Poll: "What are you people, animals?!"

[pelopelopelo]

Something that has always bugged me is the way people use calling another person an animal as a pejorative. There are many. "You're eating like an animal!" "You people are no better than animals!" et cetera.

This has always struck me as absolutely stupid, and one of the grander signs of our dripping, seeping hubris. Sure, we're very intelligent, resourceful and adaptive, but are these not traits animals have too, in varying amounts?

So I put this to you, Escapists: do you see humans as animals, or did we cross some arbitrary line at some point that no longer delineates us thus? And if so, why?

You have two hours.

Turn over your answer sheet.

 

[JRCB]

We are animals, just we're the top ones. People tend to forget the fact that no matter how civilized we are, we still go into the same creature category as squirrels and monkeys.

 

[ArcWinter]

Humans are animals. Why? Well, why not?

 

[Daffy F]

Yeah, we are just awesome animals.

 

[Curtmiester]

We count as mammals. Some animals are mammals. To me it fits.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I would generally say no but then there's same cases that make me say differently

 

[El Poncho]

I don't think oh those silly animals, we are animals but why would I think as my own species as an animal. That would be like me being a pig and thinking we are like lions.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[Daffy F]

I would generally say no but then there's same cases that make me say differently

But... How can a Snooty Englishman be considered an animal though?? :O Tell me this!

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

We are animals. We have just acted upon the intelligence that we can grasp.
But nevertheless, we are animals, just animals that raise ourselves above the rest.

 

[SturmDolch]

By animal, they mean savage. It's an idiom. Don't take it so literally. When someone says "I feel so dead!" they don't actually mean that their legs are stiff with rigormortis and their heart has stopped.

 

[Kiba Bloodfang]

We can talk.
They can not.
We are not animals

How do you know they can't talk? They talk to each other like people do, but in their own language. To say they can't talk is to say they have no means of communication.

Dolphins, kept in two separate aquariums, had only one way of communicating: Chittering back and forth. One of them figured out a new game with its toys on its own (I forget exactly what it was it did) and eventually the other one started doing it as well, the exact same way, even though it couldn't see the other dolphin. That wouldn't have happened if they couldn't talk to each other.

 

[Wadders]

Well, we are.

We're still driven by the same basic instincs as other, less advanced animals are we not?

To pretend we're above that seems kinda silly.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[SnipErlite]

A person is smart. People are dumb.

In groups we act like sheep (so to speak) and do stupid stuff

Although we can have some rather clever thoughts, usually when alone and thinking.

So I'd say half and half

 

[Kiba Bloodfang]

-snip-

They communicate, yes.
They do not talk.

You just totally ignored my dolphin story.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[Kiba Bloodfang]

You just totally ignored my dolphin story.

No, but they didn't talk, they communicated.

To talk you need to open your mouth

Now you're just arguing semantics.

 

[bjj hero]

We can talk.
They can not.
We are not animals

How do you know they can't talk? They talk to each other like people do, but in their own language. To say they can't talk is to say they have no means of communication.

Dolphins, kept in two separate aquariums, had only one way of communicating: Chittering back and forth. One of them figured out a new game with its toys on its own (I forget exactly what it was it did) and eventually the other one started doing it as well, the exact same way, even though it couldn't see the other dolphin. That wouldn't have happened if they couldn't talk to each other.

You can communicate without language. Most studies seem to suggest animals don't have language but still communicate, hence don't talk yet.

Having said that it is a big world out there and there is plenty that has yet to be studied.

OT as a human I can control my emotions and show self control, this doesn't come natural to most animals (and some humans). You could replace "animal" with savage. I tend to refer to people as savages far more often.

You will always see your own species as seperate or higher than other animals. It goes someway to explain why eating cow is routine but eating people is taboo.

 

[setvak]

Most humans are animals, but some are also vegetables.