Is man the only creature to fail to share information that would threaten the safety of another creature?

Question

If I know things you do not and fail to share my knowledge (aside from any ethical questions) I might gain an evolutionary advantage?. In thinking thoughts that are not shared I create my own unique personality?. Many creatures communicate is homo sapiens the only one that chooses not to share info with the rest of the species?

Answer 1

Hauptmann Fritz Schneider trudged wearily through
the somber aisles of the dark forest. Sweat rolled down
his bullet head and stood upon his heavy jowls and bull
neck. His lieutenant marched beside him while Underlieutenant
von Goss brought up the rear, following with a handful of
askaris the tired and all but exhausted porters whom the black
soldiers, following the example of their white officer, en-
couraged with the sharp points of bayonets and the metal-shod
butts of rifles.

Answer 2

Knowledge alone will not give you an evolutionary advantage, is not adaptability more important?
Is the hierarchy in other species solely down to physical strength? If you think as I do that the answer is no, a place could only be maintained by having knowledge/experience your rivals haven't got.
You say in thinking thoughts that are not shared you create your own personality. Do not members of other species have unique personalities?
I would propose that other species also chose not to share information with other members of their species. In their hierarchies the rank and file do what they are told, no explanation given.

Is this psychology or philosophy?

Answer 3

Hi >
Goodly Q, but ...
I just talk and have, "sensible" communication with other humans.
However: Consider many critters operating in symbiosis, even parasitical ones. A bird pecking the fleas off a rhino. Small fish that happily clean the teeth of sharks, etc.
Working together naturally for mutual benefit
I feel humankind does the same, often, in passing on such day-to-day things as showing a young dog it is not a good notion to cross a busy street.
There again, although my gecko was handy as an ant cleaner in the Mid-East, he understood that in return, we seemed to communicate that a bowl of beer was goodly recompense.
A wobbly lizard.
So I guess my simple answer is yes.
Co-operative understanding between and within a species is not only on the cards, but a good idea.
Bob

Answer 4

It's true that many creatures in the wild (birds and monkeys come immediately to mind) do shriek out when danger approaches. But so do people, surely?

I am left wondering what specifically you have in mind. I recognise, having gone through the biggest hurricane on record, that there is an instinctive urge to make arrangements for oneself and grab such supplies that are going for one's hoard. But by the same token, having done this, I've seen a remarkable attitude on the part of the decent people around to share with people who were less provident once the hurricane struck. (There were others who took advantage of the situation to burgle houses and to double or treble rents and to make as much material benefit as possible!). I think that there is an instinctive caution which leads us to help ourselves and our immediate family and friends first and foremost, but that is also duplicated in the animal world. Presumably there are limits to what we can warn people about (there are plenty of people on Yahoo Answers who resent being warned about their eternal destiny, for example!) and the amount of energy we can spend warning people while having to preserve ourselves and our families, especially in a world where people don't take advice. (Why, for example, are people still smoking?)

Answer 5

The human being as a spicies is the only animal on this planet that has actively destroyed its own environment. We are unique in our selfishness. We have the ability to make tools to help us, once this was thought to distinguish us from lesser animals, however, certain birds, apes etc have also developed this mechanism. From this i would ascertain that we are also the only animal that is hell bent on killing itself also, unless you look at spiders and certain other insects? so in short, I don't know but i guess so!!!!!!!

Answer 6

It is just because it is in everythings nature to make sure that they look out for themselves and protect themselves, the only people that look out for others and help them are teh people that think they are above everyone else and safe from harm

Answer 7

Had the Dodo been forewarned that man was going to hunt it to extinction i somehow don't think it would have learnt to fly in time to escape its fate? even if a couple of passing ducks had bothered to stop and pass on there insights into aerodynamics and long range flight.

Answer 8

Man has an en-ate sense of survival, no matter the cost and to whom.

Answer 9

i'm pretty sure as a panther i'm not giving any information to the deer before i snap his neck and devour as much muscle from him as i can.

Answer 10

man is blind, dime and stupid when it comer's to the safety of anything than himself