006 Those Things Send Us Down A Road

[speterman]

[Someone sure was missing from classes and didn't eat all day. His handwriting is different than usual, awkwardly paced, as if pausing when finishing some of the words trying to decide what to say.]

Can I get the homework and an idea of what we did in class today?

[Ink blots and a couple of smudges.]

It's odd how often humans consider themselves the superior species and assume all organisms below them are shallow and un-feeling.

There have been multiple examples - how animals can feel depression or even happiness just as us.

[Sure isn't as light-hearted as usual.]

Comments

[moveslikejaeger]

[Wow Peter, wow. If there was ever a post to ping Maxim's interests, it's this one. Especially after his little fight with Bruce]

like how people think werewolves are less than human because the animal instinct is more prominent and even in control for about 12 days out of a year i always thought it was funny because humans are animals too and i never could figure out what it was about us that was supposed to make us so much better

[speterman]

[Wow, Maxim, what is punctuation, holy nuts.]

What I assume makes us tend to think we're better than other living organisms is that we can talk and have opposable thumbs. Which, is kind of silly. Because thumbs don't make us not an animal, and multiple animals have shown the ability to have their own dialects that are typically understood among each other. Yes, we have large complex brains, but so do dolphins, and even octopodes have shown stunning intelligence.

There is also the common animalistic reaction to be scared of or hostile to that you do not understand - I think that ties in greatly with werewolves, though I can say I don't know much about werewolves or vampires.

[moveslikejaeger]

[punctuation is for smart people, clearly]

see thats exactly why i dont get it its not even that hard to tell i just sit out in the goat pen and you can hear them bleating at each other and interacting so their clearly talking to each other even if we dont undertand them like what if i started talking german all the time no one would understand me but that doesnt mean that im not saying words and i have an uncle who lost both his thumbs but hes not an animal either just because he has no thumbs thats silly

and also just think how so many people even with their complex brains arent very smart its also not really a good example i dont think

i suppose that is true ignorance is the greatest source of fear maybe i should do a fact post about werewolves and vampires some day call it "*~monsters are people too!*~" do you think that would help?

[speterman]

Both very valid, very good points made. Humans are still animals after-all, we just pretend to be better than everything else.

That is also true. I think it will always be a running argument though, whether or not humans are animals, or something more.

Maybe - I mean, if you didn't call it that. Don't call it that, that's horrid.

[moveslikejaeger]

well maybe some of you ravenclaws do i dont think im better than anything else or anyone for that matter definitely prettier tho ;)

it seems silly because we all have to work together and share you know? being the dominant species doesnt mean that other animals dont need homes and food and things too so its like
we should use our smarts to make things better

whats so horrid about it?

[speterman]

Uh, I don't really think I'm better than anyone, or much of anything. You can't judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree. :) Einstein didn't really say that by the way, I just like the faux-quote.

People don't like thinking about others, no matter how much they say they do. So it's expected that we don't do that... Unfortunate, but expected.

Monsters? The terminology, if you're trying to prove a point you don't want to agree with your opponent. "Werewolves and Vampires are people too" would be more suitable.

[moveslikejaeger]

i didnt mean to imply that you thought that way as well its just that i tend to meet people who think they are better because they are smarter from your house quite frequently more than any other house actually

i think about other people a lot

oh i guess i didnt think of it that way then again im perfectly human but i still get called monster so i guess it doesnt really mean much to me anymore

[speterman]

Hmm. I can understand that. A lot of them don't like me.

So do I. I'd give up my happiness for someone elses' if it came down to it.

It might be offensive to them though. I know I'd be offended -- to be different from someone and have them call you a monster.