What is the point of living if you are not self aware?

Question

I remember reading a few months back that scientists had discovered that elephants were aware of their own reflections, possibly the only other animal (except maybe gorillas/monkeys etc) to be self aware. I'm not sure if they have confirmed if dolphins are. Anyway my questions is... what is the point of being an animal if you are not entirely aware of your existence? I am not religious and I don't undervalue lives of animals, rather the opposite, but this question simply popped into my head!

Answer 1

Hmmm...
On a biological level, we are all simply designed to reproduce - we are empty and meaningless - our sole purpose is to replicate DNA.
On a metaphysical / quantum level, consciousness creates the universe.
Clearly I am as confused as you, but i like your question.
(and remember - the Nobel prize gets awarded for the question, not the answer)

Answer 2

And, if you were to be given 'thee answer', could you appreciate it? Would you appreciate it?

Surely, the answer is entirely subjective.

A 'creature' which has no personal awareness but understands the need to flee when it experiences a threat, does it need to appreciate a self-awareness in the same light that we do?

What would be the point of an animal, recognising that it had no 'self awareness,' and simply gave up the ghost and laid itself down to await the next predator which came along looking for a free meal.

Not much point and little chance in the animals having any offspring either ~ leaving us in something of a barren world with all kinds of ecological difficulties.

Sash.

Answer 3

Maybe it is a helpful tool within the minds of animals, to keep them from going off track from what they are instictly born to do. They usually live very short lives, and their lives consist only of eating, breeding, and escaping their enemies. Some animals exist only to be the food of another. If they were to evolve to where they were completely aware of their existance, they would realize that there is more to life than what they have been doing all along, and they would begin to do other things, to make their lives more meaningful to them, like humans do their entire existance. Maybe animals are meant to be kept in the dark about their existance, for the fact that it would throw off the food chain, and the normal cycle of things if they were aware of this. Just a thought.

Answer 4

I've just had big problems with someone I know who is not self aware. He's arrogant, rude and ignorant, but until I pointed this out he had no idea what so ever. You'd think that this was a bad thing for him (having few friends etc.), however he always seems to get what he wants because he doesn't realise he's so intimidating. Perhaps animals are not self aware because it means they get what they want without worrying how they are perceived??

Sorry if that seems like a massive rant, but it might be the answer!

Answer 5

Just because scientists haven't or can't confirm whether or not they're self aware it doesn't mean they're not. We have a long way to go in truly understanding the world around us.
I am religious and I greatly value the lives of animals. I also believe that if we didn't treat our animals with indifference and cruelty we could be better understand them and share a deeper connection with our animals and nature in general.

Answer 6

just because they don't recognise life in the way we do doesn't mean they don't have an existence to them in their own way. Plants don't have eyes so can't see their reflection, i still believe they have some awareness of their existence in some shape or form even if very primitive.

If we didn't care so much about how we looked we would be much happier as a species as we wouldn't have to worry about what people thought of us. We could form stronger realtionships and care more about others than being so selfish.

Answer 7

Who knows maybe we don't know what drives animals completely. I think it's amazing how they care for their offspring. They must know that they are needed to some extent to care for their young and keep their species alive! I don't agree with the guy who said nothing is lost when weeds are pulled or a bug is squashed. We really don't know the extent to which they are aware or involved in their surroundings! So to ignorantly say that nothing is lost is completely wrong! Sometimes for me, I am tooo self-aware, to a downfall! I am so self-critical and hyperanalytical about myself that I think it would be nice to not have to think about why I thought that thought, or what did I do that for? It would be nice to just be happy swimming around in mud puddles and not wonder anything! Peace!

Answer 8

I don't think animals are too concerned with the meaning of life. Because we are self aware, we feel the need to address abstract ideas, sometimes as a means of understanding "why" we live lives in the first place. Animals that have less cognitive capability aren't compelled to seek answers to those questions, because they aren't intelligent enough to ask them.

Answer 9

As non-human animals lack self-awareness, they don't know they lack self-awareness. Mainly their existence is driven by biologically programmed instincts to eat and reproduce.

Non-human animals don't experience consciousness similar to human consciousness because they lack many of the critical brain components we believe are part of our ability to be self aware.

Consider one main ability animals don't have: language. Human beings use words to think. Animals may have sounds they recognize, but these are not actual language.

This does not mean they don't have great purpose, and are a part of the overall ecology of life.

This is a significantly deep question, and philosophers have debated this for ages.

Consider Descartes: "I think, therefore, I am."

May I compliment you on the critical nature of your question. Thinking in a critical manner allows us to solve problems.

Have a great one!

Answer 10

Well, that's how evolution shaped animals. It has nothing to do with what the animals might want. The characteristics that animals have are the result of evolution. We might like them to have self awareness but nature is not obliged to follow our desires.