Actually levels of suitable reality are a question for humans only. That is humans are vain, you might call that a distinguishing characteristic of the creature. Mice probably don't measure relative importance of one aspect of their life over any other. It seems to me they are all in. If sentencing is any measure of the seriousness of a crime, then murder is not always the most serious crime.
Quite obviously you haven't been paying any attention to the cross species raising of animals and animal friendships that has been going on recently, where love is more important than species, have you? Dogs rearing and caring for deer or pigs, or for that matter a lioness raising a litter of piglets. How about the Crow caring for and feeding a kitten. Cat nursing and raising a squirrel as her own. How about the elephant morning the loss of it's dog several months after a days long vigil outside the hospital where the dog lay sick, the elephant would not leave, would not eat, would not sleep. All these "human" attributes that animals are taking further than most people can even imagine taking it themselves. They are evolving, spiritually, faster that we are..... better open your eyes to a different world, man! Things are no longer as they once seemed.... They know what is important and we banter words.
Huh? It's demonstrative of how important we regard various forms of life. If we want to find out 'importance' the best way to find out would not be speculation and wishful thinking, but an experiment like we would do in a lab. If we were to do this we would find from simple observation that humans value their own species the most, catepillars value catepillars etc. They have to in order to survive. Human health and medicine is far more developed and endowed than veterinary science.
I haven't been paying attention to it because I haven't seen it in nature as a general pattern. I don't see many birds fraternizing with dogs, or cats merrily prancing around mice rather than sinking their teeth into them. That tells me not that it isn't possible, but that it is somewhat of an exception, and exceptions exist everywhere.
I guess it's all in what you are looking for...... Anyways. This isn't supposed to be a discussion thread, just a " State Your Unpopular Opinions" thread, so I'm done.
It is demonstrative that we are vain. Do we need an experiment to demonstrate that ecology is an infant science. That we need not be in the business of caring more or less for life. I think we are rudely surprised when we regard any life form as superfluous, or conversely as superior. Self is the value we share with caterpillars. Caterpillars probably are not too concerned with the fact that they belong to the group, caterpillar.
2 1/2 years later and I still think I'm right! To add... I agree with thedope--if you're so against overpopulation than kill yourself. I hate it when people refer to other people as "human beings," as if they themselves were some outside species. And I hate it when people complain about humanity as a whole--as if they're fundamentality different from all the rest of us assholes. In the same vein, I think that everyone thinks everyone else is so evil because the most of the people who would ever want to be in power are crazed sociopaths, so since they have all the power, large-scale evil acts happen. I don't think what a few nut jobs do has any reflection on the rest of us. I think all this talk of humans vs animals and which is more important or are we even different misses the point: the question is not "Can they reason?" or "Can they talk?" but "Can they suffer?" Animal abuse should carry mandatory jail time. I think every child in America should be forced to pass an anatomy and physiology course before they're allowed to graduate--with a particular emphasis on the reproductive system. I am continuously appalled at the pervasive ignorance people have about their own bodies, not to mention all the ignorance regarding sex. I've found that people who say they "hate" modern medicine have either A) never had their life saved by it or B) Have had some bad experiences with some of it and over generalize about all of it or C) Are completely ignorant of it I think people who refer back to evolution whenever any sociological discussion comes up need to have their head bashed in. I believe in evolution too, but I don't think it can (or has to) explain absolutely everything about our species. Likewise, it really bothers me when people say they disagree with evolution even when they clearly know nothing about it and don't show an interest in learning. Classic example: "If we evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkies?? HMMM??" Well, genius, it's because "Monkey" is a colloquial term for a Family of animals, NOT AN ENTIRE SPECIES. Like if tigers had evolved into another animal, there would still be lions, leopards, and cats! Also, we evolved from apes, not monkies, but the aforementioned people probably wouldn't know the difference anyway. I think that any woman convicted of prostitution or drug use should be forced to get an IUD. I don't even necessarily think those things should be illegal, but once you get pregnant it stops being about "personal choice." I also think that people convicted of child abuse should be sterilized, and those convicted of rape or pedophilia should (provided there's DNA or other irrefutable evidence) be publicly castrated without anesthesia. And if there were a way to determine scientifically, without a doubt, that a person was a sociopath (had no sense of empathy) that person should be killed. I think that anyone who wants their son circumcised should be forced to witness the entire procedure. I think people who overly concern themselves in whether or not other people are "contributing to society" are hiding a deep insecurity about their own sense of worth. Finally... I really resent it when people call for "boycotts" of large companies, with all their drivel of "One person CAN make a difference!" and all that crap. WHY IS IT MY RESPONSIBILITY to make sure every company on earth is maintaining moral standards? Why can't THEY be held accountable for their immoral and corrupt business practices? But no, if a company is bad (and most are) it's all my fault because I'm supposed to be boycotting it, even when I don't see how it's making a difference. This is probably why I can't be vegan/vegetarian, I don't feel like it makes any difference. Ok, I'm really opinionated and should stop here...
