long ordeal of Earth life to achieve mastery at some point in our distant future.
I think the Native Americans had the right idea about having"spirit guides" to help human growth, because those other creatures live the full measure of their creatrin, while we... well, we stumble on the "full-measure" stuff.