I don't necessairly consider animal lovers better people

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It is often stated that people who care and empathize with animals are automatically people with good hearts. I, for one, strongly disagree. Over the past couple of years I have seen people who are very kind with many good qualities but didn't really care about animals, and people who had full-on empathy for animals yet acted like complete jerks through and through. I've seen several big animal lovers who bully fellow humans, are extremely racist, or otherwise just complete cruel ****s to anything that isn't an animal.

I also don't agree with Gandhi's quote saying that the greatness of a nation can be judged by how it treats its animals: Sure, often there are countries that are still behind in both animal protection and human rights (such as mainland China excluding Hong Kong) and countries that are good in both (such as modern day (not Nazi) Germany). However, I've also seen countries that have a lot of respect for animals yet struggle severely in many other fundamental qualities, and countries with some of the best human rights and care for its people yet are behind in regards to animal issues. For example, Nazi Germany was one of the pioneers of animal treatment legislation, yet we all know how cruel it was to its opponents and the Jews.

That is not to say that empathy for other sentient nonhumans is a bad thing: I think it is a great quality. Personally, I was raised to have empathy for animals and excessive cruelty can make me very distressed. In addition, animal abuse has been linked to violent crime, so it's already shown that it's a horrible thing. When I hear people say that they have empathy for animals, I gain respect for them. However, I do not think that it is the final say on their personality, as it has been stated for decades. I don't think that people that don't really care for animals are any worse than people who do (that is unless they go as far as torture them for the fun of it). I simply view it as a good quality in itself, and other qualities still have to speak for themselves before I pass a judgement. Personally, I think that saying a terrible person is great for being an animal lover is like saying a piece of shit is an amazing meal if you stuff it with caviar and sugar.

Is is normal to hold this viewpoint?

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Based on 28 votes (21 yes)
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Comments ( 10 )
  • Short4Words
    10 years ago

    It's not just normal it's just logical. I know and used to be a self-proclaimed animal lover and I hated people. I wonder if this is common among animal lovers. They don't understand people but find animals easier to get along with. And then somehow right off the whole human race.

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  • cuppycake1228
    10 years ago

    OP, I agree wholeheartedly. I briefly worked for a veterinarian who blatantly told me that she is in the business only for the animals and that she hates people. At the time I laughed it off, thinking she was joking. Then I realized she really *was* not only a complete cunt, but insane for telling her brand-new employee that she "hates people". Needless to say, I left that job like a bat out of hell!

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  • peterr
    10 years ago

    You need to get the opinion of the animals themselves. Good luck with that.

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    • cuppycake1228
      10 years ago

      You're a buttdart.

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  • RomeoDeMontague
    10 years ago

    You seem to be missing the fact most people are dicks. Animals are naive and think like a child would. They do not see the world like an adult would.

    They don't have a full understanding of how things really work. Its the same reason you have more pity for a child than an adult. Since a 5 year old is probably going to be less of a bastard and when you see that 34 year old you think "What if they had it coming"?

    Most adults are terrible people and most teenagers are terrible people. Animals are innocent enough to want to keep them. Kind of like a little kid. No-matter how angry they make you they are just so sweet and innocent you want to forgive them.

    You just don't know what it feels like to be treated like shit. People like you with perfect lives are not going to get it. Since you live under the illusion that people are perfect. Well news flash. People are far from perfect.

    There has been people treated so bad as children they have severe mental problems. They had a six year old boy they trapped in a closet that they wouldn't feed that came on Opera(no I don't watch. Found this on internet), and you really think people are fucking perfect? Some people are treated so horribly they don't want to deal with people anymore. PEOPLE ARE SHIT! WAKE THE FUCK UP! You ever hear of Ted bundy, or Jeffrey Dohmer? or maybe Elizabeth Bathory? Now tell me again why we should love all people we meet? When you realize how shitty people can be you realize why some just decide not to deal with anyone anymore.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      10 years ago

      1. Not ONCE did I ever say that "people are perfect and better than animals". I do NOT think that humans are anywhere near perfect, nor are we better than them. All that I ever said was that "I don't necessarily consider animal lovers better people". Nothing more.

      2. I HAVE been treated like shit before. I was tormented by kids in clubs I was forced to join, and the authority in charge just ignored it and watched on even when I told on the bullies. Hell, I've even been scolded by teachers simply for telling on bullies. I've also been pushed to outright suicide attempts at times. I was also taunted by a teacher and they got away with it. That's one of the reasons why I'm happier being an adult now.

      3. I have been 100% aware of those sick people for years, and I can pull out many more examples I have heard on the news/internet. I even have family friends who were affected in some way by some deranged serial killer and are even going through so hard times.

      4. It sounds like you have only been around smaller domestic animals like cats and dogs. The reason why they are very sweet and cuddly is because they have been selectively and forcibly bred over generations, not to mention taming experience through generations. Go into the untouched wild and there is an entirely different story: There are many instances of nature's wrath such as dolphins gang raping and kill for fun, male lions committing genocide on cubs when they take over a pride, hyenas doing pedophilia, an otter raping a baby seal to death and many others. If you visit the developing world (where often wild and stray animals roam freely) there are constantly reports of animals (even dogs) attacking and killing innocent people, even unprovoked. If I followed your logic I'd say "dogs are shit" and never want to get near one again because I consistently hear reports of dogs mauling non-abusers to death.

      5. Of course I am not going to generalize all people I meet from the good experiences. But I'm not going to generalize all people from bad experiences either.

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    • cuppycake1228
      10 years ago

      Animals are NOT naïve; everything they do is in terms of survival instinct. That is not the same as naïveté. Remove head from sphincter, then type.

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      • RomeoDeMontague
        10 years ago

        Yes, and people do not. People will choose to lie and cheat and steal just for the fun of it. Animals will kill other animals for food, humans might kill another animal or another person since they find it amusing. Not just because they need to.

        Also animals do have a limited understand of what we do. You never seen a dog bark at its reflection? Why would a dog bark at a reflection of its self? Maybe it does not know what a reflection is. Please learn something about animals before you make such stupid statements.

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        • cuppycake1228
          10 years ago

          I'm a vet tech, you fucking prick. I'm not even arguing about the human points you made; I'm saying you can't compare animals to human children. It's inaccurate.

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        • RomeoDeMontague
          10 years ago

          http://youtu.be/l465g01Qark<====

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