Humanity

I'm pretty sure every living being wants an end to their suffering. And it can be short term and long term goal.

Does life have a goal? Are you saying you'd rather live a life solely based on reproduction and survival while suffering, than spend your life getting better and better at avoiding suffering? yes, survival and reproduction are important, but the higher up one is on the hierarchy of needs, the closer you are to reaching your full potential. Animals tend to have quite a limited ability to change and improve themselves.


and i'd definetly rather be a plant who does not suffer (if plants are concious) but lol this thread is about animals not plants...

 

That's debatable...we are the smartest and the stupidest at the same time. Humans have the capability to do great things, but the human race has done alot of fucked up shit, and continues to do so.

 

imagine if a dog had the physical means to use a machine gun, and was taught how, or perhaps given one easier to use. I think that if he was angry, he would have much less self control and do more harm than human with a machine gun. just because humans have done some fucked up shit doesn't mean their less intelligent then animals. If a squirrel is pissed at you, he won't not kill you because of higher intelligence, but because of his physical limitations. i personally think its ludicrous to say other animals could are more intelligent. yes the invention of the atomic bomb is fucked up but a shit ton of intelligence was involved in making it. i think when humans act violently and impulsively cause harm, they are acting more like animals rather than taking a step back and making use of their human intellect.

 

There is nothing that indicates we are smarter or less smart than other animals. We are just more informed, but being informed is not the epitome of intelligence.

We can write, but look at what we do to have this ability: destroy trees and pollute.
We can think, but look at what we do with this: create weapons to kill, and machines that pollute and intrude on others.
We can communicate, but nothing says other animals can't.
We create a system of money, and economy but look what it leads to: corruption, greed, and from this imagined inequality and the infliction of suffering.

We have a long way to go before we keep our intelligence in balance for our own good. Sometimes I think that if animals could, or can make the things we do, they wouldn't choose to do so.

Another think to keep in mind is that the vast majority of what most consider 'intelligence' comes from recorded observation and recorded result. The machines we use right now exist because we found a way to store information.

 

honestly, i feel that intelligence is GREAT at solving the problems IT CREATES

 

not sure about that ...ever seen a dog try to hump someones leg! hee!

 

agreed.

 

Thats debatable too. Who says anything we have done is "fucked up"? We have the capability to do great things that are beneficial to ourselves, but since when does that concern the universe? Our affairs are so insignificant, to a bird, the holocaust was just a leaf in the wind.

 

Being an animal would make life so much easier.

 

They hump legs because it feels good. Sometimes they hump objects. That doesn't mean they have an appreciation of human boobies.

 

I agree, but its also great at solving problems it doesn't create. Also, i think that in general, the more intelligence one has, the more likely one will avoid creating problems, and the better able one will be able to solve them. If there was a hypothetical being with infinite intelligence, this being, with a full comprehension of the universe, would no longer create any problems and would know how to eliminate suffering. I think humans are much closer to this hypothetical being than other animals.

Additionally, in Buddhism, being human is quite a good creature to be born as for attaining enlightenment. Being reborn as an animal is considered a step closer towards the hell realms.

 

Assuming that animals don't have a consciousness I would rather be a human and have the opportunity to explore, expand, learn, feel, try new things, and think about them all as I go along! But assuming they do have a consciousness, I would want to be something that doesn't have to be eaten or hunted constantly...buut I'm a vegetarian so I wouldn't want to kill other animals all the time either...but passed overthinking things, I'd want to be a hedgehog, a small bird like a sparrow, a turtle, tropical fish or a dolphin

 

Are most people (including yourself) able to create and fire automatic weapons?
And that's what has always fascinated me about modern day society and technology.

 

If I had a second choice I'd be a bird. Look at how free they are! They just fly and enjoy, fly and enjoy.

 

I can't manufacture one, but I can break one down, re-assemble it, clean it, clear it and fire it with a fairly good speed and accuracy.

Given the right machining tools I can convert some semi-auto rifles to full auto as well.

 

Plus you could literally shit on somebody who pisses you off.

 

Without intelligence we wouldn't need LSD.

 

There once was a farmer who could be seen lifting his pigs up to an apple tree one at a time so as to feed them apples. When asked why he didn't just pick the apples and feed them to the pigs all at once to save time, he replied, What is time to a pig?

 

who says plants don't feel suffering. maybe they don't, but they come from almost an entirely different genome than breathing animals. but you can bet that every other lesser animal feels suffering. humans have the highest capacity to end suffering of any living creature.

yea and with more power we have more responsibility. you can't really say that animals might be more 'intelligent' or 'moral' than us since they keep their intelligence more in balance with the enviroment, because they aren't faced with the issue of what to do with all of this crazy shit that we have in our society. they aren't intelligent enough to even begin to create some of the issues that come along with our higher intelligence. the negatively impacting issues in our society aren't a sign of lesser intelligence, they are a sign of the trials and tribulations of higher intelligence.

but when you think about it, humans are at the top of the chain of natural selection. natural selection has been the force that has ruled, defined, and shaped nature since the beginning of our planet. a human soldier fully equipped with weapons is the highest expression of power, survival, and is supreme to all other species, on a physical survival level. in this way, we are definitely better than animals. we rule this planet.

we also have more intellectual and spiritual potential. a human being is the best vessel for answering the questions which are most important to existence: who are we, why are we here, and what comes next? do you really think that even a monkey has the potential to begin to ponder these essential questions? no, i bet that he just wants a bannana. you can't question the more important aspects of life unless your survival needs are met, and all animals in the wild are in a constant state of survival: eat, sleep, fuck. humans on the other hand have found a way of somewhat securing their survival needs. we also have the rational and empathy required for higher morality, leading to less suffering, and more love. we are evolving from being shaped by the forces of fear which have shaped this planet for eons, to being shaped by the forces of love.

 

i like being human, maybe it would be cool being a cat, with thier night vision and balance abilities