Are animals different to humans?

Question

I mean, humans treat animals as if they are...well, animals. whats wrong? i thought we were supposed to respect, not slaughter them.

Oh, okay. what i meant to say was, well, humans always feel superior to animals, cause we're "smarter" and are more "civilized"...i dont think. we kill our own kind as well, and those who kill dont actually kill because they need to, its because they feel like it. animals only kill when they must

Answer 1

your young aren't you?

Answer 2

Humans are different from other animals, all animals are different from each other.

There is no one way that humans treat other animals - some are food, some are entertainment, some are tools, some are feared and respected - in ways that are based on how we interact with them in our environment and what uses and functions they have.

Some people treat other animals with respect, but by no means all people do. I would point out though that respecting animals and slaughtering them are not mutually exclusive, there is such a thing as ethical farming and slaughter practices. It might be rarer than you would like (it's rarer than *I* would like) but as a consumer you have the power to change that.

Answer 3

We are no different, there is no us or them, we are the same. People think of animals as less supieor because they can't understand them, they can't tell or cummunicate. There is really no difference at all, we may be the "intelligent" animal, but really the most mircal like animal is not at all the human, more like the water bear which is almost microscopic at is basicially indestructable (resist some much raditation, 120 years in suspened animation and tons of other things). And the cockroach. Even though I am definately not a vegetarian, I don't believe in game hunting or just killing for "fun". That creeps me out. You see people think differently about animals because they can't say hi back to you. They make up for it for saying "We're more superior" , that's the reason why people do animal abuse and slaughtering. It's sad, and it's sader people actually think some this stuff. I mean who would think that a parrot would throw (Alex a African grey parrot) a nut at a reasearcher because he wanted a bananna and they would not give it to him. Or Koko saying finger braclet for ring, and Panabanisha (bonobo) calling a man she didn't like "A monster". That all demonstrates we're not different.

Answer 4

This can bother you for years and years.


Obviously animals are different than humans .. and often same too.

The famous question "do dogs have Buddha nature" answer is "mu" .. not yes, not no. we don't really know. You could modify this to "do dogs have a god like nature" .. as assumed that people do.


I often think of life as a continuum from viruses up to man. as one scales the ladder there is more awareness of life around them.


In many ways life IS monstrous beause we must eat and kill some forms of life to survive.

We need to respect the universe, the earth, its life and its peoples.

We need to respect what is given to us.

To the few.. the jains wear masks so they won't inhale and kill even bacteria.

To many .. this means vegetarianism.

To some ..like Native Americans and me .. respect the life of an animal and do not waste it and ask permission first and/or thank it before each meal.

To many "Christians" .. surprisingly to me .. they lay waste the earth, its animals and its peoples.. they are not stewards kings ,, they are monster kings.

It is all in how one reads the holy books and how much huberis one has.

Answer 5

You miss a vital point. There is a food chain for every species of animal and from protists to man, most are predatory...we eat other things. From dentition (our teeth) we are omnivorous which is to say we can eat plants or flesh, some animals are herbivorous and they need only grass and such but each type has modifications in their digestion to accomodate the food. People that are vegetarian must plan their diets more closely to insure they are getting sufficient nutrients and vitamins and are often vitamin deficient. Many people fail to understand that animals are part of nature's scheme of things to provide sustainance for other creatures, and while it may seem cruel, it is nature.

Answer 6

If you are talking about animals (scientifically) Humans are considered animals and technically If the process of evoloution serves us correctly, all animals and humans are technically related. If you are being a vegan or vegetarian, you should consider that.

If you talking about animals ( in certain religons) Humans are not
considered animals because we are above animals. If the thoery of creationism serves us correctly, then everything is what is onece was and is today, plus survival of the fittest.

Answer 7

you are young, i agree with that. But just to let you know, humans do that between them, the slaughter thing, so no, we are the same. The only difference is our conscience. But we still act and react using our primal and most basic instincts. Quite funny, most times, animals and insects live in more civilized societies than ours, by the looks of it.

Answer 8

Yes, but when educated, some Gorillas learn to ask questions such as "why?" This ability to question ourselves is the single reason we give importance to our existance, and with enough time, perhaps they can even learn to have such thoughts. On another note, why is it that a dog will give its life to protect a human owner? Does the dog not feel that its very existance is to serve that human? Similarly, humans serve God, as a dog serves a human. Hope this helps : )

Answer 9

No, animals are different FROM humans...

Answer 10

Animals are not self aware.

Answer 11

i guess we both are same and different from animals