It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Originally posted by nine-eyed-eel
reply to post by dragonsmusic
What we want is to live forever, and become God. (And in that order, in my opinion...but that's an actual lengthy discussion...Back to topic).
What we find offensive are reminders that we are weak, that we die, that our wills are not omnipotent, that in fact we can hardly develop an effective will that wants the same thing consistently and efficiently for any length of time. Animals are like us in those respects, at least as much weak, changeable, impotent, mortal, failing etc. as we are - some would say more so...another lengthy discussion - so that when we look at animals, they can easily remind us of those unbearable aspects of ourselves...People don't want to be like animals, "because animals ain't nothing"...and the way animals ain't nothing is particularly undesirable because it's that same bad way that we ain't nothing.
I wouldn't call it "denial", in the cheap way people usually use the term...I would call it "dissatisfaction", which I think is frequently a good thing, it's the first step in growth, development, and progress, if you do it right...
Originally posted by EnlightenUp
I am in no way bothered by the biological similarity. It's frankly too obvious to ignore and in my opinion foolish to deny.
What should "separate" us, or better perhaps, distinguish us is the awareness that allows us to overcome our selfish and destructive impulses. I feel confident is in fact our denial that allows our baser instincts to run rampant. How do you tame the beast without having a handle on it?
Originally posted by psilo simon
Biological similarities are obvious, I`m not sure people really get offended by this, by whose standards do you make that judgement?
The real thing for me is that humans are aware they aware. That`s the partition between human and animal for me.
Originally posted by Clearskies
To quote "The Island of Doctor Moreau"; "I am NOT AN animal!"
I mean come on, aim higher in your quest for perfection!
What's lower than an animal?
Originally posted by Clearskies
To quote "The Island of Doctor Moreau"; "I am NOT AN animal!"
I mean come on, aim higher in your quest for perfection!
What's lower than an animal?
Originally posted by gandhi
I adore, accept, and am relieved of it.
Originally posted by Clearskies
reply to post by nine-eyed-eel
Minerals, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond AREN'T as bad as some animals. Sloth, pig.
But they are incapable of feeling, so...............
Originally posted by TheUserz
Probable because we are doing so many things wrong to animals like tests, caging, poaching, abusing etc. that we try to think of them as lesser and that they have no spirits or emotional being.
Originally posted by Trolloks
Humans have the power of reason. Yes, it is impossible to prove that animals have none, but since Kant, we have distinquished ourselves from animals for this very point.
The offence from the term of ourselves as animals originated from calling people animals for having no power of reason, thought, or mannors. I myslef see no offence being called an animal, but just in general, people do.
The two main differences are our ability to use reason in our ideas (or logic, both terms work alike) and our ability to literate our ideas/logic/reason wth each other (language) animals can not.
So calling a person an animal is saying that the person can not comprehend or act on this abritutes, an insult in the end of the day, that has lasted for many centeries.
I apologies for the very very bad grammer, but if you get what im saying there should be no need for grammer nazi's