Human life needs to be political for Plato, spent in the discovery of the proper manner in which sociality ought to be organized, and then in the practical implementation of that ideal in our own societies. Once we determine that this is moral and intellectual virtue, then we must actualize these potentialities. We are rational and social creatures, but we become who we are in society. Essence is grasped by rational analysis, as it is separate from change. Rationality sets us apart from other animals, it makes us human.
Natural things achieve success in life by fulfilling their function or telos.
Unlike animals, we must choose our course and life, so the key human demand is determining the correct choice. God's gifts however are never without their dangers. Human nature is to be conscious and to desire. Sons of God, images of God. We are essentially symbolizing beings, makers and readers of signs.