Re: A Painted Poodle
To all you people suggesting that animals do not experience emotions (and even for those of you who want to try to pussy your way out of a real position by saying that they don't have "complex" emotions), here's a PROtip: Spend some time around animals first.
Before you do, though, do try to figure out what the word "empathy" means, or your results may vary.
As an example: One time there was in my backyard a rabbit corpse that had been basically destroyed by some animal. Before that point, I'd frequently see two rabbits around, obviously a mated pair, nomming the verds. Well, I noticed this dead rabbit in my backyard almost bisected by whatever killed it. And along the fence line was the other rabbit, just staring. I only noticed it as I went out there to check out the dead rabbit myself to confirm what it was. The rabbit and I exchanged a long look, and then I made a move towards it. It turned and very slowly walked away.
I don't know about you, but in my NORMAL experience around bunnies, they bolt away if you let them know you're coming at them unless they've been paralyzed by your car headlights or something.
This animal was, based on my assessment of the scene, experiencing a severe emotional grief/loss related trauma. And I think I'm smart enough to know when I'm transferring.
Watch those silly little shows like Prairie Dog House or whatever it's called. Ignore the voice-track and try to explain the behaviour of the animals based on what they appear to be doing. Be aware of the relationships of the animals, for instance, if this prairie dog the mother of this or that pup? Draw your own conclusions, and see what you come up with.
It's the distinction between "complex" and "simple" emotions that bothers me, though. That's just dumb. You either have emotions or you don't. There's no magic defining line that says "hey, you can't feel that because that's a *complex* emotion". I mean, yeah, rage when your children are threatened, that's primal, right? What about anxiety without the rage? What about a vague concern? What's primal and what's complex? I think the emotions are either there or they aren't. The size and computing power of the brain just allows for us to make greater and more complicated rational connections about which we experience emotions. It's called a "complex" emotion when we experience a "low-intensity" or sometimes even "high-intensity" emotion for complicated reasons.
All that being said, some dogs enjoy different things. If this dog enjoys being primped and coloured, and also enjoys winning shows (as I suspect it does, or its depressed bearing would cause it to be a turn-off to the judges) then more power to the dog and its groomer. If you treat an animal such that you "transfer" a "depressed" "interpretation" of its "emotions" onto it, then you, sir or madam, are an ass, and need to be shot. I, on the other hand, need to be shot for using too many damn quotation marks.
Before you do, though, do try to figure out what the word "empathy" means, or your results may vary.
As an example: One time there was in my backyard a rabbit corpse that had been basically destroyed by some animal. Before that point, I'd frequently see two rabbits around, obviously a mated pair, nomming the verds. Well, I noticed this dead rabbit in my backyard almost bisected by whatever killed it. And along the fence line was the other rabbit, just staring. I only noticed it as I went out there to check out the dead rabbit myself to confirm what it was. The rabbit and I exchanged a long look, and then I made a move towards it. It turned and very slowly walked away.
I don't know about you, but in my NORMAL experience around bunnies, they bolt away if you let them know you're coming at them unless they've been paralyzed by your car headlights or something.
This animal was, based on my assessment of the scene, experiencing a severe emotional grief/loss related trauma. And I think I'm smart enough to know when I'm transferring.
Watch those silly little shows like Prairie Dog House or whatever it's called. Ignore the voice-track and try to explain the behaviour of the animals based on what they appear to be doing. Be aware of the relationships of the animals, for instance, if this prairie dog the mother of this or that pup? Draw your own conclusions, and see what you come up with.
It's the distinction between "complex" and "simple" emotions that bothers me, though. That's just dumb. You either have emotions or you don't. There's no magic defining line that says "hey, you can't feel that because that's a *complex* emotion". I mean, yeah, rage when your children are threatened, that's primal, right? What about anxiety without the rage? What about a vague concern? What's primal and what's complex? I think the emotions are either there or they aren't. The size and computing power of the brain just allows for us to make greater and more complicated rational connections about which we experience emotions. It's called a "complex" emotion when we experience a "low-intensity" or sometimes even "high-intensity" emotion for complicated reasons.
All that being said, some dogs enjoy different things. If this dog enjoys being primped and coloured, and also enjoys winning shows (as I suspect it does, or its depressed bearing would cause it to be a turn-off to the judges) then more power to the dog and its groomer. If you treat an animal such that you "transfer" a "depressed" "interpretation" of its "emotions" onto it, then you, sir or madam, are an ass, and need to be shot. I, on the other hand, need to be shot for using too many damn quotation marks.