You're right. I haven't stated my unpopular opinions yet. All criticism and praise of individuals is rather stupid, even if it is aimed at improving the world. People are their environment, they aren't separate from it. It doesn't say anything about a person that they are "brilliant" or "pathetic" or "good-natured" or "evil". If the circumstances are such that a Nobel-prize winner is produced, so be it. I don't think there was any individual inside that person that willed his/her path in life and carried it out to the ignorance of all external forces. But even if we say praise encourages excellence, the prize itself is not going to foster brilliance - such scientists and scholars are motivated by their work alone, ones that are motivated by prizes are usually untalented. Similarly a rapist or murderer usually doesn't care about the jail-time when he is committing the crime.
Agree. I'm boycotting bicycle helmets. Running doesn't wear out your knees is my controversial belief.
the only thing god and christianity have in common with each other, is their mutual acknowledgement of each other's existence.
I'm only sure that christianity acknowledge god's existence, perhaps God itself is unaware of this movement. My opinion then : It's most likely to me that the force that created us is unaware of our 'perils'.
I believe I'm the son of God. I believe everyone else is the sons and daughters of God I think everything about us, our good nature and bad nature, is reflected in God, meaning god embodies the best and worst of human nature I think were a single spirit that's imprisoned itself. I think aliens and UFO's are really angels and demons. I think aliens are the same beings as ferries, only modified through our modernistic perception and expectations. I think the church uses the authority of written scripture to displace genuine, spiritual experience, the latter of which they always seem to condemn as demonic or heretical. I think the universe is self correcting. I believe God to be the fully functioning part of a hyper-dimensional network and creation to be imperfected sectors with downed information protocols. Prophecies are error messages that the functioning part of the whole sends to the malfunctioning part of the whole so that it knows to correct itself. I think crop circles are a category of the the above described error messages. I think its possible were a God undergoing a psychotic episode. I believe the true solution to all the madness is to love yourself and to love others as you love yourself, because everyone and everything else is genuinely an extension of yourself, as evidenced by quantum entanglement. I think politics is just a way to deflect all our insecurities onto the external world so that we don't have to face what's inside us. Political conflict becomes a surrogate to avoid true, spiritual exploration and self realization.
OK...^ Some of that is so damn awful and awesome, it begs to be commented on. It also caused me to spit out my tea:smilielol5:...but I'm gonna give my own unpopular opinion(s). I VOTED FOR OBAMA I think it is nay but a slim possiblility that all the Abrahamic faiths...as well as other religions do not hold truths. I can feel deep within that there is a Powerful Creator. How is it everyone cannot??? Americans are becoming more likely to rob and hurt each other for NOTHING than anywhere else. We are fucking bullies, to each other and other nations. Obama is too "passive" for a lot of these political pundits. I believe it would not go against the bible if Jesus were married; and that he might have actually survived the crucifiction and continued to live on for 19 yrs...although in anonymity, of a type, but surrounded by a very few that WHO he was. For the most part, "Christians" LOVE LOVE LOVE to judge other people. Michael Jackson was NOT a child molester and people need to Shut Up about it and let him rest in peace. period. But the first list by ThePoet is damn classic. :2thumbsup:
It should be legally mandatory for women to pay for at least 40% of everything when dating or in a relationship. If a woman doesn't have the cash to do so, a record is kept of the imbalance. If/when a couple is married and then divorced, if the woman wants to take anything from her ex (house, car, alimony) this imbalance must be factored into the settlement. I'm joking.....kinda