The Fermi Paradox is one of the great mysteries of the universe. If you’re unfamiliar with the idea, read this: https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/fermi-paradox.html. In short, with hundreds of billions of Earth-like planets in the Milky Way galaxy alone and hundreds of billions of other galaxies in the observable universe, why haven’t we detected any sign of intelligent life from another planet?
Life may be fairly common in the universe, but intelligent life is probably extremely rare. Many planets with life are likely dominated by unintelligent dinosaur-type species. Humans are the true anomaly.
Look at us compared to every other species on earth. None are anywhere near us in being able to build technology and radio and spaceships and antennae. None. Not even close. In that regard, humans are a super-rare and special species on this planet, solar system, and likely the rest of the galaxy and universe.
There could be others like us, given the size of the universe, but most habitable planets with life that evolves will probably not yield a species as intelligent as humans. There was some major fluke along the evolutionary process. Perhaps our large brain size, feelings of love and cooperation, language, imagination, and consciousness.
The big one seems to be language. Language likely precipitated consciousness. Language allowed us to create fictions like money, society, governments, religions. These commonly believed fictions enabled us to cooperate and work together in large groups. That helped us survive and outcompete other species.
The technology to contact other planetary civilizations could never develop without metaphorical language. I don't think there is one great filter to explain the Fermi Paradox, but rather a series of unlikely events. One such event was Homo sapiens' invention of language.