Is it normal to feel guilty/sad i killed a fly?

69% Normal
43 Comments

Last night I squashed a fly simply because it was buzzing around the computer, it didn't fully die so I had finish it off.

The next morning I felt guilty when another fly landed on my computer but didn't make any noises or fly around.
Who was I to deny an organism like myself the freedom to live life just because it did what it did best? I felt sad and thought about it for a while.

I decided I might adopt a philosophy (I think a American Indian philosophy?) where I would try and avoid killing wildlife, however when I do I must try to use the remains as much as possible so the killing is not in vein (eating, for instance).

Is it normal that I feel guilty for killing a fly?
Is it normal to adopt a new philosophy because of it?

Voting Results
69% Normal
Based on 254 votes (175 yes)
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Comments ( 43 )
  • bigfatpoo
    11 years ago

    You should feal guilty

    That poor fly was just minding its own business, and getting on with its innocent life

    What if the fly had children it needs to feed? and them baby flys are still waiting for its mother.

    You're a terrible person.

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    • sega31098
      11 years ago

      Funny, but wrong. Flies don't even have family systems. They lay eggs and then die.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      but it could have landed on you , die fly die

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    • kouskous21
      11 years ago

      I agree with bigfatpoo.

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  • Faceless
    11 years ago

    Every time im on the hunt to kill a fly I mumble that circle of life song from the Lion King. Makes it epic you should try it..

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  • dirtybirdy
    11 years ago

    Oh man have you ever got a gnat in your eye?!?! So gross. I mean did it shit in there?? In my precious eye??!?!

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    • drugsrbadmkay
      11 years ago

      I had a gnat fly up my nose once that was f'n nasty.

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      • dirtybirdy
        11 years ago

        Oh man that's happened to me too.

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    i'd rather kill one than swallow one, i've done both so i know which is preferable

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  • Terence_the_viking
    11 years ago

    Flies shit where they eat and they lay maggots.

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  • kr24
    11 years ago

    House flies non-sentient parasites. You did the right thing!

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  • Legion
    11 years ago

    This is similar behavior to certain sects of Buddhism. Have you ever consider Buddhism, they believe in the sacredness of almost all living things. The Hindus as well, to a lesser extent.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      They also give their kids diabetes.

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  • KillerKiss
    11 years ago

    I feel guilty too and try not to kill anything if possible... I usually say sorry after lol I once cried because I killed a ladybird... I CRIED -_- I think it's totally normal to feel something for the animal and I think it's good you want to try not to kill them :)

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  • NotFloydzie
    11 years ago

    I don't kill bugs. Any kind of bugs. I personally like insects (unless they're worms or cockroaches). The philosophy of bugs goes way more back than Indian Americans. It can be tracked all the way to Ancient Egypt. Look it up. It's rather interesting.

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  • dappled
    11 years ago

    I'd feel guilty about it, yes. I don't think people in generally really care, though. They think human life is "better" than other kinds of life just because they are human. Whatever people are, they usually think is best. We're pretty blind to critical thinking.

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  • drugsrbadmkay
    11 years ago

    Flys eat poo kill them.

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  • AssBurgers
    11 years ago

    Flies are disgusting, don't feel guilty.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Humans are pretty disgusting. In some places they don't even bathe. Should I kill a human and not feel guilty because I thought it was disgusting?

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      • AssBurgers
        11 years ago

        What a ridiculous comparison.

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  • Watermelon28
    11 years ago

    Don't.
    Insects are inferior life forms
    Their main purpose it to irritate us,humans, with their annoying noises and flying around you trying to lay eggs everyfuckingwhere
    Mosquitos are the worst...I can't stand them!! DON'T FEEL GUILTY FOR SQUASHING A GOD DAMN FLY, FEEL PROUD!

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    • sega31098
      11 years ago

      Clearly you haven't studied biology.

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  • jeebley
    10 years ago

    Not in vein - Offensive to IV users.... But I know where you're at. It's not ok to kill anything that may have a consciousness - even if it doesn't.

    Keep doing what you're doing.

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  • D0nk1n40
    10 years ago

    Flys r so hard to fucking kill so u should feel proud

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  • robbieforgotpw
    11 years ago

    Would it have made you happy had you eaten the fly?

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Probably not, I don't think flies are that beneficial to the body. If it were, I would maybe eat it with some chocolate to make it taste better. At least then, it's dead matter would have gone to a good use.

