On Human Ego And Compassion For Animals

[Iam Joy]

I'm wondering about how ego relates to how we feel about animals.

 

My query is about how your attitude towards animals changes (if it does) when your ego is reduced. There is a gulf between humans and animals, because humans believe that animals are less than they are (i.e. not persons and not rational agents) and so are not worthy of 'rights' and are treated as property. I believe that one of the main reasons for this attitude is egotism, which gives humans an inflated sense of their own importance. Therefore, I'm wondering whether people with a reduced or absent ego, such as Buddhists and other spiritual types, feel less of a gap between themselves and animals, and that they feel that animals are more kindred to humans - almost that we are human-animals and they are animal-persons - that we are actually the same. I know that usually when people reduce their ego they seem to become more aware of the suffering of animals and feel a connectedness with everything, so they become veggies/vegans - which also made me wonder about whether it's primarily human egotism that is perpetuating the gulf between us and other animals.

 

What do you think about this? Thank you very much.

[Deepwater6]

This is a rather different topic LamJoy what made you think of it if I may ask?

 

I don't think people with big ego's purposely have no compassion for animals, I just think that sometimes they have little thought for anything else but themselves.

[belovelife]

interesting, i know most animals are afraid of humans

 

so kind interaction is usually welcome

 

everything from bee's and birds, to racoons and squerrels

they all have a friendly side

 

and like to play games also

 

you just have to be aware of their games to play them

[Chewbalka]

I am not an animal fan by any means at all. But i assure you i would never harm one nor hunt one and if i saw one injured in away in which i new there was a chance of survival i would help it. I have no ego but i am refered to as a comedian lol i never take anything seriously ever drives people crazy lol. I do not like animals because i feel absolutely no connection with them. Honestly i feel more threatened by them. I feel as though animals have huge advantages over us in a sense of survival strenght and agility, our only advantage is our brains and even then they are usless to the keen senses they have. I spend alot of time wondering the woods whenever i get the chance were i just think. I can not count how many times i have been startled by some animal making a break for its life when i had no intention of hurting it. I am certain though i was just as scared by it running as it was from me lol. I am not a vegetarian those people are too pushy and hateful towards others that are not vegetarians and i don't want to be viewd as a bleep hole because i eat only vegetables. Meaning i view the vegetarians as the ones who think to highly of themselves they appear to be the ones who view themselves above other humans.

[Ascended]

I think this is an interesting idea and I would agree that an inflated sense of ego can lead someone to spend there time dwelling on themself, but I don't always necessarily see a correlation here. Sometimes people are able to take on more responsibility because of ego, it's not always a bad thing, it just needs to be managed. A lack of ego can lead to lack of caring towards animals and others because of a sense of inadequacy, where as a bigger ego can lead to the ability and belief of a sense of responsibility for others.

 

I think this can also be seen in the animal kingdom, just look at the way gorillas behave, you have a large silverback with the biggest ego taking responsibility and caring for all the others.

[labelwench]

When one has the time and opportunity to observe animals, wild or domestic, and watch their interactions with each other, their environment and other species, one will develop an appreciation for just how intelligent and sensitive they are. They face the same struggles as we do in surviving an often hostile environment to find nutrition, shelter and companionship and to reproduce as a species.

 

Sadly, many people live in the concrete jungles of our own creation and do not have the opportunity to spend time in this pursuit. I am fortunate to live in a sparsely populated region that borders on wilderness and we have creatures, both domestic and wild to observe daily. The gray jays come by for handouts, and the red fox comes by to catch a few mice by the hay sheds while the horses look on and our cat is resting indoors, otherwise the cat would run off the interloper. Last spring was late and cold and a cow moose and her two calves hung around for a couple of weeks, eating a bit of hay which is not their preferred food but better than an empty stomach. This photo was taken by my husband one morning.