Yeah that's quite peculiar, especially how human-centric your friend is. Perhaps part of the reason for why people identify with humanity is partly due to just by primal instinct, being a part of the species, then coupled with indoctrination (upbringing, families, peers, institutions (school, workplace, banks, and govts, etc.), and social pressure as a whole). I myself would just wish to never be (not exist), not even an animal because I know that animals have even fewer say/control over their own lives and instead only follow the natural instinct of all sentience beings (which is to live/survival/procreate).