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  • Shadoweyes
    11 years ago

    I also used feel bad when I killed small creatures like flies.
    But I know now, that I am human. Humans... are meant to be above such gruesome insects that lack the intellect us humans poses. Flies merely to live, breed and die. I suppose a majority of human lives go to waste the same way, but that is only to an extent. So it doesn't really perturb me when I take the life of an insect or an animal. What bothers me is drowning a kitten or cutting down a tree for the sake of creating a dump, or as I like to say, a 'flies breeding ground'.
    So in short, have no guilt. It is a lesser being.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      How does intellect make it okay to kill flies? If something has better qualities than us (such as flight), would it make it okay for them to kill us? I would also make the argument that all humans do is live, breed and die as well, what makes us any different than them? We use our abilities to survive (intellect) just as all the other animals use theirs. And for the most part, the whole point of organisms is to reproduce so the DNA can be passed on, ALL organisms do this in one way or another (or they die off). What really disturbs me in your post is that you place the life of a kitten or a tree in higher regard than a fly (probably due to societies cultural influences on the matters of which organisms are "cute" and "ugly") when really they are all equal as organisms. I see no reason to call flies a lesser being, when really we are all equal when it comes to the gist of it other than some advantages and disadvantages.

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  • capcrunch6
    11 years ago

    Dude, you got people to debate the ethnics of killing a bug.
    TROLL SCHOOL GRADUATE!!!!!

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  • fissionmailed
    11 years ago

    You should feel bad, that fly probably had a family and kids!

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  • yesnomaybeso
    11 years ago

    lol whenever i kill an insect i feel good becuase i think i did something good because this insect is not gonna go and bother someobdy's life annoying them like they already did with me.

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Replace insect with human. If a human bothers you, should you kill it, AND feel good about it?

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      • yesnomaybeso
        11 years ago

        Yeah well you're comparing something without brain that eats shit with "something" very complex with brain and emotions that have done very important things in life...

        Nobody is gonna miss that fly :p is it

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          First off, flies have brains. And they eat feces because there is a ton of bacteria that is beneficial to them as food. If anything we are inferior (in a way) because we cannot eat such things safely. Alot of organisms have complex emotions just like we do, such as fear when danger is near (ie avoiding being swatted at) and happiness to promote good behavior. And it depends on what you mean on "important" since the entire span of human history will most likely matter very very little to the rest of the universe. However, doing things that may be of importance to your species or yourself is a different matter. What a single fly does may not mean anything to you, but it matters to the fly, and possibly vice versa (what you do will not matter to the fly). Nobody will miss that fly? Apparently I miss it in a way, it lingers in my mind as a reminder that all organisms should be treated with respect and only used/killed when needed. But it doesn't even matter if someone misses it, what matters is that it lived.

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    I always wondered about it as a kid; why a dog's life is sacred but a flies isn't. It's strange that people judge a thing's worth by that which matters least: Physicalities.

    But if killing flies were murder, I'd be in court on charges of fly genocide. Anyway, I'll say it's normal.

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  • shuggy-chan
    11 years ago

    i do the same thing, with a few exceptiond, lke biting flies, etc, and ticks. OMG i hate ticks, i really rather not get lyme dieses thank you, but just dont think about it too much.

    it not like it was a malious act, our you tortured it

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    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      I would ONLY kill if it is being a complete jerk about it (if there was no other way), and it was possibly trying to harm me (since some flies will do that). Other wise just blow it off and maybe the fly will eventually get the idea.

      "Don't think about it too much" is a terrible answer to a question like this. Not thinking hinders progress, the best thing to do is think. After all, what if flies were more powerful than us, and we did something annoying to them and they decided to squash us, ending our life so that we may no longer enjoy it? We should take responsibility for our power over other organisms and attempt to treat them how we would like to be treated (with the exception of eating each other for food, I suppose).

      It was malicious, since I did (at the time) intend to do harm to stop the buzzing around (it wasn't landing on me).

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      • shuggy-chan
        11 years ago

        i dont veiw, an insect with a week lifespan as a major, lose. i promote being sensitive to other lives, big and small, but you have to draw the line somewhere. i dislike pointless sadistic behavoir but you can go too far to the other extreme as well. i mean, why wash the counter, that bacteria is life, and you destorying it.

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        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          Well what if some organism that lived longer than us thought we weren't a major loss? I don't think we should disregard their life just because of their lifespan. After all, it IS an entire lifespan. I would wash the counter because there is potential that it could damage me, just as the jerk fly would. Lives that have to be taken when ether it be for consumption, or because of danger or accident, I think are justified.

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          • x1frosty16
            11 years ago

            Do sharks, bears, alligators, lions etc think twice before trying to kill us?

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            • disthing
              11 years ago

              Do sharks, bears, alligators or lions rule the earth?

              We're the most powerful animal in the world. We've used our intelligence collaboratively to overcome certain physical constraints and adversity. Ethical and moral codes underpin our success. Most other animals lack the faculty to do what we do, which is why they don't think twice before killing.

              Justifying callousness by pointing to more violent creatures doesn't hold up in court. We're different animals with different considerations who can afford to think twice and consider the universe around us, as well as the value of life beyond just our own.

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            • zelskid
              11 years ago

              yes

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            • Anonymous Post Author
              11 years ago

              Yes, some do. They usually only attack if they see you as a threat (or if they are hungry). The same rules go for me: if something is a danger to me it would be justified for me to kill it, and if I am hungry it would be justified to kill the organism so I can eat it.

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