Re:Animals are no less emotional than we are
by svachalek on Friday March 08, 2019 @06:42PM
(#19343339)
I'd agree that there are some animals that don't seem to be aware of this, but I can't think of any birds or mammals I'd put into that group off the top of my head. What makes you think this is uniquely human?
Re:Animals are no less emotional than we are
by mtberatwork on Friday March 08, 2019 @07:28PM
(#19343590)
Well, I don't see any ducks around here postulating what it means to be mortal.
But in all fairness, I think you are most likely referring to the "fight or flight" response mechanism found in living creatures. This is simply an unconscious reaction to stressful stimuli and doesn't signal a higher state of consciousness.
Re:Animals are no less emotional than we are
by nearbuy on Saturday March 09, 2019 @12:19AM
(#19344632)
I'm not sure what your basis is for either claim. How would a duck that was aware it could die behave any differently than what we observe? What makes you think that fear is a conscious emotion in humans and an unconscious reaction in animals?
If you were a member of an alien species briefly observing the Earth 50,000 years ago, you'd probably use a similar argument that humans aren't conscious. Sure, they hunt, they play, and they show fear of danger, but that isn't substantially different from other mammals.
The crux of the human condition is that we are aware of our own mortality. That's a profound awareness which breeds all sorts of irrationalities and fears in humans not found in ducks. If those are just the motions, then I suppose we may have gotten the short end of the stick perhaps?