Do you consider yourself, in the general scheme of things, to be more important than a housefly?

Question

If you do...Why?

Answer 1

Possibly as I don't eat sh1t and then land on bigger peoples dinner and spread disease, but other than that, who knows!

Answer 2

More important to who? The housefly's eggs just about to be laid? My partner? God?

In God's eyes - and it does say somewhere in the bible - mankind is above other creatures. There is also some evidence to skeptics about this in that the human being is the only animal to be able to have command (once worked at) over any animal or bird. Our intelligence has secured our place at the top of the food chain. We are certainly the most dominant force on the planet.

Importance though - let's look at the effect we have on each other. . . .

I don't really mind if a fly comes near me. The fly certainly minds if I come near him/her.

If the fly accidentally poisoned my food and I died I would provide generations' worth of food and shelter for larvae for the fly.

If I killed the fly, intentionally or not, I would feel guilty and it would pass.

So far it looks like I AM more important to the fly when looking at just the two of us and also having some biblical input.

What about other animals on the planet? Is the fly important to them . . . . . well apart from most having evolved ears/ tails / relationships with certain birds to get rid of them the fly has no importance to them. A very unpopular creature it would seem - species even bothering to grow tails/ears to knock them out!

I therefore conclude that I, Kirsty G, am more important than a housefly. I do however invite any houseflies to contribute their points of view below.

Answer 3

I am indispensable, without me nothing would have existed … and I could kill a housefly in an instant without having any legal, moral, ethical, or personal repercussions, or in simple words without being caught or feeling guilty.

I do not operate entirely confined within the general scheme of things, I think, and therefore, I have a will of my own. I could do things by the use of my free will and ability to plan that may adversely intercede the course of other beings in nature.

In the general scheme of things, however, I am never any important, or unimportant for that matter, than anything else that co-exists me in the universe. I am as much a being in existence as a star, a galaxy, a moth, an ocean or a lake, or of course another person.

Answer 4

yes ... because there is no -general scheme of things- .. there is only very personal one for each one of us, and I do believe that I'm more important to people who care for me than any housefly (groups are being made according to common interests, and affiliations), but I don't see why would I be of any importance to any housefly ...

Answer 5

a vry difficult question, indeed. if you look at the vastness of the universe you cant help thinking in front of that vast unknown whether you are a housefly or a human being it hardly matters. but you can look at it from another perspective, how utterly hopeless and puny is a house fly in front of us as an individual, then you will see we ar much more important in the scheme of things.

Answer 6

I do, because in the hierarchy of values, metaphysical as well as practical, it is in my best interest to think of myself as being of the highest value of any creature in existence--for myself, rationally, without denying the same of any other man or woman. This means without the initiation of force, which answers the question you probably think it begs: would I do anything, hurt anyone, just to survive? No. Ethics is a value in the life of civilization and without it all men might now be dead.

By the way, what prompted such an insulting question? Of course all men are more important than a fly--we have reason and discurse, neither of which is accidental. Ancient man could have decided to remain as the brutes and deny the power of their reason, but it was a moral decision to recognize it, to formulate ethics, to protect their values, and to seek justice when necessary for their fellows. And if I was not more important than a fly, I would not have a fly swatter.

Answer 7

One thing there is no such entity as an evil house fly or other type of fly.
Importance could be deemed as the effect we have on flies and their effect on us.
We could never eradicate the fly but there is good reason to believe the house fly could spread plagues and eradicate us.
Only man can be evil,no other animal can be.
Our importance,we are the only animals on earth with ability te speak which allows us to be objective.
Before the emergence of intelligent,objective life,the universe was an evolving,unknowing beast.
When we and others like us came along we endowed the universe with awareness.
Unlike a house fly we are the eyes and ears of the universe.

Answer 8

Hello, This question to me has but one answer No as a manufacturer of Pest controll sprays etc the flies earn me x amount a year, create work producing,supplying, and selling etc, So as i have my needs and make employment food, clothes etc mankind benefits from both of us.ps we all spread germs and think of the spiders etc they will starve to death because the fly is a important part of the worlds food chain.Plus it dont have an ego to think that it is the most important thing on the planet.

Answer 9

I know everything is of equal value to the universe. From a dust spec to a human life, and that sounds very strange to people. But as a person, I do feel I have value due to the very mechanics of the world in which we live. Anything less would be low self-esteem. To people, it's the thought process that creates the importance. If you can think and rationalize, you're of value. And the more desirable traits you possess, the more value you have. That's human rationale. Fly's cannot think as we do, communicate as we do, (ever see another person treating someone who didn't know their language like they were completely unintelligent?), or reason. There's no getting through to them and we see that as the very basic of what is expected in our society. Thus they're less to the cumulative human reality. I have to consider myself of value. For If I don't, who will? They get their opinion of me, from me. If I think highly of me, that'll influence them to. I have guidelines, I have expectations, thus that's proof I have value. That's how the subconscious mechanics of it go. But if I'm low if I'm constantly apologizing for myself and existence, then they'll see the insinuation I'm giving and I'll be treated in like context. Where I used to live, flies were a constant nuissance, but I always let them out and almost never killed them. This would be a constant thing speaking that those werent' the most sanitary conditions that ever existed, and my parents were very natural. It's interesting to me to see another human being that recognizes this universal trait. To some extent, I'm impressed.

Answer 10

Yes. Because as part of the human race with intelligence, I can contribute to the ultimate survival of life by getting mankind off planet earth when the sun gets too hot.

The housefly won't.

Answer 11

Ah Yeah.
If I were a fly I'd kill myself and I don't want to kill myself so of course I'm more important than a housefly!